Except There Is No God

GREAT IMO JONATHAN

Some days ago, I woke up with a heavy burden in my heart to pray for Nigeria. Honestly, I hardly pray much these days; not even for myself. I know that prayer is good and I know that prayer works. But I don’t want to sound religious or impress anyone.

But truth be told, in Nigeria of today, it appears God does not answer prayers. When you hear the cry of poor masses who are continually being oppressed. When you see the level of blood and innocent lives being lost in various parts of the country for flimsy reasons. When you come across the level of occultism going on in high places in this nation, especially by those who are highly regarded as political leaders and by religious leaders. Sometimes when you see the atrocities being committed by the clergy because of material pursuits and the hypocrisy of Nigerian leaders who are high and mightily regarded by their people and in worship places, honestly you will want to give up on God.

Sometimes I sit down and wonder: where in the world is God with all these atrocities going on in Nigeria? There are people who are shedding innocent blood because of money, power and politics. There are also those who don’t directly participate in this evil, especially people who are also considered poor and oppressed but are deeply wicked and complicit in these acts of wickedness because all they do is stupidly defend and rationalize the activities of those leaders who engage in these atrocities; because they are either from the same political parties, they are of the same religion or because they are of the same tribe.

The wickedness one sees, especially among Nigerian leaders, makes one query God. Nigerian leaders are so heartless and greedy that sometimes you begin to wonder if they are not completely mad. From local government councillors to local government chairmen, state assembly members to the national assembly, governors to ministers and to many in the presidency, they are purely wicked; their only interest is to enrich themselves, become little gods and help their children maintain stupid lifestyles. Only a few of them have the fear of God and genuine love for the people in their heart.

Bearing this in mind, I don’t enjoy praying anymore. Because it appears that the more we pray, the worse Nigeria becomes. Sometimes I fear that the occult elements had overtaken Nigeria or that our prayers after all are not working.

But that morning, as I stepped down from my bed to mumble some prayers before I leave the room, I was overshadowed by my early morning thoughts on the bed about Nigeria. I could not withstand the negative stories that filled the air about my country. The stories of bloodshed across the land. The stories of hate among our citizens. The stories of looting and plundering of Nigeria. They all overwhelmed me. For some minutes I knelt down by my bed unable to pray.

Then I broke down in tears as images and thoughts about Nigeria rushed through my head. I began to picture the situation of Nigeria and the wickedness pervading the land. The many decisions that were supposed to save the nation from pains and bring her to prosperity that were not being taken because of selfish interests. The unpaid salaries of workers; the failed public infrastructure; the lack of education; the poorly executed contracts approved by government officials; the failures of security agencies; the wickedness of civil servants; the demonic silence by religious leaders by their refusal to tell truth to power and many more.

I knelt down there unable to pray; wondering oh God why are these evil elements called leaders thriving in Nigeria at the expense of millions of lives and destinies?

I wept and wept until mucous was coming out of my nostrils. I felt like a little orphan who was lost in deep pain and emotion. The agony I felt about Nigeria that morning and the overwhelming circumstances we have found ourselves led me to a few words of prayer that I could not even utter in the flesh. I felt the heavens rumbling and the earth shaking at the same time within me. It was a cosmic rumble in a word of prayer that left me deeply silent till today. The only word that came out of my mouth from the depth of my human spirit was: EXCEPT THERE IS NO GOD.

It did not come from me, I heard the loud voice rushing through my spirit, as I sensed the many sincere prayers of Nigerians in many secret places and the CRY OF MANY INNOCENT BLOOD THAT HAVE BEEN SHED in this country.

That word of prayer that reverberated from my spirit was not just a prayer, it was heaven’s acknowledgement of the injustices and atrocities being committed in Nigeria by her leaders and their supporters. It was a verdict from heaven that states that “EXCEPT THERE IS NO GOD”, those who have brought this upon Nigeria will not escape.  Except those involved make haste to repent and seek the forgiveness of God and seek to do His righteous will, calamity shall befall them and those who support them.

EXCEPT THERE IS NO GOD, Nigeria will see the end of wicked leaders across the length and breath of the nation and THE PEACE OF THE PEOPLE AND THE NATION SHALL BE RESTORED.

EXCEPT THERE IS NO GOD!

In Jesus name I pray.

Amen!