Veteran Nollywood actor, Chiwetalu Agu, has caused a stir online after declaring that poverty cannot be destroyed through prayers alone.

The actor made the statement in a viral video shared on X (formerly Twitter), where he criticised the widespread belief that prayer is enough to break the cycle of poverty.

He maintained that lasting wealth only comes through hard work and deliberate effort.

According to Agu, while prayer is powerful, it becomes ineffective when it is not backed by action.

He said, “Poverty does not die by fire. I repeat, poverty cannot die by fire, pray from now to tomorrow if you don’t work hard, poverty will deal with you.

“Yes, prayer is powerful, it connects you to divine wisdom and favor, but work is a channel through which blessings manifest. You can pray all day for success, but if you refuse to walk plan or act, you will still remain poor. God blesses effort, not idleness.

“God can open doors for you, but you must walk through them, James chapter 2: 17, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead. Genesis 3:19, In the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground, meaning to eat you must till the ground, to eat you must labour for it, to be successful, you must put in effort, do not be deceived, even the Bible teaches the importance of good faith and work, the house of God was built because effort were made, it did not fall from the sky.

“Rome was built because effort were made, success happened because people worked for it, gone are the days when manna fell from heaven, great things never came from a comfort zone, prayers alone won’t make you rich, prayers backed by hard work and grace will.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but to reach your destination, you must put in effort into every step you take. if you fail, congratulations, most people don’t even try, win or lose, give it your all. Remember, God blesses efforts, not mere words.

“Proverb chapter 14:23, all work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.effort over wealth.”

Agu, known for his witty delivery and strong opinions, has in recent years become vocal on social and cultural issues, often using scripture to drive his points home.