Nigerians can pray and the prayers of Nigerians are full of drama. Nigerians do not mince words when they approach their creator in prayers. I also love how we go to God in prayer with a long list or for some, a bucket of things they want God to attend to. Most times the deadline for the items on the list is usually now, or “now now!” as we like to say it. And to be sure God hears what we are saying to him in prayer in clear terms, our voices move from initial whispering to literally shouting on top of our voices.
If there’s a perceived delay from God, be sure the strategy and approach to prayer will take a U-turn not in despair, no; we don’t give up that easily. The next strategy is to make combat prayer. The whole parts of the body are brought in to help pass the message to God. The head has a lot of responsibilities shifted to it to handle. Chief among these responsibilities is to shake the head the more. How the head is shaken is immaterial, just shake it. The fists are not left out in this new combat prayer; the fists must be pumped into the air. The harder the fists are pumped into the air or space, the more likely you are going to have your prayers answered, so says your feeling. You dare not stand in the way of a man who has a revised prayer strategy; you might be kicked out of the way. I have been kicked before. Let’s look closely at some prayer points a typical Nigerian tenders to God every day.
PROSPER ME OH, GOD!
Forget rebased economy, the prayers of Nigerians show that their pockets have not been rebased. Nigerians don’t play with the prayer of breakthrough. Who doesn’t want to join the big boys club or a crossover to the good life avenue? So the average Nigerian spends quality time pleading His case before God. “Baba, it is my turn to be blessed.” Passages of the bible are copiously quoted to support his claim that it is his turn to be blessed. What about his neighbour? “Don’t worry Baba, out of the abundance you will bless me with, I will be a good brother’s keeper to him.” To show God how serious he is, he advances some money to his local church in obedience to “give and it shall be given unto you.” Hoping that good measure will be added unto him.
MY ENEMIES MUST DIE
Most of the problems a Nigerian has are traceable to his enemies. So his next prayer point after the breakthrough prayer is an elimination prayer. Yes, there’s no joking around with such things. The prayer point is straight, direct and decisive, “God eliminate all my enemies.” Sometimes it doesn’t matter if the enemy is the mother or mother-in-law or one elderly woman in his family(I wonder who doesn’t have an elderly woman in his family) Verdict has been proclaimed, “eliminate my enemy!” And if for any reason, the problem persists, a more forceful approach is employed. That is when you hear such thing like “die die die die.” After all the bible says suffer not the witch to live.
WHY ME?
‘Why me’ prayer comes in different forms and shapes. The most prominent among them comes from our lovely sisters who haven’t found a life partner yet. As age descends on them, they descend on God with “why me?” On Saturdays during weddings, the prayer is slightly adjusted to “why not me” meaning that she wouldn’t mind being the bride everyone is celebrating.
WE ALSO GIVE THANKS
We are also good at saying thank You to baba God when ‘it happens’. We call God all the great names both His biblical and our locally ascribed names. We shower God with all sort of names(Jehovah Sharp Sharp, Jehova Over do, Jehovah Effizy )just to show how much we appreciate His timely intervention.
This is how we pray in Nigeria.
