We welcome our readers to the New Year 2019.  Every year, people pray for prospects in the in-coming year and for God’s choicest blessings.  This is precisely the meaning of the phrase “Happy New Year.” Whenever a person utters the expression “Happy New Year,” such a person is wishing the beneficiaries good things or goodies in the in-coming year. However, the Year 2019 is year of General Elections for Nigerians.  It is typical of any election year to be turbulent or at least unsettled because of pre and post-election violence.  The Year 2019 is the year that Nigerians have agreed that their general elections shall hold.  It is a year of decision-making; it is a year when Nigerians are expected to decide who will rule them for the next four (4) years.  They shall certainly choose their leaders. Consequently, I consider the in-coming year 2019 as very significant for Nigerians.  This is because whatever choice they make of their political leaders will determine their fate. It is the general elections which shall necessarily take place this year that informed the choice of this topic: “Prayer Points for 2019.”  Indeed, we need to pray God to assist Nigerians to make the best choice of leaders that will lead them aright in the next four years. Such leaders should be able to deliver the dividends of Democracy. For such choice to be made, we need to pray to God, and after the right choices have been made, the political office holders that emerge as winners will need to settle down to serious business of good governance, certainly before the end of the new year 2019.  Thus, we need to pray to God to assist us throughout this all-important year of decision-making. Each month has its prayer points.

January is certainly a month of thanksgiving to God for enabling Nigerians to overcome the troubles and sorrows of 2018. Imagine the spate of killings and kidnappings in  2018; the armed robbery attacks in our banks and other robberies; the assassinations, the accidents on our roads, the ritual killings, the lack of payment of salaries and other entitlements by the government, the hunger, the thirst, the lack of money to treat otherwise curable diseases and sicknesses, which eventually resulted to death of such victims, the various unsuccessful attacks of our enemies, known and unknown, seen and unseen—indeed, the list is endless! We must thank God for making us victorious and, therefore, take resolutions to draw themselves closer to God by obeying His commandments and laws, and loving our neighbour created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:27).

February 2019 is a very important month in the political life of Nigerians—it is this particular month that the said General Elections take place. Nigerians must pray fervently that these elections may be free, fair and credible!

March 2019 is Lenten Season, a season when Catholics all over the world share in the sufferings of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. Unfortunately, it is a time that Nigerians are exposed to post-election violence. Christians must pray God at this Holy Season to free Nigerians from this menace.

April is the month of Christ’s Resurrection, which is the hope of Resurrection of the Christians. Nigerians             should emphasize heavenly home, and de-emphasize earthly existence because of the temporariness of the latter: “Seventy years is our life’s span, eighty for those who are strong” (Ps. 90:10).

In Catholic theology, May Devotion is observed throughout the month of May. It is, therefore, the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Nigerians should pray that, through her intercession, the Swearing-In Ceremonies on Democracy Day (May 29) be successful and that victorious politicians may make good their promises; that they translate into action the oaths they take to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians; to deliver the dividends of Democracy, etc. It is not out of place if a short paper presentation is made by an expert on the “Theory and Practice of Democracy,” or rather “An Evaluation of How Democracy is Practised in Nigeria,” with a view to improving its practice.

Politically, June should be considered the Month of Chief Moshood K. O. Abiola. We must remember the June 12 Saga; it is the month that Nigerians should reflect on the issue of justice.  The freest, fairest and most credible elections in Nigeria took place in this month, and the presidential candidate that emerged victorious  in the person of Chief M. K. O. Abiola was murdered in cold blood.  Political office holders should think of making this month that of Chief M. K.O. Abiola, certainly in relation to the administration of justice or to make it “National Justice Day.”  In this case, political issues relating to justice could be discussed on this day.  Recently, the federal government was nursing the idea of making it a “Democracy Day”? I would rather suggest that it be made “National Justice Day”, a day when issues bordering on justice be discussed; when injustices are redressed and efforts made to promote justice in the nation ; while, May 29 should continue to be observed as “Democracy Day,” as already entrenched in the Nigeria Constitution.

July is the month of “Evaluation.” As we begin the second half of the year, we must evaluate how far we have kept the resolutions taken in January. Indeed, we must score ourselves on how far we have translated into practical actions the resolutions we took in January.  Naturally, human beings do make promises.  Unfortunately, it is almost ‘natural’ to human beings not to fulfill such promises. In other words, even some people who make good their promises sometimes find it pretty difficult to do so.  That is to say that it is easier for people not to fulfill promises or to break vows than to translate into action the contents of their promises or vows.  That is why Nigerians must pray God to assist them to put into practice the various resolutions they took in January.

