Alternative & Manipulative Request

“So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.” — 1 Kings 21:8–10

What would be your first reaction if you heard that the wife of the president has summoned all the pastors in your city for a prayer breakfast? You would probably say, "Wao, this is revival, this is powerful." It looks spiritual. It sounds impressive. But the real question is, what spirit is speaking?

Jezebel called for a fast and summoned the elders, men we would refer to as the kingdom city fathers in our day. But behind the appearance of a religious and spiritual request was envy, greed, covetousness, and manipulation. That fast was not born from a heart of consecration. It was birthed from a desperate desire to steal another man’s inheritance. Sadly, the elders obeyed. The nobles carried out her request. And Naboth was stoned to death. When it was over, Jezebel looked her husband in the face and said, “Now rise up and take possession.”

My dear sister, what is behind your own request for fasting and prayer? What is fueling your spiritual activity? Is it a hunger for God or a hunger for what belongs to another? Is your voice on the altar driven by submission to God or by a secret personal ambition? Is your request to God a genuine outcry or are you secretly plotting someone else’s downfall in tongues?

I have seen people fast and pray, not because they are burdened for souls, but because they want to scatter another woman’s marriage and take her place. I have seen women organize a prayer meeting with fasting, and the main prayer point was that someone else would die so they could step into their position. This is the generation we are in. People praying with wrong motives. Making requests laced with greed, covetousness, and manipulation.

Not all spiritual gatherings are of God. Not all religious-sounding requests are holy. Some are simply well-calculated manipulative setups clothed in the garments of prayer.  May I speak humbly to our dear pastors—please, in the name of the Lord, be discerning. When they invite you to prayer breakfasts at the government house, be alert. When the government sends gifts, cars, or honorariums, stay watchful. Sometimes, what they hand to you is not a gift. It is a leash. And with it, your voice will be silenced. You will lose your authority to speak the truth. You will become a puppet. And the church will lose her boldness.

Dear woman of God, let your requests be sincere, not manipulative. Let them be birthed in humility, not covetous ambition. Do not scheme in the place of prayer. Do not use fasting as a weapon to take what is not yours. Do not use spiritual activity to push a personal agenda. Because when it is all said and done, you may end up with the vineyard, but you will carry a generational curse and ensnare your household, compromising the future of generations yet unborn.