“I have a message for my country and I want you to pray with me. After the message, you join me in prayers. This is the third time I am having this message. Now I am going to say it the third time. The president’s heart is like a stream of water in the hands of God. The leader’s heart is like a stream of water in the hands of God and He can control it wherever He wants. The first time I had the dream, I prayed, I fasted on my own. The second time I had the dream, I also prayed and fasted. But this time, you must join me in prayer because two believers are better than one. Since I got the message that our future is in the valley, I kept to myself. I should not go beyond God; I should go before Him.

The Lord said to me that I should tell the nation and the leaders to pray against the interruption of democratic practice. You have to join me in prayer. The Lord gave me what to pray about because in this case, there must be prayers given to you. What are the prayers? Number one is that the Lord will give our leaders greater understanding of God’s heart. Number two is that the Lord should give them the understanding and discretion to guide their hearts. Number three is to give them understanding that will protect them and wisdom that will rescue them.” When Prophet T.B. Joshua, senior cleric of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), with headquarters in Lagos, gave the above sobering message to a large gathering of Christian faithful during one of the denomination’s recent Sunday Service, the congregation not only stood up in prayers for Nigeria but decided to share the warning given by the prophet on various social platforms. The goings-on within the country’s existence have drawn both local and international concerns considering the immense presence that Nigeria commands both in Africa and in the larger comity of nations.

 

Nigeria’s road to the 2019 general election has been a potpourri of inanities. The disturbing trend signals a most trying period for the democratic experiment which Nigeria currently undertakes.  It was therefore a sobering moment when Prophet Joshua devoted few minutes during one of the Sunday services to speak God’s mind concerning Nigeria. Knowing God’s mind is in itself a blessing; however, it is more blessed to obey what He says. It therefore should be counted divine benevolence when a nation has a prophet that knows God and speaks His mind.

The various saddening trends within our nation’s polity: insurrections, killings, kidnappings, hate, among others, continue to cast a negative shadow on our existence. It is therefore only right to join Prophet TB Joshua as he prayed saying: “…the Lord will give our leaders greater understanding of God’s heart. …The Lord should give them the understanding and discretion to guide their hearts. The Lord will give them understanding that will protect them and wisdom that will rescue them.” God appreciates the place of good leadership; it was therefore not surprising when the Almighty God directed His servant to pray for the leadership of Nigeria. Once the leadership is right, the nation will be put on the right path. Good governance requires the fear of God and it is righteousness that guarantees the growth and wellbeing of any country.

As we match towards another election year, we must heed, collectively, to the voice of God and ensure that we do his bidding. We cannot again slide into another civil war as this would rubbish the progress we have recorded so far. These are not ordinary times and they are indeed moments when all hands must be on deck to salvage our nation from descending into anarchy that may result from a failed election year. The 2019 general election should be seen as a rallying moment to improve negotiations for the betterment of Nigeria. Any interruption with our current democratic experience will not be in the interest of Nigeria, its citizens and the larger global community. Africa has a lot to gain should Nigeria’s democracy get strengthened. Conversely, Africa’s losses would be gargantuan should Nigeria slide into a lawless state.

 

The unique sense of camaraderie comes to fore when the globally respected Prophet Joshua identifies with Nigeria as his own. He started by saying “I have a message for my country and I want you to pray with me.” This should be a lesson to all that irrespective of the current state of Nigeria, we owe the nation allegiance never to give up on the wellbeing of its existence. Obviously, by the public distil of the prophecy from Prophet Joshua, God is interested in the welfare of the nations. We are the works of His hands; He made us and therefore owns us. It is therefore incumbent on our leaders to heed the voice of God’s oracles to seek divine intervention so that our democracy improves and remains in perpetuity.

As citizens, we are bound by conscience, morality and the law to seek the welfare of our country. Developed countries of the world had their teething problems which later gave way to strings of development. We are passing through ours and with God on our side things would only get better. Yet, we must heed the call by God’s servant which says that both leaders and followers must pray against interruption of democratic practice in Nigeria. This is important and doable

• Oyetimi writes in via [email protected]