THE NATIONAL PRAYER ALTAR
MARATHON PRAYERS
Monday 15th – Sunday 21st June 2026
NO KING IN ISRAEL
In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Judg. 17:6).
There is one nagging question that should disturb every conscientious Nigerian in 2026: “How did we get to this point?” The Nigerian society has become one defined by lawlessness and impunity, at all levels. The worst expressions of impunity is amongst those in government, closely followed by the terrorists. Because government officials no longer conduct the affairs of the state according to laid down procedures, terrorists are exploiting the loopholes to wreak havoc all over the country.
Christians, as the light of the world and the salt of the earth, should be deeply worried about the state of the country. The current situation of Nigeria is an indictment on the supposed “light" and "salt” status of the Nigeria Christian. Granted that Nigeria has been challenged for many years by disorderliness, the bloodshed in the country is appalling. Lawlessness is an expression of the dominion of Satan in a life or a land. It says in 2 Thes. 2:7, "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way."
Lawlessness is a spirit, and the “restrainer” of lawlessness should be the Church. When the Church is “out of the way,” through the rapture, lawlessness will be fully unleashed, and the Great Tribulation shall commence (Zech. 5:5-11). It should therefore be of concern to Christians in Nigeria that whereas the rapture has not yet taken place, lawlessness is already ravaging their country. The implication is that the impact of that Church on their land is near zero. The absence of light is darkness. The spirit of lawlessness is operating as if there were no Church in Nigeria. If Christians truly understood the mandate of the Church on the earth, every Christian would be ashamed of the situation of Nigeria.
Admittedly, some Christians are repenting on behalf of the Church and the country. Last week’s Marathon Prayer call conveyed God’s promise of deliverance for Nigeria, after a 24-hour national prayer of repentance. While that good news is encouraging, Christians should further consciously begin to manifest the works of righteousness to reinforce their faith. In this situation of gross lawlessness in the land, Christians must be determined to set good examples, the type that indicts the lawless in the land. The light of the Christian must push back the darkness that lawlessness has brought upon the country.
Everywhere one turns in Nigeria, one is assailed by the offensive odour of recklessness and wickedness. The principal institution in the country for maintaining law and order has turned out to be the prime promoter of lawlessness. The successive governments of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have, since 2015, demonstrated their affinity with corruption, lawlessness, and wickedness. The current government in Nigeria has repeatedly shown that it is more interested in playing politics than in governance, substituting nobility in leadership with propaganda. Every institution established to promote law and order and ensure the security of lives and properties has almost collapsed. Nigeria goes on like a time described in the Bible when "there was no king in Israel," so "every man did that which was right in his own eyes." The Presidency, the National Assembly, the Judiciary, the Civil Service, and the security agents, everyone operates with impunity. It is not surprising that terrorists have followed suit.
The Federal Government lately proved that it could end kidnapping in the country if it wanted to. After the kidnap of 39 school children and 7 teachers in Ogbomosho on 15th May 2026, the sister of an APC chieftain, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, a former Minister of Power, was kidnapped with her twin boys, on 3rd June 2026. Exactly three days later, on 6th June 2026, they were successfully rescued by the Police. The same security forces that have not been able to rescue the 39 children and their teachers since 15th May 2026, rescued the sister of the APC chieftain. Both incidents occurred in Oyo State. As at the time of writing of this prayer call, those school children and their surviving teachers are still in the den of the kidnappers in the forest.
It will be unfair for anyone to hold the Governor of Oyo State responsible, because the control of the security apparatus in Nigeria is vested in the Federal Government. President Tinubu himself, on 15th May 2013, said, “No Governor of a state in Nigeria is the Chief Security Officer. Putting the blame on the Governors ... for the abysmal performance of the government at the centre, which controls all the security agencies, smacks of ignorance and mischief.” The buck stops at the table of President Tinubu. It is morally and ethically right to hold President Tinubu responsible for the lawlessness in Nigeria.
The following recent statistics of mass kidnapping of children in Nigeria should make people shudder at the failure of the Tinubu administration to fulfil its obligations to the citizens of this country.
• 23 children were abducted from an orphanage near Lokoja, Kogi State, in April 2026. Some of the victims were reportedly rescued but several children are still missing.
• In May 2026, 42 children were abducted in Askira-Uba and Chibok areas of Borno State.
