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By John Abiola

October 1st, National day of repentance, prayer, and fasting for Revival in Nigeria.

I would like to use this medium as a reminder to everyone and also to urge you to invite others who are not aware of this prayer to please join us for the annual prayer and fasting for revival which comes up 1st, October, every year. Location: wherever you find yourself on that day, alone or in a group whatsoever. The important thing is to be connected with us in spirit by joining in this prayer of agreement.

Joel.2.15 – “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
Joel.2.16 – Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
Joel.2.17 – Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
Joel.2.18 – Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
Joel.2.19 – Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen”.

Truth about revival

The truth is revival has already been dispensed in Nigeria but the fire can not be preserved except what actuated the flame is continued.

Until the fire gains enough ground and there is a continuous preservation of the same, then can the kingdom of God be fully established in Nigeria and the whole world.

Truth is, when God ignites a flame, the battle becomes more fierce, the price becomes higher and corporate prayer gathering must increase, Intercession must double because at the start of a new wave, Satan is aggrieved, his tactics becomes stronger, his weapons becomes more fierce and his attacks more painful, especially against the Church.

The only thing that can subjugate and mitigate his newly renovated strongholds, altars and thrones built around the length and breath of Nigeria is a continuity of what activated the fire in the first place. Continuity of revival prayer and the prayer of repentance, fasting, and Intercession.

Only Intercession, corporate agreement, repentance and revival prayer with fasting can destroy Satan’s siege against Nigeria, erode darkness, win the ongoing spiritual war and proliferate the revival fire to other areas, in Africa and the world.

But the basic truth is that, more than ever, more work need to be done.

After dispensing the Holy Spirit’s power upon the disciples in the upper room, a continuity of what ignited the flame was activated in Acts 6:4, you find them saying “but we will give ourselves continually ( persistently) to prayer and to the ministry of the word”.

Corporate prayer was what actuated the move of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, scripture recorded “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” in Acts 2:1.

But then there was a continuation in Acts 4:31-33 “When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost..And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all”.

Further, in Acts 6:4 there was a continuation of corporate prayer and the word to preserve the ignited fire, because without continuity of what activates revival, there would be discontinuation.

It is apparent that despite the revival that has started in Nigeria, Satan is still fiercely contending against her, the rise of false prophets, apostles and false messages, doctrines and their unending prophecies, unbiblical prayers, false religious organizations, occultism and witchcraft is prevalent. The deadness of the economy, industrial sector, and generally all aspects of Nigeria is not something to be ignored.

Rise of Christian persecution

The rise of persecution of Christians in the northern region, terrorism, political upheavals, violence, insecurity…There is much work to be done.

This is what happens when God ignites a fire, Satan becomes aggrieved and so begins to reinstall and reinforce his strategies and attacks trying as much as possible to stifle the flame so as to impede God’s purpose from being fulfilled.
Now here is my question. Isn’t there something that can be done to increase the ignited flame in Nigeria?

Isn’t there something that can be done to hinder Satan’s retort and reinforcement against the Church and the true Gospel? Isn’t there something that can perhaps recharge the spiritual atmosphere of Nigeria?

Isn’t there something that can be done to unseat Satan permanently and drive him out? What can be done to evict those demons and break down their upgraded stronholds and renovated altars?

Only one thing surfaces, only one thing can cause Satan to tremble on his knees, terrifying him and his kingdom for real. Only thing can Ignite confusion in the dark, only one thing can twart Satan’s agenda.

And that is corporate prayer of repentance, fasting and Intercession.

When lay men and women, pastors, prophets, apostles, teachers e.t.c. agree together in prayer to repent on behalf of one another, seeking God’s face, He hears and dispenses his spirit, yokes are broken, strongholds made powerless, light shines, souls saved, churches revived, many more labourers are raised, and corruption, violence, insecurity and crime are reduced to the minimal level, economy boom and the glory of God revealed.

The unity of the Church becomes strengthened, gospel advances, righteousness and justice prevail in Nigeria. Suddenly the country becomes one of the safest countries becomes in the world.

History holds that in Mexico, years ago, communism was at its peak and was giving signs of overwhelming Mexico, perversion was high in the land until a group of Christian leaders decided to come together to seek the face of God on behalf of Mexico City. For months, this Christian leaders were waging war against the forces of hell through corporate prayer, seeking God’s face.

They continued until God finally met with them, turned the nation for Christ, evacuated those evil forces and planted the righteousness of God in the land.

El Salvador’s president attributed his success in mitigating violence and bringing security into the land to God, He said that they achieved it through prayer.

A country once known as having the world’s highest murder rate suddenly becomes the second safest country in the western hemisphere.

How could this be achieve? Through prayer.

Briefly, I hope to dissect the anchor scripture to give us more understanding and light on the power of corporate prayer especially on a prayer of repentance.

The Lord spoke in Joel 2: 15- 18
The scripture speaks of the power of corporate prayer of repentance. After the dispense of judgement in chapter 2, God clamored out a solution in verse 15 and 16 speaking of a gathering together with humility of heart to seek God’s face for mercy on their land. Then, in vs 18, it underscored what happens immediately the prayer of corporate repentance is achieved-

Vs 18 says ” then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people”.

