NATIONAL PRAYER ALTAR
MARATHON PRAYERS
Monday 26th – Sunday 3rd March 2024
The prayer call of 8th – 14th January 2024 carried Part 1 of this message, “THE EARTH IS FILLED WITH HAMAS”. Genesis 6:11 states, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” The word “violence” is the Hebrew word “_hamas”. This week continues that prayer call, especially in response to disturbing developments in the country in the past few days.
A few days ago, leaders of the Hamas terrorist group were given visa by the Tinubu administration to officially enter Nigeria, which suggest the government’s endorsement of international terrorism. As if opening the doors of the country to an international terrorist organization had not been enough, Hamas was given permission to justify and defend its terrorist activities on Channels TV. Hamas denies that it is a terrorist organization, but the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom designate it as such. More importantly, the modus operandi of Hamas confirms it is a terrorist organization.
While Hamas claims that it is a political group, it draws its support base mostly from Muslim nations involved in the age-long determination of the Arabs to exterminate the nation of Israel. That Hamas is primarily associated with religion should have cautioned the government that Section 10 of the Constitution would be violated by extending invitation to such a group.
The unfortunate Palestine conflict might have been resolved with the two-state solution. Regrettably, on multiple occasions when that was proposed, Hamas has rejected it, while Israel accepted it. What Hamas wants is the complete vacation of the land by Israel. Hamas joins other terrorist groups like Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), as well as a host of Arab nations, all of whom are committed to wiping out Israel. Prominent amongst those nations are Iran, Turkey, Lebanon, and Iraq.
Today, Arab nations are seeking strategic countries in Africa to co-opt into their anti-Israel agenda. Many years ago, God gave Pastor Elton a vision of Africa as a pistol, when the map of Africa is placed sideways. Nigeria occupies the position of the trigger while South Africa is the muzzle where the bullet fires from. Prophetically, both Nigeria and South Africa occupy sensitive positions in the end time agenda of God for Africa and the world.
A few weeks ago, South Africa sued Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide in Gaza. South Africa overlooked the fact that on 7th October 2023, Hamas launched an unprovoked brutal attack against Israel. Why hasn’t Hamas gone to ICJ by itself to state its case against Israel?
Each life is sacred. We condemn the destruction of lives in whatever form and at any time. However, justice demands that the truth must be applied to every case if problems are to be solved. When Hamas attacked Israel on 7th October 2023, it killed unarmed men, women, and children. That prompted Israel to react in self-defense to prevent future attacks. South Africa condemned the reaction of Israel but overlooked the action of Hamas that precipitated that reaction. What Hamas did on 7th October 2023 was genocide. According to UN definition of genocide, it does not consist in the number of people killed. The murder of one person out of racial motivation or as an act of ethnic cleansing constitutes genocide.
South Africa would appear to have been co-opted into the coalition of Arab nations against Israel. Having co-opted the prophetic “muzzle” of Africa, the Arabs are turning to the “trigger”, Nigeria.
For years, the politics of religion and religious insurgency has threatened Nigeria. Islamism (political Islam) has hijacked power in Nigeria, with the unfortunate connivance and endorsement of some prominent Church leaders who have placed personal and selfish interests about the interest of Nigeria and the Church.
The objectives of the Islamists are not hidden, as published in their communique entitled “The ABUJA DECLARATIONS 1989.” Excerpts from that communique are as follows:
• To ensure the appointment of only Muslims into strategic national and international posts of member nations.
• To eradicate in all its forms and ramifications all non-muslim religions in member nations (such religions shall include Christianity, Ahmadiyya and other tribal modes of worship unacceptable to Muslims).
• To ensure that only Muslims are elected to all political posts of member nations.
• To ensure the declaration of Nigeria (the 24th African and 48th World member of the OIC) a Federal Islamic Sultanate at a convenient date any time from 28th March 1990, with the Sultan of Sokoto enthroned as the Sultan Supreme Sovereign of Nigeria.
• To ensure the ultimate replacement of all Western forms of legal and judicial systems with the Sharia in all member nations before the next Islam in African Conference.
