19/08/2026
Nigeria has become intensely religious without becoming correspondingly prosperous.
Today, the World Bank estimates that about 63% of Nigerians live below the national poverty line. Nigeria’s own 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index had already found 133 million people; 63% of the population, to be multidimensionally poor.
This does not mean that prosperity preaching caused Nigeria’s poverty. Poverty is far more complex than that, involving governance, corruption, insecurity, education, infrastructure, inflation, productivity, unemployment and many other factors. But after decades in which prosperity-centred preaching has become enormously influential, our continuing mass poverty should at least force us to examine what we have been taught.
We were told to believe it and become it. Yet believing never removed God’s requirement for diligence, stewardship, knowledge, integrity and work.
And when prosperity failed to materialise, we climbed more mountains, attended more vigils and multiplied our prayers; sometimes creating the impression that God was withholding what endless prayer should compel Him to release.
But God is not unjust.
Scripture says:
“Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” Psalm 138:2
Perhaps the question is not simply how loudly we have called His name, but how faithfully we have followed His Word.
We were told, “Do what you love.”
There is wisdom in discovering purpose and developing one’s gifts. But perhaps we forgot something equally important:
Learn to love what you presently have responsibility to do.
The Bible does not say, “Do you see a man diligent only in what he loves?”
It says:
“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings.” Proverbs 22:29
And:
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” Ecclesiastes 9:10
Notice: whatever your hand finds to do.
Sometimes purpose begins not with discovering your dream job but with becoming exceptionally faithful with the opportunity already in your hands.
We were taught that we are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9) and rightly so.
But being royal does not make honest work beneath us.
You remain God’s child while cleaning streets, collecting refuse, driving a taxi, farming, trading, repairing shoes or working in an office.
Your occupation does not cancel your identity.
And that supposedly “menial” work, when approached with knowledge, discipline, innovation and stewardship, may itself become the foundation of substantial wealth.
Then there is the Joseph syndrome: pit → prison → Prime Minister.
But we sometimes tell Joseph’s story as though he simply dreamed himself into government.
Joseph had dreams, yes, night dream and dream of ambition. But dreams did not replace character or competence.
In Potiphar’s house, Joseph worked faithfully until everything was entrusted to him (Genesis 39:2–6).
When temptation came, he said:
“How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9
In prison, he again demonstrated such responsibility that the keeper committed the prisoners to his care (Genesis 39:21–23).
And when his opportunity finally came before Pharaoh, Joseph did not merely offer a prophecy; he produced an economic strategy for managing seven years of abundance and seven years of famine (Genesis 41:33–40).
His gift opened the door, but his character, competence, stewardship and God’s providence prepared him to remain there.
David was similar.
Samuel anointed him king, but David returned to tending sheep. He remained faithful in ordinary responsibilities before occupying an extraordinary throne.
Anointing did not cancel process.
We also quote:
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10
But notice something:
the righteous.
The New Testament teaches that our righteousness ultimately comes through faith in Christ (Romans 3:21–26), but genuine faith produces obedience and action:
“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:17
Even Jesus said:
“The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do.” John 5:19
So Christianity was never designed to manufacture passive people waiting for supernatural intervention while ignoring responsibility.
Prayer is not a substitute for obedience.
Faith is not a substitute for stewardship.
Prophecy is not a substitute for preparation.
Anointing is not a substitute for competence.
And favour is not permission to become lazy.
The Parable of the Talents makes this painfully clear (Matthew 25:14–30).
None of the servants chose what the Master initially gave them. They received different amounts according to their abilities.
Their responsibility was to work with what had been entrusted to them.
The servant who buried his talent did not lose it.
He returned exactly what he received.
Yet the Master rebuked him.
Why?
Because preservation without productivity was not faithful stewardship.
Perhaps our generation needs to hear this again:
Stop despising what is already in your hands while praying endlessly for what is in somebody else’s hands.
This generation must therefore challenge any institutionalised religious culture that enriches a few while teaching millions that quotations without application, declarations without discipline, and prayer without productive action constitute a pathway to prosperity.
Scripture itself warns about those:
“whose God is their belly.” Philippians 3:19
And Paul warns against imagining that godliness is a means to financial gain, before declaring:
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6
That statement was Paul’s; not Jesus’,
but its message could hardly be more relevant.
So what must change?
Perhaps the answer has been sitting before us all along:
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, AND TURN from their wicked ways…” 2 Chronicles 7:14
Notice that prayer alone does not complete the instruction.
They must turn.
Turn from dishonesty.
Turn from greed.
Turn from laziness disguised as faith.
Turn from celebrating wealth without questioning how it was created.
Turn from despising honest labour.
Turn from outsourcing responsibilities to God that He has already given us ability, knowledge and opportunity to perform.
And turn from any theology that makes God appear responsible for consequences produced by our own disobedience, corruption or negligence.
It is time to embrace what God has already placed in our hands and become diligent with it.
Work.
Learn.
Build.
Invest.
Create.
Serve.
Develop competence.
Practise righteousness and mercy while doing it.
And pray through the entire process.
Because perhaps the kingdom God wants us to represent is not a generation merely shouting about prosperity, but a people whose faith produces character, whose character produces diligence, whose diligence creates value and whose prosperity becomes a means of serving others rather than merely enriching themselves.
It is time to return to the Word.
It is time to question the slogans.
It is time to rediscover the dignity of work.
And perhaps when our prayer, obedience, character, knowledge, stewardship and productive labour finally begin walking together, we may discover that God had already placed far more in our hands than we realised.
Have a blessed and productive week.
