Happy Independence, Nigeria Is Sixty-five

Nigeria Is Sixty-five Years. 

 Are You Still Grumbling Over Our Country, As Others?

Benson Omole.

Recounting the wanderings of Israelites in the wilderness, one must be impressed with how fiercely God responded to their murmurings and grumblings.

Paul warns Christians to learn a lesson from the wrath that fell on Israelites who grumbled: “…Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer…” (1 Cor. 10:10).

Why such strong condemnation?

Grumbling denies God’s ability.

Pressed against the shore of the Red Sea with the Egyptians closing in, many Israelites grumbled against Moses. Forgetting what they had witnessed of God’s power against Pharaoh, they lost their courage and lashed out at the most convenient target. They began to murmur against Moses, they despised God’s ability!

Grumbling may be an attempt to intimidate.

In Exodus 16, the Israelites grumbled, pressing Moses to return them to Egypt rather than proceed into the wilderness.

Grumblers debilitate God’s leaders.

In Number 11, the Israelites pushed Moses to the point that he wanted God to take his life. Many church members view grumbling as normal church behavior. There is a need to point out the harm grumbling may inflict upon individuals and upon the church.

Complaining replaces prayer.

Prayer, not grumbling, is the way God intends to change things. Return to prayers, quit murmuring and grumbling!

Grumblers earn a bad reputation.

In a church that values community, agitators will find themselves ostracized. To be called a Grumbler, is not a good reference to a Child of God.

Grumbling seduces people away from Jesus’ model for handling conflict.

An issue that could be put to rest quickly through one-on-one conversation (as Jesus taught in Matt. 18:15-17) can be kept alive indefinitely by grumblers.

Grumbling weakens a congregation’s confidence in its leaders.

While grumbling too often comes naturally to us, it is unhealthy to believe negative and unfounded reports about our Leaders. Grumblers want us to presume them as guilty rather than innocent. Healthy churches, like emotionally healthy individuals, will assume the best for all her Leaders, rather than the worst presumptions.

Why not Pray, instead of Grumbling?

Prayer is “an earnest entreaty addressed to God” (Webster). Many Christians are not spending very much time in prayer. A Christian who doesn’t pray, may not have the true knowledge of God.

This may be caused by an erosion of faith in God.

We may have a Deistic concept of God.

Deists incorrectly agrees that there is a Supreme Being or a Creator of the whole universes. He designed it, but does not intervene in its day to day workings. Have we a deistic concept of God? Do we imagine Him so far removed from the day-to-day operation of the universe that He will not intervene in the affairs of man?

In order for man to pray effectively, his idea of God must include the belief that prayer can makes a difference. If man reaches the conclusion that prayer will do no good, he merely prays out of duty, but with a sense of futility, he will not pray in faith.

Because of all these misconceptions about God’s reaction to man’s prayers, let us explore these attributes of God which make prayer reasonable at this present time of our country, Nigeria.

He Is A Prayer-Hearing God.

David addressed God as follows: “…O thou that hearest prayer…” (Psa. 65:2). Even as God is described as the Almighty in (Gen. 17:1-2); the God who provides (Gen. 22:14); the God who sees, and other names, He is also known as the God who hears prayer. The Lord is immutable; the psalmist wrote, “…Thou art the same…” (Psa. 102:27). Even as God has not changed any aspects of His character, He is also unchanged in respect to His ability to hear prayers!

The belief that God does hear prayer demands the followings to be accepted:

1. God exists.

There is no use to pray if there is no God. Prayer is not soliloquy (man talking to himself). Prayer is man’s address to God. If there is no God, there is no reason for man to pray. Some men do not pray, because they have become atheists and agnostics in their thoughts. Before a man prays, he must believe that God is and that He is the rewarder of them who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).

2. God hears.

Not only must man believe that God exists, he also must believe that God can and will hear prayers. The belief that God will hear a prayer demonstrates man’s faith in God’s omniscience. Millions of people from various places on this globe are lifting their voices to God in prayers. He hears every individual’s prayer. An impersonal “force” or power does not respond to prayer.

3. God cares.

To believe that God will answer prayer, must make one to believe that God cares. Jesus taught, “…Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows…” (Luke 12:6-7). “…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things…” (Matt. 7:32). The Lord in heaven is aware of you and your needs: "…for he careth for you…” (1 Pet. 5:7). Why would I cast my petitions on God unless I must be convinced that He cares for me?

4. God is able.

For one to pray to God, he must believe that He is able to do some things to relieve one’s need. This implies that God is omnipotent, the Almighty. Paul assures us that God is “…able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think…” (Eph. 4:20). To take petitions to one who has no ability is useless. In that case, all that humans can do is to show sympathy and pity. Friends can extend sympathy and pity. However, God will do more than just showing sympathy, He is able to act to change conditions and situations, according to His Will.

5. God will act.

For me to pray, I must believe that my prayer will have an impact on God, motivating Him to act in my behalf. Jesus said, “…Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him…" (Matt. 7:7-11).

a. In response to Israel’s cry because of the oppression in Egypt, God raised up Moses to deliver His people (Ex. 3:9).

b. In response to Elijah’s prayer, the Lord withheld rain from Israel for three and one-half years;

c. In response to another one of his prayers, he sent rain to Israel (Jas. 5:18).

d. In response to Hezekiah’s prayer, God added fifteen years to his life (2 Kings. 20).

e. In response to the church's prayer, Peter was released from Herod’s prison (Acts 12).

f. God heard these prayers, cared about the plight of the people, and acted to relieve their sufferings. I must believe the same God cares in the same way about me and will act in response to my prayers. If this is not true, why pray?

6. God has infinite wisdom.

I come to God in prayer, like Jesus who said, “…Not my will but Thine be done...” I recognize that I do not always ask what I need. God to whom we pray has the ability to exercise the wisdom to decide how to answer my prayers, not always giving me what I ask, but always giving me what I need!

Lastly.

When Jesus gave the parable of the unjust judge, He said that “…men ought always to pray, and not to faint…” (Luke 18:1). When He concluded the parable, He said, "…Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth…?” (Luke 18:8) Men will not pray unless they have faith.

My brethren, if we are not praying, we lack faith.

We need to go back to our fundamental concepts of God and reaffirm our commitment to them. Let us not be so subtly influenced by the infidelity around us that we reach the conclusion that prayer does no good and therefore quit praying.

Having faith in God, let us join together in offering our petitions to him in prayer. “…Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven…” (Matt. 18:19). “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much…” (Jas. 5:16).          Do you believe these statements? If so, we should spend more time in prayers and less time worrying.

Therefore Brethren, do you grumble and murmur as others? Pray to God, do not murmur and grumble about the challenges going on in Nigeria, but pray to God about it.

Thanks so much.