“A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.” (Leviticus 6:13)
Dr CE French told the story of a 98-year-old woman by the name, Sister Mary, who was a faithful intercessor in America in the 1960s, a critical period in the Cold War between the US, Russia, and other Russian allies. Then the US government was on the brink of signing a strategic bilateral deal with Turkey, which was a top secret. The Turkish delegates had arrived at the White House. A night before this clandestine diplomatic meeting, the Lord showed the exact details of this deal in a night vision to a faithful and aged American intercessor, Sister Mary. She woke up with a deluge of prophetic urgency that rivetted through her soul with a simple message to the White house secretary who was her only known contact. “Should the US president sign that deal, America was going to enter into trouble”, said Sister Mary.
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In a manner reminiscent of how the Gestapo stormed the library of Martin Niemöller after he stood up to Hitler in his Chancery, FBI agents stormed sister Mary’s house, that same evening, challenging her like this “how did you know about the deal between the US and Turkey”? You are an agent for the Turkish government. After subjecting her to hours of grueling interrogation, they discovered that her intelligence lacked any logical and rational human source, they backed out. Thankfully and through the power of prayers, the US government changed their mind and bowed to the warnings of sister Mary, a decision that saved the United States a major diplomatic and political setback.
That is how powerful and surgical the ministry of intercession is. God has never grown tired of intercession and intercessors. Real spiritual transformation that paralyzes the works of darkness over a nation is born and sustained in the womb of intercession. It is after Zion has travailed that she would bring forth (Isaiah 66:8). But brethren, I hate to alert you about the dwindling scale of intercession and intercessors in Nigeria, a nation that is currently admitted at the emergency ward of divine rescue from final collapse. Many giant intercessors are growing weary. Some with very notable prayer platforms for Nigeria and her emancipation have abandoned their altars for the so called more productive ventures, making money, taking care of their families, starting new churches, and doing good business. In the 1970s, a period that saw the birth of many of today’s fathers and giants in the faith, God raised up a new generation of prayer warriors and intercessors.
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They were burden carriers for Nigeria. They carried the ephod of intercession, praying ceasslessly and passionately for the church and the nation. They ravaged campuses, conventions, and churches all across Nigeria. Many of them included Barrister Emeka Nwakpa, Rev (Dr) Moses Aransiola, Engineer Steve Olumuyiwa, Dr. Kole Akinboboye, Engr. Ntiense-Ubon Israel, and Dr. Uduak Udofia, most of whom later worked together to birth a movement called, “Intercessors for Nigeria” (IFN). Two men who began the IFN were Barr. Emeka Nwankpa and Engr. Steve Olumuyiwa, spiritual protegis of the late Pastor Sidney Granville Elton, an English Missionary, who came to Nigeria under the aegis of The Apostolic Church in 1938. As the coordinating secretary for the Christian Students Social movement from 1977-1981, as written by the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), Barrister Emeka Nwakpa worked with others to establish Intercessors for Nigeria, a national network of intercessors praying for the nation and its leader.
He also worked with other Christians from across the continent of Africa to establish Intercessors for Africa and became the coordinator. Their incredible sacrifices and those of others softened the ground for the emergence of the revival of the 1970s that blew on the face of the demonic structures in the Nigerian socio-political enclaves, birthing several fire brand ministries like the Deeper Life Bible Church, the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Church of God Mission, Winners Chapel, Christ Chapel, and many other five fold and non-five fold ministries that shaped the gospel face of the African continent. These intercessory movements did not just start and end with the birth of many new ministries. They also brought enormous sanity to the doctrinal standards of the church, quickened the hearts of believers towards righteousness, sensitized the nation towards truth, established a wave of holiness and purity in the hearts of ministers, and brought about an enormous scale of the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit across board in the Nigerian church. All of these happened from the womb of intercession.
Sadly, when the prosperity stone hit the church, the fire on the altar that the said must never die, began to wane, almost unnoticed by many of today’s fathers, given the massive and widespread diversion of their hearts towards “results” in ministry. The fire of revival that was kindled and sustained by faithful intercession across board began to give way for the fire of prosperity, effectively killing the zeal and passion of intercessors. As the vast majority of fathers and leaders in the Nigerian church began to gravitate towards money and all that money could buy, prayer became less attractive for birthing change. As Leornard Ravenhill puts it, “we are now paying for places to be taken as opposed to the Apostles who prayed for places to be shaken.”
The truth is as clear as the brightest sky of the noon day. Intercession is dying out in the Nigerian church, real, heart-felt, and kingdom focused prayer movements. Not the self-centered and ego driven, “bless me, prosper me, give me visa and connection” kind of prayers that have captured the hearts of the current generation, but the real hell ravaging and nation changing spirit of grace and supplication that made John Knox to pray the famous prayer “give me Scotland or I die.” To be continued.
Ayo Akerele is the senior pastor of Rhema Assembly and the founder of the Voice of the Watchmen Ministries in Ontario, Canada. He can be reached through [email protected]
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