Clearly, this communique has been the script running government in Nigeria for many years. The escalation of the politics of religion and religious insurgency is the intentional design of some forces. At present, the first five offices in Nigeria are occupied by Muslims. They occupy the Number 1, 2, 4, and 5 slots in the political hierarchy of the nation, from the Presidency, through the parliaments to the judiciary. It is not a coincidence. The “Abuja Declarations 1989” was made public in 2014. Instead of Church leaders to treat it with concern and caution, a prominent Church leader wrote a letter condemning the warnings against it, calling on Christians to ignore that warning. Church leaders threw caution to the winds and fully endorsed Islamist candidates in the 2015, 2019, and in 2023 elections. Without the support and endorsement of Church leaders, Islamists could never have gained power in Nigeria.
Now that the sponsors of the politics of religion are no longer hiding their intentions, what will the Church leaders do? The access given to Hamas, coming shortly after the invitation extended to Dr Zakir Naik in November 2023, are indications that the Islamists are preparing for a major offensive.
Concerning the visit of Dr Naik, Premium Times in an editorial on 14th November 2023 noted thus,
“Media accounts of the just concluded visit to Nigeria by the controversial Indian Islamic televangelist, Mr. Zakir Abdulkareem Naik, suggest nothing but an apocalyptic scenario, in which a flaming terrorist was given an expanded platform in Sokoto, Abuja, Keffi and Ilorin to plant the seeds of discontent that ultimately bodes the Nigerian political environment nothing but impending chaos, turmoil, and bloodbath in the very near future” (https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/editorial/643039-editorial-a-cleric-his-message-and-the-media-storm.html).
It was after the visit of Dr Naik that the gate was opened for Hamas.
What will the shepherds of the Nigeria Church do? The National Prayer Altar suggests as follows:
1. The Church leaders should organize a one-day solemn assembly for the confession and repentance of the clergy for their mismanagement and misleading of the Nigeria Church. They must accept responsibility before God for the distressing condition of the Nigeria Church and of Nigeria as a country.
2. The Church leaders should immediately contact the government and insist that it equally extends invitation to Israel to send a delegation to Nigeria for a balanced report of the situation in Gaza. After hearing from Hamas, Nigeria must hear from Israel. This will ensure that government complies with the neutrality of the state on religious issues as enshrined in Section 10 of the Constitution.
3. There must be an immediate Christian Leadership Conference to consider the threat posed by political Islam in Nigeria. There has not been any such conference since the insurgency started in 2009, fifteen years ago. This Conference should include Christian professionals in various fields. It should not be a conference of the Clergy alone.
4. To strengthen the Church, we reiterate our earlier recommendation that churches should import food for free distribution to members of their congregations. The responsibility of the shepherd is to feed their flock.
5. Churches should engage in mechanized farming as well as re-introduce free education. In the coming days, Christians will be further required to take a stand for the Church. If they cannot see the relevance of the Church in their lives, particularly in their hardship, they will not stand – for themselves or for the Church.
6. Christian leaders should return to discipleship teachings. An imbalanced prosperity message weakens the Church.
If this Prayer Call seems appropriate to you, kindly help it to get to your church leader and every other church leader you can.
God bless Nigeria.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Isaiah 8:9–10
There is an international conspiracy against Nigeria. Pray that all the conspiring nations shall scatter, and their counsel shall not stand.
2. Ps. 2:1–9
Satan has gathered many nations to contest the Lordship of Jesus Christ in Nigeria. Pray that every country and individual in that conspiracy to resist the Lordship of Jesus Christ in Nigeria be broken in pieces with God’s rod of iron.
3. Isaiah 7: 7
Pray that every decision in the Abuja Declarations 1989, as well as in other strategy meetings of the Islamists, be nullified by the blood of Jesus and the authority of the word of God.
4. Isaiah 60:18
Pray that violence and destruction shall cease in Nigeria.
5. Col. 2:14 –15
Sorcery, divination, and incantations are being massively deployed into Nigeria against the people, to keep them docile, suppressed, and helpless. Come against all those works of darkness with the blood of Jesus. Saturate the atmosphere in Nigeria with the blood of Jesus for cleansing and deliverance of the land and the people.
6. 2 Cor. 5:11
Pray that the terror of God shall fall on the Church leaders and they shall be persuaded to repent and amend their ways.
7. 2 Cor. 3:17
Pray for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Nigeria, to give Nigeria liberty from Satan, from the forces of darkness, and from the children of the devil
