The birth of a new nation – Part 3

Walter Wink wrote, “History belongs to the intercessors who believe and pray the future into being…These shapers of the future are the intercessors, who call out of the future the longed-for new present.”

The nation can only be transformed if the prayers of the saints impact the whole gamut of society. We must pray that future protests do not degenerate into violence, thuggery, and looting. Violent actions destroy the credibility of any protest.

A nation is exalted when there is peace, order, and discipline. Our prayer must be for peace to reign at every level. The looting, thuggery, and violence that took over the genuine protests after October 20 has shown that the Church still has much work to do in praying for the nation.

Nigeria’s main challenges include Good Governance, Poverty, Corruption, Injustice, Insecurity, Neglect of the Youths, and the Educational sector. These challenges affect every ethnic and religious group in the nation without discrimination.

David Mathis wrote, “Prayer is for turning the tide, for changing the seeming course of history.” We must pray for good governance in every segment of our society. We need patriotic leaders who will lead by example; men of vision and exemplary character, who would lead us out of the wilderness we have found ourselves.

The level of poverty in our nation is so appalling and inexcusable in a country so endowed with enormous resources. It is inexcusable for many citizens to live in poverty with less than five dollars per day.

The endemic corruption in our system must be tackled if we are to make any meaningful headway. No nation makes progress living with endemic corruption in its system. Think of a Nigeria where the systems work without corruption, the multiplier effects will be amazing. Think of a Nigeria where the seaports and airports, the entry points to the country are free of corruption. Think of a nation where the law courts dispense justice and where the citizens are not afraid to go for redress.

The Bible commands us in 1 Timothy 2:2 to pray for all men, “for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” The purpose of prayer is so that we may have peace in the land. Insecurity is the order of the day in our nation. Kidnapping is so rampant, and in some cases, so brazenly done with the connivance of law enforcement agents. Only recently, the American elite Navy Seal rescued an American missionary who was kidnapped in Niger Republic and brought to Nigeria. Our security forces collaborated with them for the success of the rescue operation. However, it is worrisome that our security forces cannot carry out a similar rescue operation on their own.

One hopes that the recent measures being taken to create and give jobs to our youths will be sustained and not aborted midway. Our youths should also reciprocate by avoiding those vices and practices that cast them in a very bad light. Government policies are meant to affect people. To this end, we must pray for the success of the committee led by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, which is meant to address unemployment and security issues in the country.

May God give us men like John Knox who cried to God, “Give me Scotland, or I die.” Knox’s prayer was the desperate plea of a man willing to die for the sake of his country.

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