When Prayers are not enough

The other day I asked for prayers from the online community for Nigeria. This move was borne out of concern after some bombs were discovered on time in a church in Southern Nigeria, as well as the arrest of a terror kingpin among 486 suspected terrorists in the same region.

It was also as a result of the utterances of people who vowed to carry out revenge attacks should Southern Nigeria be attacked by terrorists. I felt if God didn't step in to help us, it would only be a matter of time before utter chaos descended.

Strangely enough, very few people indicated interest. Based on few comments, I could sense people had given up on God doing anything to help. They wondered where God has been all along? They told me I was wasting my time.

Do you know His voice?

The other day, while trying to get my older son to bed, my 4-month old baby started crying for me. His dad tried everything to get him to quieten down, but he kept right on screaming.

Finally,for the sake of our sanity, I went to get him. As soon as I cooed his name and picked him from his dad, he immediately became quiet. The change was so sudden, my husband and I had a good laugh.

As I thought about my baby’s behaviour later on, a passage from the Bible came into my mind. It’s in John10:27 where it says,
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”

It's OK to Receive

Were you ever told by your parents to politely refuse offers of food from your neighbours? Mine did, not necessarily out of fear, but out of concern for the neighbours.

At that time, the custom in my home town was:  if you have visitors while eating, it is polite to ask them to join you in the meal. But because most of the people were poor, they really didn’t mean the offer. They often said it out of courtesy, hoping (and praying) that you would refuse. Very rarely did they ask twice!

Avoid isolation

As a kid growing up, I hated having neighbours. I vowed to live all by myself when I grew older. It wasn’t that I didn’t like people, but my neighbours were often nosey. 

They were incredibly good most times, but as is usual with human relationships, they often stepped on my toes. Instead of seeing the good in them and how they looked out for me, I chose to focus on the few times they exasperated me, and wanted to become a recluse.

A story in the Bible demonstrates the dangers that occur when we choose to live all alone, not needing anyone or being needed by anyone. It is a very tragic story of a town called Laish in the book of Judges 18:7-10, 27-29. You see that town was secure and at peace, they were nice people who treated strangers kindly. But they were far from neighbouring towns, and this was their downfall.