THE FALLACY: ONLY GOD CAN SAVE NIGERIA

A Prophetic Encouragement

By Adesoji Fasanya

Image from Google

Before you raise eyebrows as to why such weird title, please read through this article.

Nigeria is a country that is faced with numerous challenges such as a bad economy, injustice, corruption, and wrong policies, to mention a few. However, I think that the most significant problem is bad leadership which largely grows out of a political system that is filled with corrupt, selfish, and incompetent politicians.

The citizenry is left to suffer in silence as these politicians weaponize poverty and systematically undermine the people’s rights through the use of security agencies. The people are then left to a resolve; only God can save Nigeria. Therefore we keep praying and hoping that one day, Nigeria will be better.

Prayer is not bad. It shows your optimism and your belief in a nation that can work. It also shows your faith in the divine being who is sovereign over all and hence, you are calling him to help you where you feel helpless. That is a beautiful resolve. However, this divine being often answers prayers by raising men to partner with Him to bring deliverance. The book of Judges is replete with how the children of Israel fell into captivity or military occupation because of their sins. Then they would pray to God who then sent deliverers to them such as Deborah, Gideon, Samson, and co. What this means is that God is looking for a man who will be the answer to the prayers of a generation.

On the other hand of the spectrum, we have some people who think “prayers can’t save Nigeria” (such persons will find the title of this article enticing). However, that extreme is also faulty for several reasons.

1. The optimism and confidence that takes men to the place of prayer are removed by the pessimism of “realism”. Many of those who peddle such sentiments are sad with the reality of the nation, (and rightly so) but they are blinded by rage and pain, which is also not the best. Emotionalism without optimism and objectivity will create extremists.
2. When men pray, they acknowledge their weakness and embrace the strength of the deity they pray to. That emotional and anthropological construct has been shown to have positives in the lives of men when they walk through dark times. This is why we must pray!

Prayers on the one hand and wise actions on the other hand are the balance that would bring light to the darkness of the country. We must decide to do the bits we can do in our own space.

It’s right to add that I am writing this as a believer who has received a divine instruction to inform the reader that God is actively in search of men who would partner with Him to bring light to the darkness in Nigeria (Isaiah 50:2, Ezekiel 22:30, Genesis 2:5b).

Heaven wants men who know to partner with him, men and women who would never allow pessimism to hold them but against all odds, they’ll hope. Against all evil, they’ll believe in the light of God in them. Such men will not lose hope irrespective of what they face. They will keep hoping and praying; they will keep acting and contributing their quota to the nation’s development, no matter how small. Men and women who are building a legacy of justice and truth; equity and unity; of selflessness and compassion. Such people will become builders of corporations, shapers of culture, and influencers of men and their eyes will see the consolation of their generation.

Amen!