The NATIONAL PRAYER ALTAR
MARATHON PRAYERS
Monday 30th June – Sunday 6th July 2025
THE VEIL
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Cor. 4:4).
There are absurdities in society that some have not taken time to address. Why should anyone be injurious to others and refuse to change? Why would anyone in darkness refuse the light? It is human nature to gravitate to where light is shining. However, in matters of eternal consequences, many persist in the dark. This absurdity is more pronounced in matters of culture. The LGBTQ+ culture is a shock, yet some nations defend it. Why do some societies embrace profanity?
In the Marathon Prayer call of last week, we looked briefly at “worldviews”. A worldview is the lens through which an individual or groups of individuals view their world and their place in it. Everybody has a worldview and acts accordingly, even if unconsciously. The powerhouse of worldview is the mind, which is in the soul realm of man. The spirit of man is the seat of the Spirit of God, the part of man that “knows,” while the soul harbours the mind, will, and emotion, the portion that “feels”. A critical component of man is the mind. It is the part that Satan aims to capture.
John G. Lake said, “A man’s life will be as the character of his thoughts. If he thinks evil, he will be evil. If he thinks holy, he will be holy. His outward life will be as his inner impulse is.”
Smith Wigglesworth commented thus, “the devil knows that if he can capture your thought life, he has won a mighty victory over you." There are people everywhere bound by deceptive conditions that came about from how they let the devil to make their minds his stronghold.
What are strongholds? 2 Cor. 10:4 says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." Strongholds are every lie of the devil which a man believes. If the devil projects a lie into the mind of an individual, or groups of individuals, and they believe, it becomes a stronghold of Satan. There is little that anyone can do to deliver them, unless they renew their mind. Whatever is planted in the mind becomes a worldview.
In Nigeria today, a lot of lies of the devil are fast becoming the worldview of the people. Unfortunately, Christians are also amongst those who are deceived, contrary to 2 Cor. 10:4 which commands Christians to “pull down” every lie of the devil. The lies come out in such statements as:
“Nigeria is finished.”
“Nigeria is a corrupt country. It cannot change.”
“2027 is a done deal. Tinubu will return for a second term.”
These are deceptions from the pit of hell. They are not the voice of God. Lam. 3:37 says, "Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?" Lies of the devil come to pass when men agree with him. When people take a stand and resist the devil, he flees (James 4:7) and his lies crumble.
The worldview of Nigerians that has turned corruption, injustice, and unrighteousness into a culture must be resisted by Christians. The veil that Satan is trying to pull over the face of Nigerians must be torn to shreds and Christians must take the lead in pulling down every stronghold of Satan that is degrading the country.
According to 2 Cor. 4:4, this matter of strongholds is a major hinderance to the preaching of the gospel in many nations. Satan craftily engineers worldviews that run contrary to the gospel, and he has “blinded the minds" of millions of people from seeing the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has used intellectuals, philosophers, scientists, and leaders of thought to achieve that resistance to …
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Cor. 4:4).
Some philosophies have been used by Satan to blind men to the light of the gospel. Soul winners should endeavour to discern opposing worldviews of certain cultures, and use the word of truth to shred them. For example, an average European, hearing about God, also hears a tape playing in his mind, countering the gospel. Examples of those counter philosophies are:
• Deism (the absent God) – The proponents are men like Voltaire, John Locke, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking. They believe that God exists and created the universe, but He has abandoned the world to run its course. Consequently, there is no moral standard, no sin, and no evil.
• Naturalism – The proponents are Bertrand Russell and Karl Marx. This philosophy expresses itself as secular humanism and Marxism. They contend that God does not exist. There was no Creator of the cosmos; matter and universe have always existed. To the naturalists, there is no life after death, nor is there a heaven or hell.
• Nihilism – the proponents are Friedrich Nietzsche, Fran Kafka, Samuel Beckett, and Kurt Vonnegut. To the Nihilists, nothing, including God, exists. There is no knowledge, no meaning, and no value. Many of the proponents of Nihilism became insane, suicidal, or got lost in fantasy. It is a depressing and hopeless worldview.
• New Age – Carl Jung, Aldous Huxley, Robert Heinlein, Carlos Castenada, Marilyn Fergusson, Shirley MacLaine, and George Lucas. Based on Eastern mysticism, the adherents believe that this world, contrary to Bible teaching, will not pass away. Rather, humanity will enter a new age of Utopia.
These are some of the worldviews that controvert the message of salvation and the moral standard of God, resulting in unbridled lust, perversion, and self-seeking. In Nigeria, there are two worldviews that trouble the land, and are responsible for the dysfunctionality of the state.
• Clannish mentality – Amongst the Fulanis, truth, justice, and righteousness only exist within their clan. Outside of their clan, those virtues do not exist. Consequently, they can mete out the worst inhuman treatment to non-Fulanis and they believe they have done nothing wrong. This is the worldview driving the bloodshed in Nigeria and the cruel treatment meted to the Hausas who accommodated them, and the Middle Belt, that does not want to accommodate them.
• Colonial mentality – Under colonialism, most Nigerians perceived of government as an imposed entity serving external interests. This pre-independence worldview was carried by many into post-independent Nigeria. The consequence is a generation of leaders who handled governance without patriotism and passion for their country or their people. They served foreign interests rather than national interests. Unfortunately, this pre-independence mentality clan has been producing the leaders of the country since Independence in 1960. Nigeria needs a new generation of younger leaders, people with a new mindset.
The veil of clannish and colonial mentality must be shredded. There must be a new mindset, that Nigerians have no other country, and what they have is worth fighting for. As Nigeria approaches another election, citizens must purpose to have a generation shift. The pre-independence generation believes that government should serve the interest of foreign powers and not the interest of their citizens. That is the worldview into which they were born.
Christians should take the lead in birthing a new Nigeria by renewing their minds and minding their confessions. Philp. 2:5 commands, "let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus". It is time to think like Jesus. Christians should think of restoration, reconciliation, reconstruction, and the renewal of Nigeria.
A new Nigeria is possible. God bless Nigeria.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Is. 29:6-8
A viral video on social media identified several Islamic nations that conspired to attack Nigeria to gain control of its resources and its fruitful land. Pray that all the nations conspiring against Nigeria shall be judged according to the word of God.
2. Is. 8:9-10
Pray that every plan of the conspiring nations, causing bloodshed, death, and instability in Nigeria, shall fail.
3. Rev. 12:7-11
Pray against every satanic and occult manipulation to defile Nigeria and bring it under God’s indignation. Plead the Blood of Jesus to nullify every curse, sorcery, enchantment, divination, and prognostication against Nigeria.
4. Zech. 1:18-21
Ask God to release the four carpenters as well as the hosts of heaven to destroy every evil horn that has risen to scatter Nigeria and destroy its people.
5. 2 Cor. 10:3-5
Pull down every stronghold of lies, manipulations, and divisions that Satan has been using to devastate Nigeria.
6. John 8:32
Pray that the truth of God shall make Nigeria free of every manipulation, division, and destruction.
7. Philp. 2:5
Pray that the mind of Christ shall fill the Church, particularly the leadership of the Body of Christ in Nigeria.
Amen
