A Plateau-based cleric and founder of Grace Dimensions Ministry, Maseke Daniels, has urged religious leaders to complement prayers and preaching with practical support for poor and vulnerable members of society.
Daniels made the call on Tuesday during a radio interview in Plateau State, where he disclosed that his ministry would next month distribute 5,000 bags of rice to families, with 2,500 bags earmarked for Muslims and another 2,500 for Christians.
He, however, did not disclose the date for the planned distribution.
The cleric said the intervention was part of his ministry’s efforts to provide relief to people facing economic hardship, stressing that religious faith should translate into tangible assistance to those in need.
“When you pray, expect God to answer. But when you pray, it was God who also ordered us to feed the people. It was God who also ordered us to take care of the widows, the orphans,” he said.
“We cannot continue to pray and keep our arms folded. We will pray, but we will also work.”
Daniels said his approach to charity was rooted in his understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly the responsibility to care for widows, orphans and other vulnerable people.
“There’s no true religion without giving,” he said, adding that religious leaders must cater for the spiritual and physical needs of their followers.
The cleric said his ministry’s charitable activities were not restricted to Christians, arguing that hunger and poverty did not discriminate on religious grounds.
“If you were hungry and your neighbour was a Muslim and is ready to give you food, would you take it? Would you discriminate at that point in time?” he asked.
He said the planned rice distribution would build on previous interventions by his ministry.
In August 2025, Daniels distributed 2,000 bags of rice to Muslims and Christians in Jos, with 1,000 bags allocated to each group.
He also visited the Jos Central Mosque during Ramadan in March 2026, where he donated rams and food supplies to members of the Muslim community.
Daniels said his charitable activities were also being implemented through the Mercy Daniels Foundation, which, according to him, assists people regardless of their religious background.
“We have what we call the Mercy Daniels Foundation, where we reach out to people and help them in our own little way. It is open to anybody,” he said.
He added that beneficiaries were required to demonstrate genuine need before receiving assistance, saying the foundation also supported people seeking to establish livelihoods.
The cleric cited the example of a caller who requested a sewing machine to enable him to pursue his shoe-design business, saying the foundation would consider the request after verifying his circumstances.
Daniels also said his ministry had supported education, noting that it was reported to have paid tuition fees for 40 indigent students of the University of Jos, Plateau State Polytechnic and the National Open University in March 2026.
He said religious leaders had considerable influence over families and should use that influence to promote compassion, knowledge and responsible conduct among their followers.
“If we have 10 families come to church and I’ve been able to impact them with the right knowledge, I’m not impacting just the 10 fathers or 10 mothers, I’m actually impacting the whole family,” he said.
Daniels further urged members of the public to recognise that some religious leaders use resources received from followers to support people in need, saying faith communities could contribute to addressing poverty through food assistance, education, skills acquisition and other interventions.
He said prayer remained central to his faith but should not prevent people from taking practical steps to address challenges confronting their communities.
“God can’t do it alone, you also can’t do it alone. So it’s a combined work. We are His outstretched arm of hello, he said.
Daniels said his commitment to helping vulnerable people predated the expansion of his ministry, claiming that he and his wife had at different times sold their wedding rings and that he had also sold properties to raise funds for education and empowerment initiatives.
He attributed the expansion of his charitable activities to support from partners in Nigeria and abroad, saying such partnerships had enabled him to reach more people.
The cleric maintained that caring for the poor should be regarded as an integral part of religious responsibility, rather than an occasional gesture, especially as many families continue to struggle with the rising cost of basic necessities.