They also prayed for solutions to the many problems facing the country, including the current crime scourge.

The large gathering comprised Christian leaders - Bishops, Pastors, Elders and other church figures - from across the country including from Linden, Bartica, Berbice, West Demerara, Essequibo, East Coast and Georgetown.

President Jagdeo said prayer is "a surge of the heart and a cry of both recognition and love towards the Supreme Being in times of trials, need and joy".

"Through prayer we acknowledge that human life is more than what is available to the natural eye. We recognise that it is a force that it is far more powerful than any country's power, a force that leads all to true goodness and happiness," the Head of State said.

He noted that while Guyana is a secular state, "we are a religious nation". "There is no official religion in our land and I insist that the many religious faiths - Muslims, Hindus and Christians - be treated equally and fairly," he said.

The President, however, noted that the Christian churches have over the years played crucial roles in guiding and shaping the lives of many men and women and thereby aiding in the formation of the society.

"In endeavouring to develop the best within us, churches have restrained the human propensity towards hatred, covetousness and conflict and they instruct congregations in the way of peace, love and harmony," he said.

The President also pointed out that evil comes in many forms, including crime.

"The churches constitute an indispensable part of our society, when through your teachings and examples, citizens develop love for each other, persons become good neighbours, strive for honest livelihood and accept our common humanity. We are contributing to national security, improving ethnic relations, restraining uncivil behaviour and promoting self development and national development," Mr. Jagdeo stated.

"When you draw attention to lawlessness and real injustices, you are helping to preserve our nation. When you promote good citizenry, you are upholding the fundamental conditions to a safe and orderly society.

"When your heart is with the poor, and you minister to the needs of the less fortunate, you are fulfilling humanitarian needs. You are therefore in partnership with all the groups in our society which undertake their several missions in the quest for peaceful development of our people and society," he told the religious leaders.

"I am sure that this prayer encounter will encourage our brothers and sisters...it will reassure those living in hope, and assuage the grief and pain of those who suffered human and material loss and are daily in a state of fear.

"As we pray together we seek, and maybe find, new hope and new strength for life and daily living," the President added.

Bishop Juan Edghill of the Guyana Council of Churches noted that those gathered on the lawns of State House yesterday afternoon were Christians from different denominations and different churches and disciplines.

"...but we have an underlying belief and that is Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world. We believe there is one God, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one Calling, and...we need to keep the unity of the spirit in peace," Bishop Edghill told the gathering.

In response to a query about what exactly the prayer encounter hoped to achieve, Bishop Edghill pointed out that although everything will not happen immediately, last evening's encounter is "certainly the beginning of a long journey that will lead to many successes".

"This is truly an historic gathering; it's not a Pentecostal gathering, it's not a Council of Churches gathering, it's not a Seventh Day Adventist gathering, it's not a Church of Christ or a Church of God or an independent church gathering.

"This is a gathering of church leaders and we need to give God a hand of praise for that," he told the large gathering.

"I believe that if we can get the church to unite, we would have set the right example for the nation to unite. In the Christian community we have Catholics, Pentecostal, Evangelical...but if we can walk away from the divisions and the way I put it, break down walls and build bridges in the Christian community, then we can be able to show the rest of society how we can tear down walls in our communities and begin to built bridges," he said.

The Bishop also called upon everyone gathered "to stretch across the denominational divide and embrace the truth of the Lordship of Jesus Christ".

"Our nation at this present time is in serious trouble. We don't need anybody tonight to articulate the trouble that we are in...so we wouldn't waste time tonight to discuss our problems.

"This is a gathering of minds for prayer and to seek Divine wisdom to bring about the solutions that are needed. So our discourse and our prayer must be solution oriented," Bishop Edghill urged the gathering.

"This is not a time for political talk and political grandstanding and accusations and trying to defend your position and trying to embarrass anybody else's position, because that will not help this nation. This is a time when the church needs to come together, with integrity and honesty, before the true living God, and search for solutions.

"So we will be seeking to find solutions," Edghill said.

Bishop Edghill also said that he has found in President Jagdeo, "a man that is very open to the word of God and open to counsel".

"When I spoke to him about a week ago about a prayer for Christian unity, these were his (President Jagdeo) words. `Bishop, don't only bring the Council people to pray with me, invite all Christians from across the country'," Bishop Edghill recalled.

Among those present yesterday were Prime Minister Sam Hinds; Home Affairs Minister, Mr. Ronald Gajraj; Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr. Reepu Daman Persaud; Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Rudy Insanally; Attorney General, Mr. Doodnauth Singh; Finance Minister, Mr. Saisnarine Kowlessar; Health Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy; Transport and Hydraulics Minister, Mr. Tony Xavier; Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Mr. Manzoor Nadir; Minister of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Dale Bisnauth; Agriculture Minister, Mr. Navin Chandarpal; Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon; Information Liaison to the President, Mr. Robert Persaud; General Secretary of the People's Progressive Party, Mr. Donald Ramotar; Advisors to the President, Mr. Kellawan Lall, Mr. Maniram Prashad and Mr. Odinga Lumumba.