You're meant to be here

Hi fam and welcome back to the blog. If this is your first read, Welcome! I'm glad you're here. Let me get to the point. I need your help. Don't worry it's not about money.

As you might know, I hold a weekly event on Instagram and Mixlr called Friday Prayer Live for Nigeria. However, I struggled to show up these last two weeks. Not due to technical issues or time constraints but my will. I was already giving up on yesterday's live when my friend text me. She was wondering why I didn't come online at the normal time. It was simple. I was tired. Not physically. But mentally.

At 2 pm, I lay thinking, "It's time for Friday Prayer Live! I don't feel like praying today. This live that only 2 people join. Is it effective? Why do others ignore it? I know they see my reminders. Are they unfamiliar with the power of prayer? Do they not care about Nigeria?" Though I knew the answer to these questions, I felt myself falling into the same trap I often counseled others to avoid. The trickery of the enemy.

I know what you're thinking. "Aww. Kamikun, sorry. But where do I come in?"Just a moment.

At that low point, my friend's text came in."Hey, Kamikun. No Friday Prayer Live today?" Esther 4:14 rang in my head. "...And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”Four years ago, I would argue and discuss the problems of our country but really couldn't be bothered to do anything. Most conversations started and ended with someone else. Corrupt government officials, masses, elites...

And now, here I was, carrying Nigeria's problem on my head. Who sent me message sef?

Talking was easy but the execution was painful and inconvenient, sometimes risky and generally unattractive. At this point, we turn around and say, I'd rather someone else do the hard work. But this is where I need your help. Just like Mordecai, I'm asking you, who knows if you've come to your royal position for such a time as this? Not just physical royalty. But spiritual royalty. Intellectual royalty. Financial royalty. Inventive royalty. The areas you dominate. How are you using them to serve God, his plan, and his people?

image source: reversing verses

Though Esther is famous for her words, "If I perish, I perish." She didn't always have that mentality. When Mordecai first approached her, she had concerns. Valid concerns. The King could behead her for entering uninvited. Maybe it's not physical death today. It could be social, financial, or cultural. What if the business doesn't make as much money as a regular office job? What if getting involved in politics exposes you to potential ridicule? What if there's no funding for your project? What if you end up in prison, like Joseph, or in the pit like Daniel? What if people mock you like David? Would God's plan be worth it then?

Yet, with all her fears, Esther heads into the King's chambers. Death was still a possibility so what changed her mind? She realized the importance of her role in God's plan. It wasn't just about her. Millions of lives depended on her obedience. You may not see it now but destinies are affected by the decisions you make. One person's obedience can lift families out of poverty and inspire other others to take their first step of faith. I remember one of my mentors sharing how a child who was being educated through her non-profit got an internship with a friend at Twitter. I was like, "Eh, See God." If my mentor had chosen the more comfortable path, this child along with dozens of others may have never seen the inside of a classroom talk less an internship with Twitter.

So, before this conversation becomes too long, here's what I need your help with. Every week, on the Friday Prayer Live, we pray for righteous, God-fearing leaders to be established in Nigeria. In all sectors. Government. Agriculture. Education. Housing. Energy. Technology. Entertainment. Security. Business. Fashion. Media. Health, etc. I need you to understand that you are the one we are praying for. You with the savvy business mind, unique fashion sense, passion for education, wicked coding skills, inquisitive eye, hunger for lost souls; constantly dreaming of movie plots, lost in music, covered in paint marks, frustrated with shabby healthcare or schools, annoyed with rising food prices or news of kidnappings.

Take some time to ask God what your role in building Nigeria is. Hint: Things that get you stirred up easily are good places to start. (My personal example, the Friday Prayer Live, is inspired by Nehemiah's call to restore Jerusalem.) However, do not fall into the trap of trying to solve them by your own might. You'll get overwhelmed and give up. The only reason Esther and many others were able to do what seemed impossible is that God went ahead of them. When you surrender to God's plan, he makes it his personal goal to see it through. Whatever it takes. On the other hand, we cannot leave everything to God. What then is our purpose as sons, as kings and priests if God has to do everything himself?

Finding the balance between these two extremes is the key to our progress and my prayer is that our generation gets it right.

Thanks for reading.

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Until next time,

Peace and love,

Kami.

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