I don’t write this only to the church in Nigeria but to the church anywhere democracy is practiced.
Thank you for reading from me today. Please allow the Lord speak to you and correct you.
I’ll try to keep this short… Maybe not.
As a result of the elections in Nigeria approaching quickly and especially because of the “suffering” most Nigerians have endured for a long time now, many have become crusaders for getting the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) and making sure to vote.
Sadly, the church lifts this banner higher than the name of Jesus.
Don’t argue yet… Just read
The church in Nigeria has consciously begun to worship the PVC and the right to vote. Of course nobody puts their card on a platform with lit candles and begins to bow to it but when the church begins to make statements such as “Your vote is your power”, “We’ve prayed enough, let’s come out and vote out bad governance”, “No one will count your prayers, only your votes“, etc, these are godless statement and I have heard shepherds, though well meaning, stand over their sheep and made these statements and the sheep clap and cheer.
Hold on now, before you say “It depends on the context and what they were trying to say“, believe me, no context justifies such statement… Especially when you’ve understood some truth.
I think I’ll use those three examples of godless statements being made in the churches now to explain some things but first let me say that I’m not telling you not to get your PVC and vote but you have to know why and guess what, it’s not to elect and appoint a good leader…. We’ll talk about a christian’s vote next week God willing.
Listen to me, your vote is not your power! Let no one lie to you. We need to stop all these motivational speech in the church and speak the truth of God. Submission and prayer to God is your power. Did the Lord not say in His word that if anyone is in trouble, they should pray? Did He not say when a righteous man prays, it is effective and carries weight. We don’t pray such effective prayers because we are not aligned with the will of God, in other words, we are not righteous in our thoughts and pursuit. We do not care for the things of God. When we pray, we pray having in mind that our vote is our power.
I speak to the church who will read this, no man can count your prayers but it’s your prayers that count. Your humble cry to God for His will to be done is what counts. Do not think for one moment that your vote weights more than your prayers in putting a ruler in power. This is where our pride is, the fact that we think we can vote in or out a government. No Sir!!
Psalms 22:27-28 (KJV)
“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.”
Let me give you another scripture lest you think this is a phenomenon among Israel only;
Daniel 5:18-19 (KJV)
“O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.”
Listen, you can never vote in or vote out anybody. The kingdom is God’s and He gives it to whomever He pleases. And it is good to know that He gives cruel rulers to people who are evil and when He gives a good leader to an evil people, it is to prove His righteousness because those evil people (who have been shouting for a good leader, thinking the evil leaders are the problem of the country) will turn and shout “crucify him!”. By that He proves that evil people don’t deserve a good leader.
Please, I’m not talking about politics or history. I’m talking from scriptures. I’m talking spiritual things which by faith we understand.
Listen brethren, leaders are chosen by God not your votes so it’s better we all turn to God in sack clothes and ashes and cry out in repentance to God. If we keep up with this “power in the hands of the people” and we do not acknowledge God duly, His hand will be against us.
On the side, let me mention that why our prayers are often powerless is because, though we quote the scriptures about humbling ourselves and praying and seeking his face and turning from our wicked ways, we completely ignore the humbling ourselves, seeking his face and turning from our ways part and just pray in our pride, blindness and wickedness.
Let me round off with this.
Eight years ago Nigerians were shouting about the same PVC and that the then ruling party was still in power because nobody was voting. So people were encouraged to vote out the “bad government” and vote in “change”. The cycle is repeating itself again. We haven’t learnt. Especially the church. Look, if we continue this way and not seek the face of God to know how it was in the beginning, after every eight years, we’ll be right back where we started, shouting for people to go out and vote.
Come and read from me next week as I write to you on some things I’ve understood by faith about voting.
God bless you Adephoi.
Photo Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/WuYA56Hd1XdXZLgv5 https://images.app.goo.gl/rY7SnpxF8FipZKvB9
Ancient Word 