MAKING DECISION: DAVID’S DILEMMA
2019 Presidential Election and the Nigerian Christians
As Nigerians go to the polls this weekend to elect another president for the next four years, most Nigerian Christians are not sure who to vote for. Not so much because of religion but much more for lack of a popular candidate that is seen to be credible and trust-worthy.
The two most popular candidates do not fit into this description. They are comparable to the two hands of a leper. Both ways it’s like you are dealing with the same sick person. How did we get ourselves into this sort of situation as a people?
There was this time in Israel (in 2Samuel 24) after King David sinned against God in numbering the people. God punished the nation by asking David to pick one out of three difficult choices - either seven years of famine in the land, three months of war or three days of deadly pestilence. Whichever way, whatever his choice, many lives would be lost.
David was indeed in a dilemma not knowing which one of these three bad options to choose as each of them meant disaster.
David’s dilemma is now our dilemma especially as Christians in Nigeria this year where both candidates of the two popular parties are Muslims. It is not easy choosing between two candidates where one is largely seen as a corrupt looter and the other a dictator, tribalist and religious bigot. Both of them are capable of wrecking similar havoc in different ways yet unleashing untold hardship upon the people.
Unfortunately, none of the candidates of the other parties is believed to be popular enough to win such a national election except by divine intervention.
Perhaps if we look into how David resolved his dilemma, we can resolve ours also.
First, David acknowledged his dilemma and pushed the hard choice back to God in saying that it is better to fall into the hands of God than that of man.
By that statement, I believe David rejected the option of war and wanted God to choose either famine or pestilence that are direct divine acts not involving any human agents. Man can be ruthless but God by nature is merciful. Eventually, God plagued the land and seventy thousand men died in the nation of Israel.
David admitted and confessed his sin before God also. He pleaded for God’s forgiveness and interceded on behalf of the people for God to stop the plague. And God answered his prayer!
If we’re caught in David’s dilemma then, we need to pray David’s prayer.
Only genuine repentance can avert divine judgment. We all need to repent and turn back to God before He takes out our lamp. I believe the Nigerian Church has yet another chance now to repent.
If we do all that is needed to be done in preparing for this year’s elections, we can then totally surrender and leave the matter in God’s hands, after all, He is the all-knowing God who sees all human hearts and what lies ahead.
Proverbs 21: 1 says, "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever he will."
Even, if He punishes us for a while because of our sins, His anger will not last forever. Eventually, He will remember us in His mercy, forgive our sins and heal our land. We just must not despair!
I find the following recent prophecy and prayer points for Nigeria by Chuck Pearce very helpful. Please, go through and let us pray together. God bless Nigeria!
PROPHECY & PRAYER POINTS FOR NIGERIA BY CHUCK PEARCE:
“Nigeria, the past nine years and is ready to produce new wine! The enemies of her past that meant death and destruction will now become the removers of pain.
God is turning Nigeria upside down for His glory and His purposes, and is saying, “You are headed into the beginning of seven months of great conflict, but you have already faced off that conflict!
By October of this year, you will be able to stand and say, ‘We set our hand to the plow and looked forward and never looked back, and now Nigeria has been plowed up!’ Watch over these next seven months for there will be a plowing up of this land. Fallow land will be plowed and plowed and plowed. What has encased My plan will be plowed up.
This is the beginning of moving into what I would have for you, and this is the day of change. This is your time to plow this land, and I have mobilized the angelic host to plow with you. The land of Nigeria will once again rejoice!”
PLEASE take a short moment to pray and also pass it on:
Father in the Mighty name of Jesus Christ, I thank You for my life, family & Nigeria. I thank You for the fertile land, population, resources and the gospel, all of which give Nigeria huge potentials.
I thank You because all power belongs to You and the gates of hell cannot prevail.
Thank You because You always answer the prayers of Your obedient children.
I ask for forgiveness on behalf of our land and nation Nigeria.
Forgive us for we have not walked in your ways.
I and our Leaders have wandered away from your laws.
I repent for all wickedness, injustice, nepotism, tribalism, hatred, bloodshed, idolatry, and having not given You Your rightful place in our nation.
Wherever we have exalted any idol before You, please forgive us, Lord.
Father, have mercy. Remember mercy, O Lord.
I contend for the destiny of Nigeria. O Lord, contend with those who contend with your believers and frustrate the devices of all who plot evil in the land. Uproot any who will not relent and need to be paralysed for Nigeria to have peace.
You say, ask of Me for the nation of Nigeria. Lord, I ask for the land of Nigeria, starting from the North, South, East and West.
Remember Your people oh Lord, those tossed about, oppressed and trampled upon by situations, hunger and thirst created by wicked men.
O Lord, remember mercy and heal our land.
Bring the latter rains, O Lord, I pray.
Open the flood gates of heaven and let it rain on our parched land.
I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over this land.
Let that Blood that speaks better things than the blood of Abel speak peace in Nigeria.
Raise leaders like king David, judges like Samuel that are after your own heart, O Lord.
Give us leaders chosen by You and let them be vessels to bring this land back to the fear of You, O Lord.
Let there be peace and love for one another.
Let any power thirsting for the blood of any Nigerian be quenched by the blood of Jesus Christ.
I cancel violence in Jesus mighty name!
I declare your justice to reign over this land because you will not by any means discharge the guilty.
I decree peace that comes with justice, prosperity that comes with your peace and all material and spiritual blessings upon this land.
Reward trouble to those who trouble this land with wicked deeds.
Judge without mercy those who defile our land with idols, who shed innocent blood without a cause.
Let peace be upon Nigeria, let peace be upon the four corners of this land where you have planted us.
In the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour I pray. Amen.
Lord, take the crafty in their craftiness. Those who have plotted evil schemes to overrun Nigeria with contrary ways, let their wicked schemes backfire. Let their foot-soldiers be arrested like Saul/Paul and let them become mighty believers and evangelists.
Almighty God, by Your mighty power, Thy Kingdom come in Nigeria, Thy will be done, Thy name be glorified, and let righteousness exalt Nigeria!
We aim at doing a 1,000,000 prayer chain. Please don't break it. Pass it to your contacts.
Thank you.
And may you eat the fruit of the New Nigeria of our dream in JESUS mighty name. Amen!
Please, feel free to share with others. God bless.
From VictoryMedia