Oh Lord, for Mercy that Prevails over Judgment!

THE BUD FAMILY AFRICA

MONTHLY PRAYER AND  FASTING  BULLETIN FOR MAY 2026

THEME: OH LORD, FOR MERCY THAT PREVAILS OVER JUDGMENT!

Text: LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23 & 32-33

 

Dearly beloved sisters, welcome to the end of the month of May, so glad you are here. Let us just take a moment and worship God with the genuineness of our heart for He deserves it. The psalmist said, “This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

 

Sisters, pause for a moment and think about this month. Think about every day of May.  Every time you laid your head down at night and woke up the next morning, that was God. Every journey you made and returned safely from. Every sickness that did not ensure. Every bill that got paid even when you did not know how. Every time your children, parents, siblings, spouse come home safely. Every moment of peace in the middle of what could have been chaos. That was God. That was nothing but God.

 

He made every day of this month. He held you through every day of this month and here you are, at the end of May, still standing, still breathing, still believing. This is not a small thing at all, it is the faithfulness of God on full display over your life. The psalmist said…”I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1).

 

So bless the Lord. Bless Him for the month of May, thank Him for life, for His faithfulness that never once wavered. Thank Him for carrying you quietly, consistently, faithfully through every single day of this month.

 

Our Heart’s Cry

Now,  sisters, with hearts full of gratitude, with praise still on our lips we come before the Lord with the burden the Holy Spirit has placed on our hearts. We know what is happening in our dear country Nigeria is no longer news. We have heard heartbreaking, soul-shaking news over these past few weeks. The kind of news that makes you put down your phone, sit quietly and just weep. Some of us have done exactly that, we have wept. Because what else do you do? 

 

How do you hear about young innocent children abducted from their schools and not feel something break inside you? How do you hear about mothers who have lost their husbands, fathers who have buried their wives, parents who have had to identify the bodies of their own children and not feel it?

 

How do you hear about entire villages raided in the night, homes burnt, people dragged away, communities scattered  and remain unmoved? Even the house of God was not exempted, worshippers attacked, killed, battered, held at gunpoint, placed on ransom right inside their place of worship, and would not shudder?

 

How do you hear about families torn apart by bandits, loved ones in captivity, and millions of Nigerians going to bed with nothing in their stomachs and feeling nothing deep in your chest?

 

But sisters, this is not the time to shrink but a time to rise.

 

The Word of God tells us in Isaiah 59:19  “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”

 

Did you hear that? When the enemy comes in LIKE A FLOOD. Not a drizzle, not a light rain. A flood. And what we are seeing in Nigeria right now, the bloodshed, the abductions, the hunger, the fear, I tell you is the enemy coming in like a flood. 

 

The same verse tells us that the Spirit of the Lord raises a standard. He pushes back. He draws a line. We, the church, the body of Christ, the people of God, we are that standard. We are the ones He raises up in the middle of the flood. So, fear is not an option for us today.

 

Apostle Paul writing to Timothy said “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). Sisters, we were not called into bondage, not called into panic, not called to just scroll through the news and be paralysed by what we see. We are called into power, called into intercession, called to be the kind of people who look at an impossible situation and say “Our God is bigger than this.”

 

Yes, these things we are seeing around us are signs of the end times. Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 24 that in the last days there would be wars, rumours of wars, famines, and lawlessness increasing. He said these things would happen.

 

But He also said we should “See to it that you are not alarmed.” (Matthew 24:6)

 

He said, “The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)

 

The fact remains, God is not caught off guard by what is happening in Nigeria. He saw this coming. And even in the middle of it, His instruction to us, His children is not to fear. He wants us to stand firm and  pray without ceasing. His instruction to us is watch and be ready and be found faithful.

 

Today sisters, we are not praying for Nigeria because we are afraid. We are praying because we are faithful, not because we do not have hope but because our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness. We are not crying out to God because we think He has forgotten Nigeria. We are crying out because we believe with everything in us that He hears, sees and is concerned.

 

God is waiting for us to take our rightful place in the gap. You see, this battle will not be won by any government policy alone. It will be won on our knees. It will be won in the place of prayer, in the place of fasting, in the place of unified, faith-filled intercession. That is where the real battle is. This is exactly where we are standing today

Also Read: The Mercy Seat

 

Don’t Wait! Cry for Mercy!

