The NATIONAL PRAYER ALTAR
MARATHON PRAYERS
Monday 13th - Sunday 19th May 2024
A WAKE-UP CALL
On 11th May 2014, exactly ten years ago, God caused a message to be delivered to His Church, as well as to Nigeria. Amongst other things, the message, tagged "THE WAKE-UP CALL," warned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) should not be permitted to form a government. The message specifically warned Christians in Nigeria, “do not dig the grave of the Church with your thumb”. The message urged Nigerians to beware of APC.
Propelled by the Spirit of God according to Ps. 68: 11, "The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it." that message took on a life of its own and went viral. As it was being shared, it provided light and guidance to Nigerians. Eventually, APC discovered what was going on and approached a prominent Church leader in Nigeria to counter and nullify the message. The Church leader consented via a letter on 3rd October 2014. He described the message as, “wickedly false, unsubstantiated, ill-conceived and borne out of mischief.”
Interestingly, the same Church leader had earlier endorsed the message. After the visit from APC delegation, he instructed those who had the CD of the message to dispose of it. His position was strengthened by the APC, which appointed a pastor from his denomination as its Vice-Presidential candidate and used the appointment to campaign that the party had no agenda of religious intolerance.
Following the intervention of that Church leader, some influential Christians went all out to campaign for “CHANGE”, and Muhammadu Buhari became President of Nigeria. Nigerians can now look back, after ten years of the WAKE-UP CALL, and review the consequences of the action of that church leader.
As a direct consequence of that letter, millions of Nigerians have allegedly been murdered in cold blood. Hajia Kalthoum Alumbe Jutami, the Hausa female Emancipator, has claimed in her messages that over seven million Hausa people were murdered in the eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari. (Adolf Hitler killed six million Jews during the Second World War.) Even if this figure was contested, the murderous activities of Fulani herdsmen, and the other Islamic terrorists, under APC, cannot be denied. Thousands of Nigerians have been kidnapped and treated in the most barbaric and inhumane manner. Millions of families have been pauperized while those who are able have fled the country. All national infrastructure have collapsed, and a whole election was hijacked in broad daylight. It is no longer strange to see Nigerians protesting on the streets, wailing, “We are hungry”.
It was ten years of hell in Nigeria under APC.
The Lord, Who is plenteous in mercy, gave another word in June 2018 as the country was preparing for another election in 2019. That word was published and delivered at a Christian Conference held in Lagos. Amongst others, the word admonished that the apex body of Christianity in Nigeria should be re-organized. While the word in 2014 dealt with unbelievers, the word in 2018 dealt directly with the Church.
The Church was called upon by God to re-organize itself or lose control of the 2019 elections marking the next milestone in the 20-year cycle of God’s dealing with Nigeria. Rather than seek God’s face concerning the message, some Church leaders gathered in Abuja in July 2018 and denigrated the message.
Today, Nigeria is ruled by a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Under the circumstances, what should Nigerian Christians do? Naturally, the first suggestion would be repentance. A lot of repentance has been done in the Church, and we thank God for that. However, there is a critical group in the Church whose concerted and public repentance is still outstanding. God deals with His people through their leaders and the condition of the leaders before God determines how He deals with His people. The problem on ground was caused by the leaders, therefore they must lead in the repentance. The Word of God makes clear that hell shall not prevail against the Church. However, what would happen if the gatekeepers themselves opened the gate for hell?
God spoke in Isaiah 1: 5 – 7 asking, ”Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence,”
Could anyone deny that this scripture aptly describes the current situation in Nigeria?
This is not a condemnation of Church leaders. What has happened has happened, but we need to work towards a solution. No stone should be left unturned in the effort to obtain divine intervention. Joel 2: 17 – 18 says, “Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people.”
We must acknowledge that Church leaders are also humans, capable of error of judgment. Therefore, if any infraction is committed by Church leaders, they should accept responsibility before God and repent. Since Church leaders teach Christians how to confess and repent, they should not be reluctant to do the same.
The Nigeria Church has learnt a bitter lesson, a lesson marked with blood and death. It is a lesson that should not be repeated. Genuine repentance by Christian leaders is the first step in ensuring that such error does not occur again.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Prov. 1: 24 – 30
The rejection of the counsel of God in 2014 by Church leaders became collective guilt upon the entire Church. Plead the blood of Jesus to atone for the rebellion of the Church in 2014.
2. Joel 2:17–18
Pray for genuine repentance amongst church leaders so that God’s mercy shall be hastened over the land.
3. Isaiah 52: 3 –
Pray that the mercy of God shall prevail upon the Church and the nation.
4. Ezekiel 21: 25 – 27
Pray that God will uproot and overturn every wicked government in Nigeria and hand the throne over to a righteous ruler.
5. Isaiah 28: 5 – 6
Take authority over the gates of hell unleashed upon Nigeria by the APC. Shut the gates of hell and execute judgment on the forces of darkness wreaking havoc in Nigeria.
6. Ps. 149: 5 – 9
Come against the curses of sorcerers, enchanters, diviners, and prognosticators contending for the throne of Nigeria. Bind the evil spirits working with them and execute judgment on all their forces.
7. Isaiah 32: 13 – 18
Pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the land for healing and restoration.
