I have heard people who visit or go to live abroad (especially from Nigeria) say that, they don’t pray as often as they did while they were still in Nigeria. They proceed to say the reason people pray a lot in Nigeria is because so many things are not going right in Nigeria. When I heard that, I knew there was something not right about this saying but I couldn’t tell exactly what it was then. Some people only seek God for their wants and needs, they see God as someone who is just there to make provisions available. When they finally get what they want and everything seems fine, they get away from God or don’t see any need for him or when they go to a new place where their daily “needs” in form of amenities are met, they no longer see any need to pray because they feel there’s nothing to pray for again. Recall those friends in secondary school who came to you because of what you had to give to them. Once they receive what they want, they disappear. Some go as far as becoming ungrateful and talking unkindly about their helpers.
You may be wondering what made me write this, I was reading through the book of Leviticus and I saw how God sternly warned the Israelites not to go against his ordinances when he was taking them to Canaan. Not just in Leviticus, most books of the old testament has warnings to the Israelites on this matter. Canaan was the promised land and God was concerned that the Israelites may see the good in the land and turn away from him, or they will think in their hearts that there is no need for God anymore. God knew the Israelites may see the good in the land of Canaan and think “oh, these people don’t know God yet their lands are flowing with milk and honey, meanwhile we were suffering in Egypt”. Deuteronomy 31 vs 20 - For I will bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey. There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and become fat. But they will begin to worship other gods; they will despise me and break my covenant.“ It is not any different from this age, this is not a post to throw stones but does going to somewhere that seems better than where you came from or does having a better means of livelihood change your perspective about God? Do you now feel like you can do without God? Do you now look down on people who hold on to God especially those who seem to be struggling? Progress or whatever should rather put you in a new perspective, especially if your convictions about God has shifted after you got what you wanted. it should make you realize you probably had a give and take relationship with God or your relationship with God was built on a shaky foundation. Remember the parable in Mathew 13 vs 18-23, Jesus spoke about a farmer who planted seeds and how where it fell determines if it grows or not and how it grows. There is a part where the seeds fell on fertile soil but thorns grew amongst the plants and they couldn’t survive. The interpretation of this is that a seed which is the word of God is being planted on a fertile soil (the heart) but the good things or worries of life came and it made the receiver to forget the word of God. God called it harlotry when the children of Israel forsook him to go after the strange gods of foreign lands – Deuteronomy 31 vs 16. In our generation, the gods may not be a graven image but if attaining a new level in life or going to a new country where everything seems to be working convinces you that there is no need for God or there’s no God then you’ve idolized what you have. The children of Israel had instances where they were drawn away by the advice of foreigners to forsake their God because they were convinced by these foreigners that there was no need for God by the words of their mouth and the flaunting of their flamboyant and immoral lifestyles to the Israelites. The Israelites began to think that serving God was some sort of liability or imprisonment so, their lust drew them away from God. In those days, God spoke to them through prophets to bring them back and there were consequences for how they behaved, so they would realize they couldn’t do anything without him. Sons of God still speak these days but some don’t listen, thank God for his grace. Notwithstanding, a soul drawn away by the devil has the whole of eternity to suffer, having rejected the gospel.
With all that has been said, Some people may still argue that people pray instead of working hard. There is no correlation between prayer hindering hard work. Prayer prayed in faith rather makes your hard work more effective. People who pray without going out for job interviews when they need a job, who don’t do the jobs assigned to them in their offices or don’t take up responsibilities assigned to them are just lazy and inefficient, these has nothing to do with devotion to God. Those who use God as an excuse not to be responsible are just being lazy and this is not God’s principle. The Bible rather encourages people to do the right thing, “What ever your hands finds to do, do it with all your might”- Ecclesiastes 9 vs 10a. However, it’s an issue if you argue this way because it exposes your ignorance about God.
It’s about time to devote to God for who he is, not for what he has to offer. It’s time to recognize that the reason you were created by God is for God hence, you should live for him. Be intentional about having a real relationship with God today.
