Nigeria does not lack prophets; it lacks sufficient courage to question prophets. In an age that venerates spiritual fathers, 1 Kings 13 presents a disturbing question: what happens when an old prophet speaks falsely?
«“But he lied unto him.”
— 1 Kings 13:18»
The sentence is brutal because the liar was not a pagan, but a prophet. He carried prophetic credentials, religious language and age. Yet his office did not sanctify his deception. Nigeria must recover this distinction: spiritual seniority is not synonymous with spiritual infallibility.
The young prophet had heard God clearly. He resisted a king’s invitation, rejected his reward and obeyed his commission. Then another prophet appeared, claiming an angelic instruction. The young man surrendered discernment to familiarity, and his obedience collapsed.
«“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.”
— 1 John 4:1»
This warning matters in Nigeria, where prophetic authority can become difficult to challenge. Scholarship on prophetic Pentecostal movements has identified accountability as a serious leadership concern, particularly where leaders operate with weak checks and balances.
The answer is not rebellion against older prophets. Nigeria needs fathers who mentor without manipulating, correct without controlling and bless younger ministers without demanding unquestioning allegiance. Age should confer wisdom, not immunity; experience should deepen humility, not manufacture untouchable authority.
«“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
— Isaiah 8:20»
The church must therefore restore a forgotten discipline: test the prophet. Let Scripture judge prophecy, character test authority, accountability restrain power and truth outrank personality. Nigeria does not need fewer prophets; it needs prophets whose authority survives examination.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
08152094428 (SMS Only)
