By The National Prayer Altar
I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. (Ps. 85:8).
The Marathon Prayer call of 23rd to 29th March 2026, entitled “The Season Has Changed” delivered a message, namely that Nigeria has transited from the season of indignation to that of restoration. Surprisingly, some were not pleased with the message, maybe because they profit from the chaos and calamity in the land. Fortunately, God is not man, _”For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men”_ (Lam. 3:31-33). Nigeria has received mercy.
Through His mercies, incidentally, God led the Wailing Women Worldwide to organize a 24-hour repentance-prayer for the land. That followed an earlier revelation to the National Prayer Altar, in which God commanded Joel 2 to be studied as a pattern of His solution to Nigeria’s problem. A study of that chapter revealed four divisions, as follows:
1. ALARM: Trouble is coming.
2. SOLUTION: There should be heartfelt repentance, involving all categories of people, including the priests in the sanctuary, infants, and those in honeymoon.
3. PARDON: In response to the repentance, God would show His people mercy and give oil and wine in the land.
4. RESTORATION: There would be an abundance of corn and oil – economic and social prosperity.
There was impressive collaboration involving many intercessory groups as well as intercessors, from all over the world, on 29th May 2026, repenting on behalf of Nigeria and the Church in the land. According to Joel 2:16-17, elders, children, and priests maintained a 24-hour vigil before God, pleading for mercy. The priesthood was represented by several notable pastors, among them, a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), a former President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), and some other leading ministers of the gospel. There was a session of legislation in which the case of Nigeria was presented before the Court of Heaven by a Barrister, pleading clemency for the land.
Two days after the prayers, on 31st May 2026, God spoke from Ps. 124, Jeremiah 30 and 31, stating that Nigeria has been pardoned, that as Nigerians did not know when terrorism entered the country, so would they not know when the troublers leave. It would suddenly be noticed that the terror has diminished and the terrorists are no longer there. The Lord has promised to visit Nigeria as a Kinsman Redeemer.
As good as is the promise from God, it should be noted that we must maintain holiness and obedience before God, to realise the promise. Repentance is very easy to do. The challenge, in all ages, has been to produce the fruits of repentance. That is where Christians in Nigeria must be circumspect. There is nothing strange about going through a period of trouble. The problem, usually, is that mortals fail to learn from what has been suffered. If one does not learn a useful lesson from one’s affliction, one has suffered in vain. Implicitly, one would face the affliction again, usually with more devastating consequences. Nigeria Christians must identify useful lessons from the calamities of the past few years, and make amends. The Islamists have been used by God in the manner He used Assyria against Israel. _”O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets”_ (Isaiah 10:5-6).
For the saints of God to avoid the folly that led to the indignation of God against Nigeria, some useful lessons need to be identified for Christians to note. It is hoped that the Church would pay attention to the following errors in the Body of Christ and guard against them in future.
1. A servant cannot serve two masters. Matt.6:24: _” No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”_ The affection and obsession of Christians with Mammon did provoke the spirit of jealousy (Ez. 8:3). Ministers of the gospel need to correct themselves and censor each other to desist from the glorification of money and material ‘blessings’ in the Church. That is worship of Mammon. God demands wholehearted commitment and loyalty from His people.
2. In the household of God, there is only one Father. According to Matt. 23:9, _”call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”_ The fad of calling church leaders “father” or “Daddy” does not give honour to leaders; on the contrary, it dishonours God who has made it clear that He will not share His glory with anyone. Even the Lord Jesus did not use the title “Father”. Rather, He referred to Himself as “brother” (John 20:17). Everyone became a Christian by virtue of spiritual birth. That birth was accomplished by God alone; no man assisted Him (John 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:23). There is only one “Daddy” in the Church – the Almighty God. Eph. 4:6 states: _”One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”_
3. God made only one promise to the New Testament saints: _”And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life”_ (1John 2:25). This verse is consistent with why God gave His only begotten Son: “_that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”_ (John 3:16). The goal of Christianity is eternal life. The church promises of abundance, breakthrough, and prosperity are distractions from discipleship and the Great Commission. Such doctrines of error do not serve the purpose of Christ. The major reason Christlike character is rare in the Church is that many Christians have been misled to shift their affection from what is above to what is of the earth. To many Christians, the mundane things of the earth are more important than their eternal inheritance in Christ. This error must be corrected, because it is destroying precious souls.
4. The Nigeria Church must remember that in the kingdom of Christ, the leader is the servant of all. Mark 10:42-45 states _”Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”_ Hero worship in the Church is idolatry. Ministers of the gospel should desist from running the Church of Christ with the mentality of rulers of the Gentiles. God did not call any pastor to be a superstar; God called them to be servants.
5. Those endowed with earthly resources in the Church should remember the labourers, particularly those that the Lord commanded His people to pray for, according to Luke 10:2: _”Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”_ The neglect of labourers of the gospel and the diversion of Kingdom resources to ego projects in the Church have resulted in the loss of precious souls. James 5:1-6 pronounces a harsh judgment on those who deny labourers their wages. The Church must return to funding missions as well as taking care of vulnerable Christians in IDP camps.
Other issues that constitute controversies with God cannot be highlighted in this prayer call because of time and space. Some of them were enumerated in the prayer call of 11th to 17th May 2026 entitled “GO TO SHILOH”.
Sustaining the forgiveness and mercy that God has given to Nigeria requires conscious and deliberate efforts to raise quality leadership for the Church. The current method in which leadership rises through the ranks has not produced effective spiritual leadership. Christians must consciously develop structures that will produce Christian leaders based on Godly character and spirituality. Only Godly shepherds can consistently guide the Church in the way of obedience to God.
A corrupt, weak, and compromising Christian leadership will get the people of God into trouble again. That God has forgiven a sin is not a justification to keep committing sin. _”What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”_ (Rom. 6:1) The Scriptures respond, _”God forbid.”_
In addition to raising Godly leaders, the Church should support the Christian Adjudication Panel. There must be a structure in the Church to demand accountability from Christian leaders. This will keep leadership in check and prevent impunity and lawlessness in the Church. Most of the offenses that got the Nigeria Church into trouble with God were committed by Church leaders. It will help them to be constantly checked.
It has pleased God to have mercy upon the Church and upon Nigeria. However, the saints of God must not return to folly.
God bless Nigeria.
*PRAYER POINTS*
1. Ps. 124
Thank the Almighty God for showing Nigeria mercy.
2. Ps. 85:8
Pray for the discipline of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, so that saints will not return to folly.
3. Mal. 3:2-3
Pray that God will purify the Nigeria Church and purge out all the priests who defile the sanctuary.
4. 1 Pet. 5:1-4
Pray that God will raise Godly men and women to provide leadership for Nigeria Church.
5. Is. 29:6-8
Pray that all the forces that fight against Nigeria shall disappear as a dream in the night.
6. Is. 26:9-11
Pray for God’s judgment upon all leaders in the land who use the affliction of kidnapped victims to play politics.
7. Matt. 6:10: Pray for God’s kingdom of righteousness to be established speedily all over Nigeria.
● The National Prayer Altar is a gathering of Christians who meet to pray nightly on Zoom. It is led by Pastor Bosun Emmanuel and Prof. Kontein Trinya.