In the month of August, Igbo Women both at home and abroad attend a compulsory meeting they refer to as “August Meeting.” From enquiries, we garnered that the items on their agenda include the following: Promotion of Love and Unity among the women both in the Church and the Society; Evangelization—that is, studying of the word of God; visitation to prisons, hospitals, orphanage homes; help for the needy within and outside the Country, especially financial help and scholarships to indigent students; special prayers are offered for our Country, Nigeria; prayers for women looking for the fruits of the womb (children); issues regarding how to develop the Church and community are discussed; freewill donations are made to help execute humanitarian projects and reconciliation of families that are at loggerheads with each other, among many others. It is our prayer that the deliberations at this all-important meeting may be fruitful and lead to the betterment of the lives of Nigerians. We commit the Agenda  and other programmes of this popular nationwide “August Meeting” into God’s hand, through the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose Assumption and Coronation occur the same month (August 15 and 22), respectively. Let the 2019 meeting be used to pray earnestly for the in-coming political office holders who will have been sworn-in before then, for a sense of direction and God’s assistance, so that their tenure will deliver to Nigerians the long awaited dividends of Democracy.

September is universally acknowledged as the beginning of the “ember” months, the last four months of every year. Regrettably, in this period of the year, more numerous accidents are usually recorded than in the previous months. This is because some people want to do too many things within a very short period.  Since the year is drawing to a close, many people would like to make great achievements quickly before the year eventually winds up, hence the “mad rush” by motorists and commuters, especially business tycoons, to make great profits; this “mad rush” coupled with the continued deplorable condition of our roads results in accidents that claim thousands of lives, and property worth millions are also destroyed.  Consequently, Nigerians must pray for the safety of travellers that the popular ember month menace may be prevented by God this year.  Tuesday, September 11, 2001 also referred to as 9/11 was the day when four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic Terrorist Group Al-Qaeda against the United States took place.  The attacks killed 2, 996 people, injured over 6, 000 others and caused at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage.  Certainly, Nigeria has witnessed worse suicide bombings from that time till date. The hydra-headed boko haram insurgency, whose solution is almost a will-o-the-wisp, has claimed more lives through suicide bombings than the said September 11 mayhem. Nigerians must, therefore, intensify their prayers against terrorism in the world, especially in Nigeria. In other words, in addition to praying against road mishaps that begin in earnest this month to claim the lives of Nigerians till the end of the year, prayers should also be offered to God to help us fight against suicide attacks or bombings which equally claim human lives nationwide and even internationally.

In the entire Catholic world, October has been revered as a special month by Catholics. This is because of the very important and indeed indispensable spiritual exercise that takes place throughout this month and compulsory for Catholics.  This is theologically referred to as “October Devotion.” In other words, it is the month devoted to praying the Holy Rosary daily in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. This month of October is much more important in Nigeria for two main reasons, one of which is political and the other religious. The political significance of October for Nigerians is that our Country, Nigeria, popularly known and acknowledged as the “Giant of Africa” gained her Independence on October 1, 1960. Thus, Nigerians usually celebrate in grand style that first day of October, when they were freed from British Colonialism and began to “do their things in their own way.” Indeed, this day entails nationwide celebration of joy and enumeration of achievements made by the incumbent political administration. The religious significance of this month especially for Nigerian Catholics does not only lie in the fact that the said universal October Devotion certainly includes Nigeria, but that the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria decided to entrust the entire country to the protection of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ and our Spiritual Mother.  Thus, in obedience to the Bishops’ directive, a Solemnity is celebrated every October 1 (Independence Day) to honour Mary as Queen and Patroness of Nigeria. Given the above scenario, Nigerians should pray in this month that successful politicians who will have been sworn-in on May 29, may begin to settle down to serious business of governance; that they be focused and make sincere efforts to put the contents of their manifestoes into action. In other words, Nigerian political office holders may begin to make good their promises. Nigerians should also pray fervently for peace to reign in Nigeria, especially in the core north; that through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen and Patroness of Nigeria, this country may enjoy lasting peace, happiness, development and progress in all ramifications.

In November, before the year winds up, businessmen and women and, indeed, all office holders must round up the year’s activities in terms of stock-taking”, so as to prepare for the in-coming year. Here, Nigerians are advised to take stock of their relationships with their God and neighbour, and pray God to improve on their relationships.

December is popularly accepted as the month of Christmas, when Christians celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the light of the world; hence, Nigerians must pray that they may be disposed to receive the light of Christ into their lives.

By Rev. Fr. Mark Ajiga