As we look with strange bewilderment at the fast moral collapse of our society, few observers and lovers of the church will note sadly that the decay is much among us. I say with all sense of responsibility and thought to pray and not to criticize. For a few years now, God in His wisdom had led me by His grace to seek in prayer the revival of the church, an awakening that will touch the ends of the earth. While waiting on the Lord to do what He alone can do, my prayer this day is that He will be gracious to come quickly and not tarry.
Some have declared that a new movement is rising in the church among the young today, at least in my home country Nigeria. Some have labeled it Revival, some called it an awakening, but I call this new generation a generation of straws. This generation that is rising from the church has no foundation and will somehow collapse. Isn’t it is true that if the foundation is destroyed what can the righteous do?
Let me lay before you, some of my thoughts, and why I think we need to pray. Firstly, I claim no super spirituality, as matter of fact I cry daily for help. I ask God to help my own life, because to whom much is given, much is required; and also the servant who knows His Lord’s will and does not do it will be beaten with many stripes. So it is a fearful thing to simply write this as a show and not a burden.
In the last year for example, as some of us watch with horror the insecurity and other social issues in Nigeria, the crux came during what was known as the #EndSars movement led by celebrities on social media and then by the new generation of believers. Yes, the nation was boiling, emotions were raging, the tension was high but we know truly that protest won’t do it – Only prayer would. My generation of straw went on the street to pray in front of the cameras, I watch sadly with deep brokenness knowing that this movement will not last. In one of my unpopular audio podcasts, I noted how this is only a show and it will fizzle out.
I saw some of the leaders in the Christian Faith call the movement Revival, to which I totally disagreed. Praying on the street in front of the camera is never and can never be a revival. Days after, the prayer movement died off and it is yet to resurface. We can’t fool God, we can’t be pharisaical in our prayer – when ye pray go to the street, is that what the Lord says? No! The truth of prayer is that it can be done everywhere, for example, I pray while walking on the street, I pray while in transit, but when I truly want to pray about a matter I go behind a closed door.
If we have not sown in tears why do we want to reap in joy? Do we agonize in front of the cameras and live shows on the Internet? No! Agony in the place of prayer is expressed in the secret, and the Lord who sees in secret will reward openly. The open propaganda against God was displayed when we did that, we call Him incapable and unwilling to fulfill His promise of revival blessing while yet the fault is in us.
Here are some of my thoughts about this new generation.
A Thoughtless Generation
Why is this generation not thinking? Take a look at the society – if we truly have what we claim to have the nation would not be what it is today. I say this with all sense of responsibility that the barrenness in the church today is the cause of the chaos in our society. If men are truly getting saved, crime will definitely reduce, the society would run with integrity and truth. Isn’t it simple mathematics, if all that claimed to be Christians are indeed Christian converts would this nation not be a better one?
We have no right to boast about numbers if those numbers are not truly born of God. The truth is the truth and we all know it, we have failed God in spite of all the shows we put up in our internal and external meetings. But do we really think about this? I see young people running from conference to conference without a change of life, why not let us sit down and look closely and beg God for His omnipotence to heal our impotence.
Somehow we have many professors of the faith but few truly saved by Jesus. Let us be honest, there are too many of our young people whose foundation is not in Jesus but in church – unsaved but churchy, religious but unregenerated, emotional but unspiritual. Can we think about all this and be driven to our knees to cry to God to have mercy on us? Is our back not already pushed against the wall, and we are at zero point? Must we wait and continue in this weekly religious show until we completely lose a generation? One deep consolation I have is the unfailing prayer of Jesus for the church, and the gate of hell shall not prevail against it. Apart from this, I believe this modern religious baby Christianity will not survive the onslaught of devil’s vices.
An Emotional Generation
A generation that must pump men’s emotions to bring them into God’s presence. I desire not to speak on specific issues, but I say this is an emotional generation. I have said this more often, during my National Youth Service program somewhere in Eastern Nigeria, I watched on many occasions with great inward burden at the emotional youth generation, I see men go to pray and come out of the Chapel and almost immediately behave like devils as I used to say (as though unsaved). I wonder how a man would spend so many hours with God and remain carnal. Of course, it was all emotion, with a combination of music and drums you can pump a young person’s emotion, yet you will never be able to touch him spiritually. It still does amaze me today, but is this the generation that would put the devil to flight? Not so sure about it.
A Careless Generation
This is a generation that is careless and loose. A worldly-minded Christian youth generation who wants to eat her cake and have it. You can’t be a Christian and be worldly, but I see a blend in the generation that we are raising. A generation that knows very little about consecration and separation, a generation who lives and speaks carelessly.
Is it not shameful how we see the worldly culture being emulated by this generation? A generation that tunes her music to the worldly beats and patterns, a generation that has allowed different strange dances, slangs, and lifestyles in her Worship to the God of heaven. A sensual generation that loves pleasure and would be so ignorant to allow unsaved men (comedians) to come and minister death unto her. Yet it is a generation that speaks big things, makes big claims of God but knows little of God’s attributes. This is no doubt a worldly Christian generation that cannot survive the wind and storms of the enemy, its foundation has been on the sand, it will definitely come crashing down.
An Unholy Generation.
It is strange today to see many who leads this generation, more populists than holy and men of integrity. You see all our so-called gospel music icons dress like what? You say it. A generation where her sister practically wants to go topless and naked as the world is, brothers with saggy pants and dreads, yet claiming to be spiritual, who are we fooling? God is Holy and does He not demand our separation from the world? Only holy men can deal with a holy God.
A generation that hides behind the gifts of the Spirit yet cares so little about the nature of the Giver of the gifts. Forget it, I think there are more demonic manifestations in this generation of hyper spirituality than in any generation before. We must have more demon-possessed than Spirit-filled. We caused it, we have drawn a line of spirituality based on gifts and not on fruits. A generation displaying her gifts but with bad fruits. What use is your gift when your fruit is bad? Did Jesus say by their gift you shall know them? No, it’s by their fruit. Holiness is none negotiable, purity of the heart, and separation from the world. If we don’t have it, whatever we have is fake, it will not last and will in the end fall apart.
More Ministries With Little Impact
This is a generation that has more ministries but with little impact on society. More campus fellowships but many campus rebels, cultists, ritualists, fraudsters, and all. What is the point if the impact of the power of Christ is not felt despite all the big titles that some of these young boys claim? Should we not all bury our heads in shame and admit that there are many entertainers on our pulpits than anointed preachers, many money grabbers than true shepherds. Whether we agree or not, the result is open for all to see, more crime and more wickedness and very few saved.
A generation with zeal but no knowledge, too many zealous young people but very few who know about the true nature of God, these young people must be discipled or at the very least wait until Christ is fully formed in them.
Conclusion
Do I believe God wants to raise an end-time army for His final harvest? Yes! But I also believe that this current movement is not what God intends to have, I speak as a man. If there is any need for revival today, it is in the church and it is a revival of Holiness. Not of power and miracle, God has been gracious to give us that, not of mighty revelation and encounters, some have received it boasted about it; but a revival of true Holiness that will first clean the church and then the world.
God will definitely vindicate His name, He will send this generation true spiritual awakening, and raise better men for Himself. Let us admit it, this current Christian youth generation is too weak and there must be a breath of Life from God upon her.