Someone once said that funeral food is always very delicious but only when it is eaten at somebody else’s table. When you are the guest, you can easily sympathize with them, hug the family, drop your envelope, say your condolences and go back to your normal life. The grief belongs to someone else. Isn’t that how many of us have been living?

 

We hear the news, another school attacked, more children abducted, another family wiped out by bandits and we shake our heads. We say “Hmm, this country.” We drop a sad emoji. We forward the voice note. And then we go back to our lives. Because it is still happening to someone else. It is still someone else’s child in that classroom. Someone else’s husband on that road. Someone else’s village is under attack.

 

We cannot keep waiting for the funeral to come to our own house before we begin to cry out to God. The truth is, by the time it reaches our own door, it may be too late to act. Esther almost made that mistake. She had position, she had comfort, she had security. And when the evil Haman plotted to destroy every single Jew in the kingdom, her uncle Mordecai came to her with an urgent cry for help. And you know what her first instinct was? She hesitated.

 

She said, “Anyone who goes into the king’s court without being summoned will be put to death and I have not been called for thirty days.” In other words “This is dangerous for me. This could cost me everything.”

 

But Mordecai sent back a word that cut straight to her heart. He said,

 

“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows? Perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:13-14).

 

Something shifted in Esther that day.

 

She stopped thinking about her own comfort. She stopped calculating the personal risk. She looked at the suffering of her people, people who were about to be wiped out and she made a decision. She sent word back to Mordecai and said,

 

“Go, gather all the Jews in the city. Fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night and day. My maids and I will fast as well. And then I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16).

 

If I perish, I perish.

 

What a declaration, sisters. What a surrender! She gave up her comfort, her safety, her position and everything, and walked into that throne room on behalf of her people.

 

Enough of comforts sisters, enough of what will be will be, enough of dragging of feet, We cannot afford that kind of comfort, not any longer, not with what is happening in this nation. 

 

It’s time to cry unto God now. Time to weep for Nigeria in the place of prayer. The time to stand in the gap  is now. Let’s cry out to God on behalf of every family in Nigeria that is already living in that kind of pain. 

 

We may not be facing physical gallows like Esther. But we are standing at a crossroads for our nation. And God is asking us the same question He asked her, “Who knows whether you have not come to this moment for such a time as this?”

 

We cannot be silent. We cannot be comfortable. We cannot wait until the kidnapping reaches our street, until the ritual killing touches our family, until the crisis lands on our own doorstep before we begin to pray. The time to rise is now!

 

If God were to count our sins as a nation, none of us would be able to stand. The Psalmist himself cried out and said, “If You, Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3). If God were to judge us strictly, who among us can withstand His judgement? Not one of us. Not this nation. We have no ground to stand on except His mercy.

 

Habakkuk Before the Mercy Seat

And that is why we cry out today not on the basis of our righteousness, but on the basis of His mercy. Just as the prophet Habakkuk cried out to God in the middle of trouble and said  “Lord, I have heard of Your fame. I stand in awe of Your deeds. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known, but in wrath, in judgement …Lord, remember mercy.” (Habakkuk 3:2)

 

Habakkuk spoke these words during a very dark and confusing time in Judah. Violence, injustice, corruption, and wickedness had increased in the land, and it seemed as though evil was prevailing unchecked. The prophet was troubled by everything happening around him and cried out to God asking why judgment and chaos were spreading through the nation.

 

When God responded, He revealed that judgment was indeed coming because of the sins of the people. But instead of turning away from God and saying ‘Oh, that’s it then!’, Habakkuk did something powerful, he remembered the mighty acts of God in generations past. He remembered how God had delivered His people before, fought battles for them, and shown mercy even when judgment was deserved.

 

In the middle of fear and uncertainty, Habakkuk prayed with both reverence and hope:
“Lord, do it again. Let us see Your power again. And even in judgment… please remember mercy.” Sisters, are you seeing this?

 

Habakkuk teaches us that acknowledging the condition of a nation is not a lack of faith. Crying out over sin and brokenness is not unbelief. But even in difficult times, we must still remember who God is and what He is capable of doing.

