At that time, the church in the building right next to mine held night vigils three times a week. It was the first time I’d ever seen a vigil on a Sunday. Once they started, I was forced to stay awake until 4am when they were done.
The loudspeaker faced my window directly and the prayer session was pure “warfare.” The shouting, jumping, and hitting of walls made it almost impossible to sleep. I couldn’t wait for my rent to expire so I could leave that apartment. Only God knows what whoever took over that apartment will go through.
I grew up in a devoted Catholic family, and one thing I love about the faith is that we were never taught to shout when praying. I don’t know why most Pentecostal churches believe that without shouting in prayer, God won’t hear them.
Just last week someone told me how an American described Nigerian Christians. He said, “Nigerian Christians are always on the offensive when praying. Either they’re attacking the devil and binding him, or they’re killing him every blessed day.” When I heard that, I understood the difference between how people in more organized societies pray compared to how we pray in Nigeria.
An American can be walking, driving, or even tying his shoes for work and say a short prayer with his eyes open. “Oh Lord, I thank you for this morning. Please take control and see me through the day.” That’s all. He doesn’t have to cast and bind. Sometimes he doesn’t even pray for food or for help to locate him. The country itself is already functioning well, and the citizens benefit from a system that works and rewards hard work.
When you travel out of Nigeria, I promise you, most of the prayer points we say here will sound funny to your ears. Like I’ve always said, if Nigeria was a working country, there would be no need for most of the prayers people say every day. What we often ask God for in prayer is what the government provides in developed, working countries.
The Lord’s Prayer contains everything anyone needs for the day. It has acknowledgment of God as our Father, praise for Him, a request for His will to be done, a plea for our daily provision, and it asks for mercy, forgiveness of sins, protection, and that we do not fall into temptation or harm. Do you see how structured that prayer is?
And yet, with faith, whatever you seek has already been granted.
Most of the breakthroughs I’ve had came from calm, short prayers. If God sees and knows all things, why should I be shouting for Him to answer me? Even before I pray, He already knows it. Most times I don’t even pray, I just praise. And that’s enough. When your loud prayers begin to inconvenience others, their peace, rest, and sleep, it becomes a problem.
The Lord’s Prayer contains everything anyone needs for the day. It has acknowledgment of God as our Father, praise for Him, a request for His will to be done, a plea for our daily provision, and it asks for mercy, forgiveness of sins, protection, and that we do not fall into temptation or harm. Do you see how structured that prayer is?
And yet, with faith, whatever you seek has already been granted.
Most of the breakthroughs I’ve had came from calm, short prayers. If God sees and knows all things, why should I be shouting for Him to answer me? Even before I pray, He already knows it. Most times I don’t even pray, I just praise. And that’s enough. When your loud prayers begin to inconvenience others, their peace, rest, and sleep, it becomes a problem.
In a sane country, you could be sued for noise pollution.
Nigerians need to do better. Hold your leaders accountable to do their work, and you won’t have to be praying to God for things that government should ordinarily provide for its citizens.
Nigerians need to do better. Hold your leaders accountable to do their work, and you won’t have to be praying to God for things that government should ordinarily provide for its citizens.
Brother, our belief system includes things like generational curses, and spiritual attacks from family and friends. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." I understand that the belief system may be wrong, and you are definitely right about holding our government accountable, but this is still our collective belief system. We will therefore "wrestle, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers..."
ReplyDeleteSo then Anon 13:14, is that the reason to shout while praying? The demons are now deaf? Your theology is flawed! This is what your pentecostal leaders feed you with...mtshhhhew
DeleteMy brother what God cannot do does not exist
ReplyDeletePerson go shout o, cause e be like say Nigeria needs extra microphone to reach God