- Optimistic that prayers would bring change in the country
- New nation birthed but covered by clouds of crisis, says Osinbajo
By Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said a good number of Nigerians have taken over the role of God by failing to put their faith in him amid the crisis currently bedevilling the nation.
The president stated this at the 11th National Prayer Breakfast organised by the Christian Legislators Fellowship of the National Assembly with the theme “Faith in a time of crisis”.
President Buhari, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Maurice Mbaeri, however said sincere prayers would bring about the much-needed change in Nigeria.
While agreeing that it is very difficult to keep faith in times of crisis, the president assured Nigerians that the country shall continue to join hands to pray for its sustenance and good until the desired result is achieved.
According to him, “The theme of this year’s national prayer breakfast, ‘Faith in the Time of Crisis’, clearly speaks of what we need as individuals and as a collective in these times when most Nigerians seem to have forgotten their faith because it appears that we are facing insurmountable hurdles. However, in actual fact, a good number of Nigerians have taken over the role of God by failing to place their trust in Him and placing it entirely on themselves and other men.
“Of course, it is very difficult to keep faith in times of crisis, especially when all we think we can do and agree as humans, and most especially policy makers, is not yielding the desired results of calming the stormy waves.
“As such, we begin to ask God, where are you? We begin to debate whether there is need to trust God. I am confident that this keynote address that has been delivered by the Presiding Bishop, Living Faith, Goshen City, Abuja, Bishop David Abioye, has encapsulated these thoughts in a more elaborate and succinct manner and further encourages us all on how to keep our faith in times of crisis.
“Our hope is in God Almighty and our strength is in his will concerning us and that is why we are confident that these prayers are not in vain but will work out for our good as a people and as a nation. Prayer is a source of strength regardless of religion and it brings forth solutions at all times. In our multi-layered society where there is an obvious combination of various tribes and religions, it is fair to say that we believe that sincere prayer would bring about the desired change and betterment of our families, local communities and of course the society at large.”
Also speaking, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the State House Chaplain, Pastor Seyi Molomo, said a new nation is birthed already but covered by the clouds of crisis.
He also said the destiny of the Nigerian nation is in the hand of the children of God as the scripture enjoined them to always cry to God when there are challenges.
The vice-president said: “In the throes of the pandemic well over a year leading to severe economic downturn, there were loss of jobs and source of livelihood. As we climb out of the recession, we have been faced with an unprecedented scale of insecurity in different zones of the nation. But for us who are gathered here today, Christian legislators, who trust in the God that answers prayers and who lead by faith and not by sight, would see the invisible.
“By our faith, we have knowledge that every time that a nation is challenged, it is God’s call to his people to take action, to rise up in faith, seize the opportunity for God to demonstrate that he is all over the nations, he is the creator of the heavens and the earth and that he knows the beginning from the end. The scripture has consistently shown us that the children of God by their faith are central to the deliverance of their nation in time of crisis.
“They must desire the change, they must cry to God and be ready to make the sacrifice of repentance. The word of God does not agree with logic or with our thinking. God is saying here that it is not the nation that repents. It is his own people who are called upon to repent and turn from their evil ways. As we are the salt, we are also the light. The light ends the darkness. It marks the end of a night of weeping and marks the glorious sunlight of the morning of joy.
“As we pray, we prophesy our crisis will end. A new nation would be birthed. One where like the city to which Elisha went, the land was healed and the people prospered and peace and joy prevailed.
I speak these words also to our nation. Thus says the Lord, I have healed this waters. From it there shall be no more death or barrenness. According to the words of Elisha which he spoke, we say the same words to our nation as well that there is an end to the crisis. There is a dawning of a new day, the birthing of a new nation. As the scripture says, weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. The new nation is birthed already but covered by the clouds of crisis, one crisis or the other, but I want to let us know the clouds would clear and God Almighty would take all the glory for the birthing of this new nation.”
Earlier in his sermon, the Guest Speaker, Bishop David Abioye, said faith is the life wire of Christianity which is needed to overcome the challenges facing the country.
Abioye, who is the Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Church, Goshen City, Abuja, while noting that the people need to turn away from evil and turn to God as faith goes with integrity, urged that despite everything, the nation must remain committed to the will of God.
