“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” – Hosea 4:6, KJV.

And this knowledge is a product of vision. Broadly speaking, vision is God’s road map for a group of people or certain individuals to succeed in Life (Gen. 15:1-5, KJV). A group of people can be a nation or certain religious groups. For example, God created man in His own image for the purpose of giving Him pleasure. The moment man or humanity lost that vision, God was grieved and regretted that He created man in the first instance.

A vision can be for a nation as God has for the Nation of Israel. He had expressed His vision for the Nation of Nigeria too to be the trigger point from where the Gospel and missionaries would move out to different parts of the world this end time. A vision can also be for religious groups like RCCG or CAC. Though the common vision is to evangelise the world through verbal and non-verbal means, individual or group vision determines the kind of commitment such persons or groups of people demonstrate in their service towards God and humanity. So, if a person wants to be committed or get dedicated in the things of God, such a person should get a vision to run with (Hab. 2:2, KJV)

In line with Hab. 2:2, every vision has a gestation period or an appointed time. And during the waiting period there will be series of trials, temptations, discouragement, etc,  that will be allowed to test the validity of the vision. Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, etc, are examples of Fathers of Faith who passed through such trials/tests, temptations and frustrations before they could fulfill their visions.

Benefits or power of having a vision:

1. It makes one to be focused in life. Without a clear-cut vision, a person of group of people may grope in the darkness for years. To be successful in life is to bring God good pleasure by finding and staying focused on His heavenly vision. To be successful is not just to amass wealth while doing other people’s business.

2. Vision purifies and sanctifies so that the visionary can be made ready for the Master’s good use. In a big mansion, there are many vessels, some to honour and others to dishonour, as the Scripture puts it.

3.   Vision also brings provision. God will not give a vision that He is not ready to provide for, just as He did through Noah, Moses, David and Solomon, to mention a few.

4. More importantly, vision lengthens life. No matter the level of frustration, trials and temptations, if a vision carrier or visionary is dedicated and stays focused to his or her vision/calling, God will not allow the person’s life to be cut short until the fulfillment of the vision.

We could see the example in the life of David, who was destined to be king. And because of that God preserved his life from the dangers of wild animals in the bush, Goliath at the warfront and from King Saul who was actually hunting for him to ensure that David’s vision was aborted prematurely.

Another example was that of Saul before he became Paul the Apostle. He suffered so many persecutions, including a shipwreck that could have claimed his life. But his heavenly vision preserved his life until he was ready to go and meet his Master, after fulfilling his ministry as the Apostle to the Gentiles; and so the type of a vision that a man or a woman carries will determine the type of trials/tests or persecutions that will be allowed to come his or her way. That is why the Scripture enjoins us not to do comparisons. In other words, we should not compare ourselves with one another.

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To justify his second tenure in office, President Muhammadu Buhari should set a four-point agenda for his administration and stay focused on them, since he has a vision to stay in office for the next four years, by God’s grace.

First of all, he should rise up to the challenge of insecurity in the land. There is fear in the country through the increasing wave of kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry, cultism and other related violent crimes. Some organs of government are blaming the opposition or those who lost elections for some of these security challenges. Such organs of government or security apparatus may know much better than members of the public. Nevertheless, it is the primary duty of any government to safeguard the life and property of its citizens. Government should tackle this challenge with every sincerity of purpose, if it actually means business. And we are of the opinion that our security agencies and members of our intelligence community know what to do in order to stamp out robbery, banditries, kidnappers’ cells and other organised criminals’ domains, wherever they may be located.

Secondly, President Buhari, in his second tenure, should continue and intensify his fight against corruption. By the time the President spreads his tentacles to members of his own ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) and some purported sacred cows within and outside  his government, the opposition will know that Mr. President means business and the allegation of witch-hunting them will fizzle out.

The third point is for the President to fix and grow the economy. The Buhari government should diversify our economy from oil and gas to other sectors like agriculture, mining and tourism, which can be a difficult feat to achieve, if the nation is not secure and the monster called corruption is not properly handled and tackled.

Lastly, government should provide the necessary visionary leadership for other African nations aimed at discouraging the youths from walking into death traps of slavery set up by the Arabian nations with the alleged support or connivance of some European countries who are reportedly patronising these mindless Arabs for our kith and kins’ human parts under dehumanising conditions.

And this fourth agenda can be achieved when the above three points are achieved and visible on ground. Our youth are being tempted to leave Africa for the so-called “greener pastures” across the Mediterranan sea where they either perish in transit or end up in slavery, forced prostitution or human-being butchers who harvest their vital organs for commercial purposes and for the medical needs of some members of the European Union.

However, in the meantime, the government of President Buhari should provide the necessary leadership for other African countries to rescue our youths that are trapped in Libya, Saudi Arabia, etc, in human-parts farms, slavery, forced prostitution and other unprintable conditions that our youths are being subjected to.

And back at home, the government should ensure the early release of Leah Sharibu and other girls. If the ruling party, through the second tenure of President Buhari can pursue and achieve these four- point agenda, it will justify the confidence that the Nigerian electorate has reposed in them by giving the party a second chance to rule the country again for the next four years, by God’s grace. We pray and hope that the President with his new cabinet members and other top government functionaries and aides will not let the Nigerian electorate down, in Jesus’ name.

•Olakunle, JP, general secretary, National Prayer Movement

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