 

So as we pray for Nigeria today, take this moment to cry:

“Lord, we have heard of Your wonders. We have seen how You delivered nations, restored people, and showed mercy in generations past. Do it again in our time. And Lord, in judgment… remember mercy.”

 

In judgment, Lord, remember mercy. Nigeria has sinned. We have sinned Lord. Our leaders have failed. Unfaithfulness, unrighteousness, immorality, killings, rituals, bloodshed have prevailed in our nation, we have turned away in so many ways. But we trust in Your mercy Lord, and we will see your salvation.

In judgment, Lord, remember mercy.

 

Conclusion

Let’s prayerfully listen to this song as we prepare to pray in one accord: 

So what are we doing today as we pray for Nigeria?

 

WE DESERVE JUDGMENT

Sisters, if we are completely honest before the Lord, we must admit that Nigeria deserves judgment.

 

We cannot play games with God. The scripture tells us plainly in Genesis 4:10, when Cain slew Abel, God did not look away. He said, “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”

 

Blood has a voice, sisters. And for years, the soil of Nigeria has been drinking blood. The blood of innocent school children, the blood of worshippers slain in the pews, the blood of helpless villagers raided in the dark, the blood of victims of rituals and banditry. Our soil is soaked in it. And spiritually, bloodshed naturally attracts judgment and structural curses upon a land.

 

In Numbers 35:33, the decree of God is uncompromised:

“So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.”

 

By the standard of divine justice, our defiled land is screaming for vengeance. The economic hardship, the perpetual fear, the cycles of chaos are the natural spiritual fruits of a land under the heavy weight of blood-guilt and judgment. If God decides to open the books of our national lawlessness today, who can stand?

 

Not one of our leaders. Not one of our systems. Not even the compromised corners of the Church. We have no defense. We are guilty.

 

…BUT, THANKFULLY, THERE IS MERCY!

 

Oh, thank God the story does not end at the altar of judgment!

 

Just when the gavel of condemnation is about to fall on Nigeria, another voice speaks from heaven.

 

Halleluyah! 

 

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:24 that we have come “to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”

 

Did you hear that? The blood of Abel cried out from the ground for vengeance and judgment, but the blood of Jesus speaks a better word! It cries out for MERCY!

 

Where the enemy has built ancient altars using the bloodshed in our nation to demand curses, the mercy of the Lord stands physically on top of our failures and shouts, “NO!”

 

God’s mercy does not deny our guilt; it acknowledges how badly we have failed, but it steps into the courtroom and out-votes the verdict of destruction. Glory!

 

His mercy is driven by an exhaustless, infinite wealth that is bigger than Nigeria’s deep stains. When we come to the end of ourselves, we drop our arguments, we stop making excuses for our nation, we stop blaming the government and we lean entirely on the Mercy Seat.

 

Sisters, let us lift our voices with a desperate, broken, yet bold cry. Let the voice of mercy drown out every curse hovering over Nigeria!

 

That is what we are here to do today. 

And as we do that, we also cry for mercy for ourselves and our families. 

 

Let Us Pray

THANKSGIVING ON BEHALF OF NIGERIA

• Father,  thank You because you have not forgotten Nigeria. Just as You had Israel in Your heart even in Egypt, we declare that Nigeria is in Your heart and Your plans for her are good.
• Father, we thank You that You are the God who finishes what He starts. You brought Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the promised land, we thank you that you will complete your work in Nigeria.
• Lord, we are grateful that no weapon of the enemy, political, economic, or spiritual  has the final say over Nigeria. You alone have the final say, and we thank you for it.
• Father, we thank you because we know that Nigeria’s story is not over. Just as You turned the captivity of Job and the captivity of Israel, we know that you are turning the captivity of Nigeria even now.
• Lord, we thank you that every prophecy you have spoken over Nigeria shall not fall to the ground. Your word does not return to you void, Lord we thank you that it is working even when we cannot see it.
• Father, we thank you that you are raising intercessors, leaders, and servants who carry the burden of Nigeria on their hearts. We thank you that prayer is changing this nation  and that the expected end you have for Nigeria, the expected end of restoration, of peace, of prosperity is certain. We declare that what you have promised, you are also able to perform.
• Father, we thank you that you are the God of nations, and Nigeria is not beyond your reach. We bless your name for your sovereign hand over this land. We give you all the glory in advance for the Nigeria that is coming, a Nigeria that reflects your glory, your justice, and your grace. We thank You for what you are about to do.

