The Church, the Light to the World

Many have asked, "Is there hope for Nigeria at all?" Yes, yes, and yes again! Why? Because Nigeria has a light - The Church. The future might look bleak, considering the chaotic state we are in currently; but we must choose to believe what the Word says about us as believers and stand in our place as the light of the world. We need to also believe the prophecies that have gone ahead of us in this nation.

Placing Hope Aright

One major reason many are fainting in their hearts for this nation is that their hopes are wrongly placed. Anything in this world is too unstable for our hopes to be in it. Our hopes are not in Nigeria; our hopes are in God. Are we saying there is no hope for Nigeria? No! We are saying that we hope in God for Nigeria.

Truth be told - Nigeria cannot deliver satisfaction to our souls. If all our problems in this country were to be solved today, we will find a new set of problems arise. Let us take a cue from the advanced countries – those that supposedly have everything going on well for them. They have those things we crave: 100% support from the government, good infrastructures, efficient educational systems, etc. But what do we find among them? Excessive indulgence in worldly pleasures that erode their conscience and make them reprobate. The prevalent LGBQT situation in those nations is an example of this.

People of God, our pleasure ought to be in God; only He can truly satisfy us. When we know this, it will help us channel our expectations rightly.  We should not hope in God for Nigeria to be like Canada, the USA, or any other country. We should hope in God that righteousness will prosper in our land and that the will of God will be done through us in Nigeria.

Playing our Part

Every nation has a specific part to play in God’s will; It is therefore imperative to say that Nigeria is a critical part of God’s agenda in fulfilling His will on the earth. But the instrument for effecting this will of God is not the whole nation as it were; it is a company of men whom God raises for that purpose. It is good to know that despite the significant contradictions in Nigeria, God is actively raising a people for Himself. God’s faithfulness to Nigeria should be judged on this premise, and not on how socially or economically stable we are. We must rejoice, for the Lord has a people unto Himself in Nigeria. These people are his purchased possession - The Church - The Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14 KJV).

We are more than enough to channel this country towards the purpose of God for it. To change the course of a nation, God does not necessarily require a large number of people, but a critical number of individuals who are in right standing with Him. For instance, it took one man, Abraham, to intercede for Sodom. (Gen 18: 22-33). Moses always stood for the children of Israel, interceding before God for them. One man, Elijah, prayed fervently; and the earth withheld rain for three and a half years (James 5:17). These, and more, are proofs enough that the Church is capable of achieving the agenda of God for Nigeria.

One of the most effective ways to ensure that God’s will is done in our nation is by praying. Kenneth E Hagin in his book, The Art of prayer said, “God does nothing, except in response to prayer”. This is true because across the scriptures, we see God desiring for men to pray and stand in the gap for the fulfillment of His Will on the earth (Ezekiel 22:30, Ezekiel 14:14). It is our responsibility, as the Church, to pray for our nation; and we should take heed to be diligent in doing this.

Also, as believers, we must not be found cursing or speaking evil of the men in authority; authorities such as our president. This would be contradicting the prayers that have already been offered. James qualified this as an anomaly likened to a fountain bearing both fresh and salt water (James 3:12). Instead, we must pray to enforce the fulfillment of the Will of the Lord concerning the leadership of Nigeria.

The Prophecy upon Nigeria

“Nigeria and Nigerians will be known all over the world for corruption. Your name - Nigeria will stink of corruption, but after a while, a new phase will come - a phase of righteousness. People from the nations of the earth will hold a Nigerian and say, 'we want to follow you to your Nation to go and learn righteousness.” - Prophecy by S.G. Elton, 1986

It is reassuring to know that a lot of prophecies have gone ahead of this nation. A notable one is that of Pa Elton, a missionary that came to Nigeria from England. What makes this prophecy by Pa Elton unique is that it shows the two sides of the coin; that is, both the negative and positive sides of the prophecy. It is no news that the first side of the prophecy has been fulfilled because Nigeria has been known all over the world for corruption. If this has been fulfilled, the second part will also surely come to pass. The Church only needs to stand in faith concerning Nigeria. God’s ultimate purpose upon Nigeria cannot be thwarted irrespective of the state she might be. His purpose can only be delayed till a people arise who will cooperate with Him—that is, if His people right now do not exercise their authority in Him.

This time, as troublous and perilous as it seems, is when the second part of the prophecy is being unfolded in Nigeria. Men are learning the Word of righteousness and sons are being raised unto God in the nation. It’s a silent but mighty activity of God going on in the earth. We must therefore, in this season, give diligent attention to the things that are being spoken to us so that we will be raised. If God was willing to spare Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of ten righteous men, then God is interested in saving our nation, as there are more than ten righteous men in it. God’s desire is that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of His glory, as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). But the Church must be willing to partner with Him, through her growth and resilience in faith, in order to achieve this. Through the Church, the will of the Lord will be done in Nigeria and consequently, the whole earth.

Unwavering Faith

The persistent unpleasant news about the state of our nation can be debilitating to the soul. Even though we know that "here, we have no continuing city" (Heb. 13:14), we cannot be negligent about the happenings in our nation. The church has a responsibility to Nigeria but if she folds her hands and does nothing, unrighteousness will progress and darkness will invade the land. However, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God (2 Cor. 10:4). Our battlefield is in the spirit, and from there, we command victory over this nation.

God came to Abraham in Gen 12:7 and told him, "…Unto thy seed will I give this land…"  This was when Abraham was at the age of 75 years. Abraham had no child until 25 years later; and the fulfillment of this promise (in a shadow) did not come until centuries later when the children of Israel entered into Canaan. That looks like a lot of years, but time does not invalidate God's promise. He is a God not bound by time and He is faithful to His promise (2 Cor 1:20). The Church needs to grow so much in faith that she is unperturbed by timing or events. Only then can she have victory over the enemy and prosper in the will of God.

Though this present heaven and earth will be rolled away one day, and only things found in Him will remain, as long as we are still here, we will keep looking up to Him to help us for the present. The call to us at this time is to be the ambassadors of Christ that we are called to be. Let us keep the Hope of the Gospel of Christ alive by continual hearing and doing of the Word. Let nothing separate us from the love of Christ. Though the storms rage, persecutions and hardship increase, famines and inflation persist, let us remain faithful in our devotion unto the Lord as the people of His Kingdom. God has set us as the light of the world. Let us therefore STAND to establish His RIGHTEOUSNESS and AUTHORITY in our nation, knowing an end will come to every evil, to the praise of His Glory! Amen.

Joy Orola, Gbolahan Oduselu and Karena Odegbaro

For: EGFM Editorial