Once, the jealousy of the Lord is kindled, the adversaries of his people and land becomes a prey. Hence, they are in grave danger. What are the adversaries of Nigeria?

Corruption, injustice ,satanic forces, altars, thrones, strongholds, satanic mercenaries and those who have vowed to forever make Nigeria a mockery, ungodliness and iniquities, opposition against the proliferation of the move of God in Nigeria, e.t.c.

In vs 19 God speaks of a move of restoration, restoration of fruitfulness in the land. In fact this scripture apparently speaks of Nigeria. However, all this can not come true until vs 15-17 is fulfilled.

History records that most revivals in time past were ignited through corporate prayer of repentance, most revival that has been preserved has always been achieved through corporate prayer of repentance.

The power of corporate prayer of repentance can not be over underestimated, it has the capacity and capability of disgracing the kingdom of darkness, uprooting strongholds, establishing the righteousness of God, and the sovereignty of God upon the heart of men.

Remember, one man -Daniel’s prayer and fasting for repentance for Israel birthed the deliverance of Israel from seventy years of captivity. Read Daniel 9.

Remember, one man, Nehemiah interceded with fasting on behalf of Israel, which led to the door of favour wide opened for him before the King. It was Nehemiah’s work of Intercession that birthed the move of the rebuilding of the fallen walls of Jerusalem. Read Nehemiah 9.

Welsh revival

Listen to Evan John Roberts testimony of the great earth-shaking and sweeping Welsh revival in 1904-1906 that spread globally, ” For ten or eleven years I have prayed for a revival. Do you see that rug? Pointing to a rug with a big hole in it. There began the Welish revival. I wore that hole with my knees as I prayed for the visitation of the Holy Spirit in convicting power upon the people.

I prayed agonizing for the Holy Spirit. Each day, I spent between 5 to 8 hours in prayer. I woke up each night at 1:00am and prayed till 4:00am and sometimes till 9:00am. Call it GRACE but don’t forget to also call it PRICE! without a readiness to pay the price one may obtain such grace in vain( 2 Corinthians 6:1). I could sit up all night to read or talk about revivals”.

If one man could propel God’s strength to be unveiled, one man could wrought deliverance for a nation through prayer of repentance, one man’s prayer activated deliverance for a whole nation…

How much power would be released through two, three, four and more, interceding for the nation of Nigeria, pleading for mercy, forgiveness and asking for an increase in revival of the nation. Imagine the great power that would be released, the number of captive souls that would be let loosed, true gospel preachers that would be raised, the forces of darkness that would be evacuated from Nigeria, and the joy that would be in the heart of the Father. Read Deut. 32:30; Mathew 18:19.

I once watched a video -true life story of a former satanist who shared his story of a number of persons who covenanted with God to gather and pray for 90 days, at a specific time. It was told that the effect of their prayer was so strong that churches that were dead before would suddenly wake up from their slumber, strong supernatural events began to take place, the kingdom of darkness was in great confusion because of the effect of their prayer, a revival was ignited although the kingdom of darkness was able to successfully wage war and scatter the prayer because according to the satanist, if they were able to complete the 90 days of prayer, the revival that broke out would have lasted for 70 years.

This shows the power that is unveiled through corporate prayer especially biblical prayers like prayer for revival, repentance , salvation and for restoration.
God is calling forth the body of Christ to agree in prayer to repent on behalf of the nation, to activate God’s mercy, revival and power upon Nigeria.

And we are not stoping untill a nation of righteousness is birthed, Jacob did not cease wrestling with God till his name was changed and out of him came a new generation , a lineage of men who are acquainted with God through intimacy.

Had Jacob stopped even after his thigh was disjointed, perhaps his destiny would have remained the same. We wont stop, we would keep repenting, confessing the unconfessed sins and interceding till Nigeria is washed in the blood of the lamb, till her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation thereof as a lamb that burneth.

Isaiah chapter 62 can only be fulfilled through consistency in corporate prayer of repentance and Intercession for revival.
Let’s rise and repent on behalf of Nigeria, and intercede on her behalf, pray for an increase of revival in Nigeria, and a proliferation of the flame till God’s righteousness is established in Nigeria.

Azusa revival

The great Azuza street revival in Los Angeles, America that began around 1906 and continued till around 1915 was led by Williams J. Seymour, an African-American Preacher. It was written that he prayed for hours, sometimes 5 to 7 hours a day and the revival could have lasted more extra years had prayer not stopped. In the words of A .G Osterberg,
“The Azuza revival began where every revival should begin. In tears, it lived in tears, and when the tears ended, the Azuza revival ended “. This shows that continuous and persistent confession, repentance of sins, and prayers are the conditions to birth, promote and preserve and revival.

Let’s pray together

In addition to your prayers. You can as well pray with this two confessional prayers.
Here are the links:
Prophetic Prayer for National Repentance and a New Nigeria.http://https//church timesnigeria.net/prophetic- prayer -for-national-repentance-and-a-new-nigeria.

Prophetic and Strategic Prayer for National Revivalhttps://churchtimesnigeria.net/prophetic-and-strategic-prayer-for-national-revival-by-john-abiola

John Abiola.
Revive Us Again series 101.
Revive Us Again series is a publication of Nigeria Global Intercessors.
Gmail:nigeriaglobalintercessorsngi@gmail.com.