 

CRY FOR MERCY AND FORGIVENESS

• Father, we come before You today as a nation that has sinned greatly before You. Lord, we are not righteous. We cannot defend ourselves. We cannot say our hands are clean. Father, blood has been shed in this land. Wickedness has increased. Evil has multiplied. Lord, have mercy upon Nigeria in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, let mercy speak for Nigeria where judgment is speaking. Father, everywhere our sins are crying against us, let the blood of Jesus answer for us in Jesus’ name.
• Father, we know that innocent blood attracts curses and judgment. Lord, every curse operating over Nigeria because of bloodshed, because of wickedness, because of corruption, Father, let Your mercy break it today in Jesus’ name.
• Oh God arise and forgive Nigeria. Forgive the sins of our leaders. Forgive the sins of the church. Forgive the sins in our homes. Forgive the sins in our land. Father, let Your mercy prevail over judgment in Jesus’ name.
• Father Lord, we deserve judgment, but please do not hand Nigeria over to destruction. Lord, do not allow this nation to collapse under the weight of her sins in Jesus’ name.
• Every satanic voice crying for the destruction of Nigeria before the throne of judgment, be silenced by the blood of Jesus in Jesus’ name.
• Father, every evil altar speaking against Nigeria because of sin and bloodshed, let the fire of God scatter them in Jesus’ name.
• Lord, we cry for mercy over the North, mercy over the South, mercy over the East, mercy over the West. Let mercy cover every tribe, every state, every village, every city in Nigeria in Jesus’ name.
• Father Lord, let not the sins of past generations destroy the future of this nation. By Your mercy, break every evil cycle repeating itself in Nigeria in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, every covenant with darkness operating in this nation through corruption, occultism, violence, and wickedness, let the blood of Jesus destroy it completely in Jesus’ name.
• Father, let the bloodshed in Nigeria stop. Every spirit of killing, terrorism, kidnapping, ritual murder, banditry, and destruction, be arrested by the power of God in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, do not remove Your hand from Nigeria. Father, if Your mercy leaves us, we are finished. Please Lord, stay with this nation and heal this land in Jesus’ name.
• Father, let genuine repentance break out in Nigeria. Let men begin to fear God again. Let brokenness return to the church. Let holiness return to the altar. Let conviction return to the hearts of men in Jesus’ name.
• Every judgment hanging over Nigeria because of sin, Lord, let mercy cancel it in Jesus’ name.
• Father Lord, arise and cleanse this land from every pollution of innocent blood. Let the blood of Jesus wash Nigeria and bring healing to this nation in Jesus’ name.
• Lord, remember Nigeria for good. Remember the prayers of the saints. Remember the cries of mothers. Remember the fasting and intercession of Your people. Let mercy answer us in Jesus’ name.
• Father, let Nigeria not become a byword among nations. Let this nation arise again by Your mercy. Let righteousness arise again. Let peace arise again. Let the fear of God arise again in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, where the enemy is expecting destruction, let there be revival instead. Where darkness is increasing, let Your light arise. Where men are losing hope, let salvation break forth in Jesus’ name.
• Father, we stand in the gap today and cry like Habakkuk cried: “In wrath, remember mercy.” Lord, in judgment, remember mercy over Nigeria in Jesus’ mighty name.
• Thank You Father because You are the God who shows mercy still. Thank You because Nigeria shall yet arise again for Your glory. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen.