• Also, in May 2026, at Ogbomosho in Oyo State, 39 children and 7 school teachers were abducted at Oriire LGA. One of the teachers was beheaded while a two-year-old child has reportedly died. It is instructive to note that these children are exposed to the constant rainfall in this season, and they have no protection against insects and other dangerous animals in the forest.
• In June 2024, seven students were kidnapped from an off-campus residence in Kaura Namoda in Zamfara State.
• The 177 Christians who were kidnapped in January 2026 at Kurmin Wali in Kaduna State included children. They were released after the government negotiated with the terrorists.
These are not the only cases of kidnapping in the country. They are cited because they involved mass abduction of children. Kidnapping of various categories of Nigerians became a scourge under the APC-led government. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), between May 2023 and April 2024, over 2.2 million Nigerians were kidnapped, in the first year of the Tinubu administration, while Nigerians paid N2.2 trillion in ransom within the same one-year period.
Due to the compromise with which the Tinubu administration is handling governance, corruption has become pervasive in the land. Government officials are no longer ashamed to demand bribes, and some of them openly commit acts of corruption that would make any decent human being cringe. A very good example is the legislators in the National Assembly. It is no use blaming Nigerians for corruption, or absolving the leadership of the country. The truth is that the fish rots from the head. If the president sets good example, the people would follow and there will be decency in the land. During the 2014 political campaigns, Tinubu argued that "a nation fails because of leadership failure". He stated publicly:
"If there is a good leader at the top, a nation will not fail. Because the fish start getting rotten from the head. The poverty, insecurity, unemployment which we are witnessing today in this country is because the head has failed."
By that self-admission of Tinubu in 2014, it cannot be denied that he has failed woefully as the president of Nigeria. Nigeria under him in 2026 is multiple times worse than under President Goodluck Jonathan whom he was criticizing in 2014. If Nigerians were asked to choose between Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and President Tinubu, the people would eagerly choose the former president. Under Jonathan, they paid only N87 for a litre of fuel, while under Tinubu the price of fuel has risen to N1,350 per litre.
The performance of Tinubu on the economy is another cause for concern. The President gives the impression that the resources of Nigeria are his personal property to dispense as he deems fit. Multi-trillion Naira road contracts are awarded without appropriation, for example, the Lagos–Calabar coastal road. The National Assembly approved N500 billion for a Lagos–Port Harcourt Road. Without appropriation, the president increased it to N15 trillion and extended it to Calabar. In April 2026, Senator Aminu Tambuwal stated, "I am a Senator and I am telling you the truth. None of the 2023, 2024 or 2025 budgets was implemented". Where is the money? Lawlessness flows from the top in Nigeria.
At this point, one may no longer blame only the British and the Fulanis for the woes of Nigeria. To start with, the current president is neither Fulani nor British. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, he possesses the authority to deal decisively with insecurity and corruption in the country. Lawlessness is ravaging the country under his watch. The president seems to live in a realm where reality is distorted. By his statements, he claims that he understands what the people are going through, but his actions belie his utterances. There is a wide disconnect between what he says and what he does.
This prayer call is intended to mobilize the saints of God into vibrant prayer for the deliverance of Nigeria. Undoubtedly, we have received mercy, therefore, we faint not. However, the enemy will not relinquish his hold on the land unless he is violently resisted through prayers. As stated in Deut. 2:24, the fact that God has given the land to the saints does not preclude warfare to possess it. Fortunately for the Church, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)" (2 Cor. 10:3-4).
Christians must arise and contend for righteousness to prevail in Nigeria. Presently, there is “no king in Israel”.
God bless Nigeria.
PRAYER POINTS
1). Deut. 2:24
Contend against the forces of darkness that promote lawlessness and wickedness in Nigeria. Bind them and cast them out of Nigeria.
2). 2 Cor. 10:3-5
Cast down every satanic stronghold and altar in Nigeria. Execute judgment on the satanic priests and priestesses who service those evil altars.
3). Ps. 11:6
Ask God to visit the iniquity of corrupt politicking and terrorism in Nigeria with the judgment that is written in the Word of God.
4). Is. 26:9-11
Pray that God will execute His judgment upon lawlessness and wickedness in Nigeria, and teach the country righteousness.
5). Ps. 75:6-7
Pray that God will promote righteous men and women into positions of authority and leadership in Nigeria.
6). Acts 13:22
Pray that God will send a leader like David to Nigeria.
7). Is. 51:9-10
Pray that the ancient foundations of righteousness in the Church shall be reawakened by a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Nigeria. Amen
