SCOAN, president Buhari and a bumbling nation

THE last few months have been uneventful for Nigeria. The miscellaneous mixture of happenings have largely painted the country in a light not so desirable. Killings, ethnic bigotry, general sense of despondency, economic decline, lack of social and national cohesion, religious jingoism and a hostile national outlook have all peopled the present national experience. These downbeat vibes are currently tearing at the seams of our national fabric of togetherness. Never has the nation been more divided in its historical evolution. It appears to be all gloom with no light at the end of a tumultuous tunnel. From the cold corridors of the south can be heard dissenting voices condemning the large scale insecurity; the dusty domains of the North equally throw up the cry of a people condemned to religious extremism and a killing spree with wanton disregard.

With all the tragic trajectory of a nation at loss, it becomes not only convenient to lay the blame at the doorstep of the government but also demand an urgent re-direction of government policies that would put the nation on right footing: one which is geared towards national rebirth, cohesion, and a largely robust economic and secured outlook.

In the midst of the great outcry and agonising demand for a better Nigeria, foremost international cleric and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet Temitope Balogun— on July 7, 2019, during a global broadcast from the headquarters of the church in Lagos, on the platform of the Emmanuel TV— revealed a divinely motivated approach to tackling Nigeria’s many painful problems and spiraling contradictions.

He told the gathering that complaining and lamenting by Nigeria’s citizenry would not bring the desired effect in tackling the myriad of problems currently plaguing the nation. Rather, he said that the good Lord revealed to him that it was time to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian government apparatus. According to him, “For a while, some years now, I have been calm. Many things that happened around the world, I saw it. But when I say something, you twist it. The world cannot be in the dark. This is one of the reasons I am here today. Let me start from where we are now, Nigeria, our country. I was in a vision, three weeks ago. I have been praying. In that vision the Lord said to me particularly, ‘Pray for your president’, that is the voice of God. Our President, Muhammadu Buhari, I have been praying for him. The instruction from God is above. ‘Pray for protection- for God to protect him and fill him with wisdom enough to lead this country, the nation Nigeria.’ I have been doing that. And the Lord said to me, ‘He is a human being. There is no perfect man on earth.’ Nigeria, I am talking to you. Take this word- that is the voice of God. There is no perfect man on earth. If you are looking for a perfect man, you need to go to heaven. And I still keep to myself, offering this prayer for the nation and for the president, to fill him and to protect him with wisdom enough to lead the nation.

“I travelled three days ago outside Lagos for that prayer as well. In my vision, I saw the Seraphim. I saw the Seraphim come down with rain. When it is raining, sometimes in the rain you see stones coming down, but this time, the Seraphim came down with rain. This rain- with freshness and calmness. The rain comes with freshness and calmness. Please let us pray for our government, Muhammadu Buhari; pray for them. Take your time and pray for them. Nigeria, let us pray. So now, for you to be lamenting, complaining, I think you will stop this now and pray. So, Nigeria, lamenting, complaining and all that, I think that should be stopped and resort to pray. And pray for your president, he is a human being.”

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The message from the man in the Synagogue has been proven historically to be efficacious when done with the right frame of mind and intentions. More so when it comes from a divinely proven source, it becomes the more potent. Those in public office who make policies and those who surround the presidency including those at state and local government levels must be conscious of prioritising the wellbeing of the people.

It will be recalled that about halfway into 2018, Prophet Joshua while holding one of the church’s services had stated, “I have a message for my country and I want you to pray with me. After the message, you join me in prayers. This is the third time I am having this message. Now I am going to say it the third time. The president’s heart is like a stream of water in the hands of God. The leader’s heart is like a stream of water in the hands of God and He can control it wherever He wants.

“The first time I had the dream, I prayed, I fasted on my own. The second time I had the dream, I also prayed and fasted. But this time, you must join me in prayer because two believers are better than one.

“Since I got the message that our future is in the valley, I kept to myself. I should not go beyond God; I should go before Him. The Lord said to me that I should tell the nation and the leaders to pray against the interruption of democratic practice. You have to join me in prayer. The Lord gave me what to pray about because in this case, there must be prayers given to you.

“What are the prayers? Number one is that the Lord will give our leaders greater understanding of God’s heart. Number two is that the Lord should give them the understanding and discretion to guide their hearts. Number three is to give them understanding that will protect them and wisdom that will rescue them.”

Indeed, these are not ordinary times in our clime and therefore are not times to take the words of a prophet lightly.

• Oyetimi writes via joyetimi2002@gmail.com