If any man speak for the church he must speak as the oracles of God and I count it a privilege to give all God fearing Nigerians five good reasons why we must all support the call made by Bishop Francis Wale Oke, President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) to commence a 40-day fast and prayer programme that will be concluded with a nationwide prayer jamboree at the nations seat of corruption, Abuja on February 14, 2025. Before any criticism is raised, we need to test the spirit of his declaration. If we listen carefully, there is divine wisdom in the announcement. Its stated objectives go beyond economic relief and stomach infrastructure matters to include the resetting of our national foundation. Bishop Wale Oke should be applauded because no other leader has ever dared to voice this request! He has done his duty and it is left to the Body of Christ to make sure the programme is not subjected to abuse.

In line with the scriptures, the captaincy of the PFN is trying to stop the frustration of the righteous people in Nigeria. The good book says that “When the foundations have been compromised, there is nothing the righteous can do.” Is it not obvious that the Presidency has tried its best and nothing is working? Is it not better that the resetting of our national foundation starts with prayers not violence?

My second reason is simple; when people have been in darkness for a long time, the person who brings the light will first be taken as an enemy because light is punishing to eyes that are used to darkness. On this wise, the PFN call to a 40-day prayer is very good because practically all Nigerians are already fasting everyday because the amount of food the average citizen can afford is actually equal to an involuntary fast.

The PFN boss is only pleading that we stop grumbling and add prayers to the rumblings coming from the stomachs of Nigerians all over. The third point is more pungent because Bishop Wale Oke quotes Nineveh as the example we need to emulate.

Repentance is an unavoidable condition for God to hear a nation that turned its back on Leah Sharibu when the little girl made a stand for religious liberty in 2018. Repentance must be genuine for God to hear the cry of Christians who turned a deaf ear to the piteous cries of the child heroine as the terrorists raped her continuously because she made a stand for Jesus Christ.

If we want to be heard, repentance becomes mandatory for millions of Nigerian Christians who never raised their voices when Isa Pantami, a known terrorist that was responsible for the religious murder of Sunday Achi, was appointed by former President Mohammadu Buhari into the Federal Executive.

The fourth point is hidden in the theme of the 18th Biennial Conference as; “The ReBirth of Nation”. The religious leaders of our faith communities who greased their hands with whopping sums of monies from the defense treasuries while young soldiers were sent to die in the Boko Haram war front bereft of weapons and ammunition must step aside and quit mouthing pretentious prayers. We cannot ask for a rebirth and yet worship God and gold together! Mammon will not release its hold on Nigerian politicians when a generation of Church leaders have bowed down to worship satanic eminences in the High Places.

The fifth point is not for public consumption because the 40-day repentance will dislodge the High Priest of Death who smuggled “another Jesus” and the death chant into the Pentecostal liturgy to open the door for the rivers of blood flowing all over Nigeria today.

When the 40-day fast and prayers are over, that principality will be dislodged and Leah Sharibu will be relieved and released. Then a voice will be heard in the whirl wind and the restoration of God’s people shall be announced publicly.

Let’s join Bishop Wale Oke in the 40-day consecration programme instead of the 40-day countdown to Armageddon that is ahead of us.

*Reverend Ladi Peter Thompson, is the Global Director of Macedonian Initiative