 

NOW, LET US WAR FOR OUR PEOPLE IN CAPTIVITY

• Let’s pray that by the mercy of God, every Nigerian presently in captivity will be delivered. Every child, every woman, every man held in kidnappers’ dens, in terrorist camps, in forests, in hidden places of bondage, Father, arise for their sake and bring them out alive in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, remember those crying silently in captivity today. Those who have lost hope, those abandoned in forests, those being tortured by bandits and terrorists, Father, let Your mercy locate them wherever they are in Jesus’ name.
• Father Lord, just as You brought Peter out of prison, just as You delivered Israel from Egypt, let there be supernatural deliverance for captives across Nigeria in Jesus’ name.
• Every chain holding innocent Nigerians in captivity, break by fire in Jesus’ name.
• Every camp of kidnappers, bandits, terrorists, and traffickers across Nigeria, let the judgment and fire of God scatter them completely in Jesus’ name.
• Father, confuse the plans of wicked men. Let every network of kidnapping and terrorism collapse from within. Let their communications fail, their alliances scatter, and their operations be destroyed in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, let fear enter the hearts of kidnappers and bandits. Let them know there is a God who judges wickedness. Trouble their camps day and night until they release their captives in Jesus’ name.
• Father, we cry for mercy upon those in IDP camps across Nigeria. Lord, many have lost homes, families, dignity, and peace. Father, visit them with Your mercy. Let there be food, healing, comfort, protection, and restoration in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, let not generations grow up in camps of sorrow and displacement. Father, restore people back to their homes safely in Jesus’ name.
• Father, defend the weak and helpless in Nigeria. Arise for widows, for orphans, for displaced families, for grieving mothers, and for traumatized children in Jesus’ name.
• Lord, let Nigeria no longer be ruled by fear, bloodshed, and wickedness. Father, come and take Your rightful place as King over this nation again in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, reign over Nigeria again. Reign in our government. Reign in our streets. Reign in our homes. Reign in our schools. Reign in our churches. Let the authority of darkness be broken in Jesus’ name.
• Every throne exalting itself against the Lordship of Christ in Nigeria, be pulled down in Jesus’ name.
• Father, let righteousness rule in this land again. Let justice rule again. Let holiness rule again. Let the fear of God return again in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, let Nigeria become a nation where Christ is truly honored. Let this land no longer be known for corruption and bloodshed, but for righteousness and the fear of God in Jesus’ name.
• Father, raise voices of truth again in Nigeria. Raise righteous leaders again. Raise praying families again. Raise holy churches again. Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in Nigeria as it is in heaven in Jesus’ name.
• Lord, we declare that Nigeria belongs to You. The gates of hell shall not prevail over this nation. By Your mercy, restore this land again in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

 

CRY FOR MERCY UPON YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

• Father Lord, in the midst of judgment, let mercy speak for me and my household in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, have mercy upon my life and family. Let Your hand of preservation rest upon us in Jesus’ name.
• Father, mark my family for mercy in this generation. When destruction passes through the land, let us be remembered for good in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, place Your mark upon my husband, my wife, my children, my parents, my siblings, and everyone connected to me. Let the destroyer see Your mark and pass over us in Jesus’ name.
• Father Lord, let my family not become victims of the wickedness in this land. Deliver us from kidnappers, terrorists, accidents, evil men, and sudden tragedy in Jesus’ name.
• Every arrow of death and sorrow assigned against my household, scatter by fire in Jesus’ name.
• Father, by Your mercy, let my children not be swallowed by the darkness of this generation in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, preserve my family spiritually, physically, financially, and emotionally in Jesus’ name.
• Father, let Your mercy exempt my household from evil occurrences. When men are cast down, let there be lifting for my family in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, let my home be hidden under the shadow of Your wings. Let no evil prevail against us in Jesus’ name.
• Father, wherever the enemy has marked my family for evil, wipe away that mark and replace it with the mark of divine mercy in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, let Your covenant of protection speak over my household day and night in Jesus’ name.
• Father, keep my family from shame, from untimely death, from captivity, from sickness, from disaster, and from evil reports in Jesus’ name.
• Lord, let my family serve You wholeheartedly. Let none of us be lost to the world, to sin, or to destruction in Jesus’ name.
• Father, in this dark generation, let my family stand for righteousness and truth in Jesus’ name.
• Oh Lord, build a wall of fire around my household. Let Your angels keep watch over us continually in Jesus’ name.
• Father, because of Your mercy, let my family flourish in peace, in health, in unity, and in the fear of God in Jesus’ name.
• Lord, let generations after me reap the fruit of Your mercy upon my household in Jesus’ name.
• Thank You Father because Your mercy will speak for me and my family all the days of our lives, in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

 

Bless the Lord for answered prayers. Appreciate Him for being a prayer answering God and Father. In Jesus name we have prayed, Amen!