5 things Hallelujah Challenge exposes about the Nigerian situation

Many young people stay awake until 11:59 to sing praises and pray to God via a live stream.

The Hallelujah Challenge started in June 2017. It is convened by Nigerian gospel artist Nathaniel Bassey as a 30-day midnight praise and worship session on Instagram Live.

The challenge gained popularity, drawing millions of participants worldwide via social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Mixlr who joined in nightly to praise and worship God by 11:59pm.

Since then, the Hallelujah Challenge has become a recurring event culminating in the Hallelujah festival.

Here are five things this challenge exposes about the Nigerian situation:

1. People are asking God for their most basic needs

In Nigeria, many people have turned to God for help with what should be the government’s responsibility.

The government is expected to provide jobs, affordable education, accessible food, and other essential services.

However, due to economic hardship, people are now praying for these basic needs themselves.

Some even ask God for things like a new phone or laptop because they feel hopeless—believing that if God doesn’t intervene, they won’t be able to afford it.

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This adds a materialistic dimension to Nigerian Christianity and instead makes them rely on God and not the government.

2. Nigerians’ top three needs are marriage, employment, and immigration.

Among young Nigerians, three major prayer requests stand out: the desire to get married, find a job or leave the country.

It’s common to hear people constantly praying for these things. Other common prayer requests include prayers for pregnancy or physical healing.

3. Miracles do happen

A Hallelujah Challenge miracle [Instagram/Nathanielblow]

ALSO READ: How Nathaniel Bassey’s Hallelujah challenge impacted corporate worship in Nigerian churches

While not everyone receives a miracle, some people certainly do.

There are stories of people who, after dressing like their miracle (such as wearing a wedding gown during prayer), found themselves married the following year.

The hope that their prayers will be answered fuels their dedication to these long sessions of prayer and praise.

Plus, if one prayer request gets answered this year, they will come back next year for another prayer request.

4. We’ve become as religious as our parents

Many Nigerians and Africans grew up with deeply spiritual parents who anointed their heads with oil and took them to church and pastors regularly.

Now, faced with the harsh realities of adulthood, this generation finds itself becoming just as religious as their parents, relying on faith to cope with the challenges of life.

5. Choosing faith over hopelessness

Despite the dire state of the economy, Nigerians are choosing hope over despair.

When things seem bleak, it would be easy to give up but instead, many Nigerians are holding onto faith.

One of the psychological benefits of religion is that it provides a sense of hope, which can reduce feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts—even if that hope is not for the present but for eternity.
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