Isaiah 45:1-7 NKJV
This Scripture is said to be the only place in the Bible where a Gentile ruler is referred to as ‘anointed’. This is God working through a Gentile king who does not know Him. (vs. 4)
Cyrus, God’s Instrument
God chose and anointed Cyrus as His vessel to conquer many lands.
Job Description
God told Cyrus what he would do (for it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13)
- Subdue nations before him.
- Loose the armour of kings.
- Open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut.
His Promises
- I will go before you.
- I will make crooked places straight.
- I will break in pieces the gates of bronze, cut the bars of iron.
- I will give you treasures of darkness, hidden riches of secret places.
- I will gird you, though you have not known me.
Why?
- For Jacob My servant’s sake.
- For Israel My elect.
Assurance / Conviction
How did God build up Cyrus’ faith?
- I, the Lord who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.(vs.3)
- I have even called you by your name. (vs.4)
- I have named you, though you have not known me.
Revelation of His Personality
I am the Lord, there is no other. (vs. 5 and 6)
There is no God besides Me.
His Ability
What this God that Cyrus does not know, can do.
- Forms the light and creates darkness.
- Makes peace and creates calamity.
I, THE LORD, DO ALL THESE THINGS.
Esther 8:7-8 NKJV
- God knew one day that someone will plan to exterminate Jews.
- Queen Vashti misbehaved and lost her position.
- Esther ended up in the palace (The result of deliberate, committed, concerted practical discipleship).
- When the time came for help to answer the “Cry of the Jews”, Esther was already positioned to rise.
- We see Esther and Mordecai being asked to write a decree.
We also believe God that, whatever we decree concerning Nigeria today, according to the will of our Father in heaven, will receive His seal and no man can reverse it. Amen and amen, so shall it be.
We thank God who graciously, in His mercy, gave us this platform to intercede for Nigeria.
So far on this platform, we have noted that:-
- The battle is firstly the Lord’s; we are channels only for Him to work through.
- We wanted to engage God for Nigeria (i.e. to occupy or attract His attention).
- We desire to know His heart, His will for Nigeria so we can pray according to His will.
- The Holy Spirit is the one who will intercede for us.
- It is God’s desire for each one of us to develop a burden for Nigeria.
- We desire to see His plan and purpose come to pass over Nigeria and we release ourselves as vessels through which He will move.
Every promise in Scripture requires a man to step into it. A man/woman must position himself/herself to receive it.
Prayer for Ourselves
Here am I use me
Here am I use me
As the Lord need somebody
Here am I use me
- Lord, settle me in a consistent practical discipleship relationship.
- Father, make me a man/woman of faith; let faith arise in me. BE GONE unbelief.
- Help me to carry a heart of assurance that what You have spoken is done.
- Let me be convinced of the reality of that which You are yet to do.
- Lord, make me a man/woman with clean hands and a pure heart who has neither lifted his/her soul to an idol nor sworn deceitfully; this is the person “who can ascend unto Your hill.” Psalm 24:3-4
- Make me the man/woman You are looking for to be the answer to the cry of our nation.
- Let Jesus be seen in me; let every segment of the Mystery of the Gospel work upon my life.
- For entrance to be supplied to us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we need to pray: Lord, let me be diligent to make my calling and election sure so that I do not stumble. 2 Peter 2:10
Prayer for the Productive Generation
Genesis 18:19
“For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He Has spoken to him.”
Here we see God’s testimony concerning Abraham. God does not take the matter of children and building the next generation lightly.
In Judges 2:7-10, we see in vs 10, “...another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.”
There is a need for us to pray for these ones because whatever is written on the tablets of their hearts today determines what they will manifest in their character in years to come.
What we see in Nigeria today is the product of what was written in the tablets of the hearts of some our leaders when they were in their youth.
- Father, envision men/women who will write eternity in the hearts of the younger generation in Nigeria today (teachers, lecturers, professors).
- Whatever is wrongly written already in some of their lives, Lord, please correct it.
- Take away whatever some of these teachers themselves may be struggling with that will not give them the boldness/courage to confront evil in the lives of the children/youth.
- Lord, every accursed thing of the Western world that has evaded the society in Nigeria, please remove them by Your mercy.
- Because of the destiny placed in the heart of Daniel, he lived a life characterised by purpose, prayer, perception and power. Father, let our young ones begin to live a purposeful life by the power embedded in the Mystery of the Gospel.
- Lord, we pray that hunger for concerted, consistent, deliberate discipleship will break forth amongst the young generation in Nigeria.
Prayer for the Church
1 Corinthians 1:3
“To the Church of God in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours...”
- Lord, let Your children in Nigerian churches know that they are sanctified in Christ Jesus; their first calling is ‘to be saints’ and they gather to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord, not any man or woman.
- Lord, silence all men who are exalting themselves above You in the lives of the people you died for.
- Father, let the message of the Cross spread throughout the Church (every denomination) in Nigeria.
- Let, Your children begin to thirst and hunger for Your righteousness again.
- Grant them boldness to arise and confront heresies and false doctrines.
- Cause Your Church to be united to combat every onslaught of the enemy in the name of Jesus.
- Lord, make Your children true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, who are ready and willing to deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow Jesus only.
- Strengthen every revival labourer in Nigeria; those who are working to make Your kingdom come and Your will be done in Nigeria.
Prayer for Nigeria
- Father, please make NIGERIA an object of Your mercy and favour.
- Keep Nigeria, permanently in Your ICU-Intensive Care Unit.
- Lord, a divine pronouncement has been made concerning this nation. Father, we thank You.
- We pray You will silence every other pronouncement that did not emanate from the throne of grace.
- Lord, the only person You are looking for is JESUS! May You find Him in our leaders, in every facet of our human lives.
- Lord, we pray that You will breathe Your righteousness into our leaders and every facet of our society.
- Turn around the economy /currency for good, Father.
- Frustrate every activity and every plan of all terrorist groups. Dry up the source of their funding and power in Jesus’ name.
- Pray as led by His Spirit.
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