Bishop Oyedepo Declares Seven-Day Midnight Warfare Prayers After Deadly Church Attacks Across Nigeria

The atmosphere inside Winners Chapel International turned fiery and charged on November 23, 2025, as Bishop David Oyedepo delivered one of his most forceful sermons yet—an unfiltered response to the rising wave of violence against Christian communities across Nigeria.

In a video clip shared by the church’s official X account (with over 1.7 million followers), Oyedepo condemned the latest series of attacks, declaring that the church has entered a season of spiritual warfare.

His message comes just days after the November 19 attack in which two worshippers were killed and 38 abducted, one of several assaults that have rocked the nation throughout November. In total, nearly 100 Christians have been killed this month, alongside the catastrophic abduction of 315 schoolchildren, deepening national anxiety and exposing once again the fragile state of security in northern and central Nigeria.

In the emotionally charged clip, Oyedepo thundered:

“We curse the perpetrators and every agenda of turning Nigeria into an Islamic state! The church cannot be destroyed. The gates of hell shall not prevail!”

He then announced a seven-day midnight prayer campaign, a targeted spiritual offensive meant to stop further attacks, frustrate the networks behind them, and “disgrace every force sponsoring bloodshed.”

The sermon leans heavily on biblical themes of divine vengeance, angelic intervention, and the indestructibility of the church—motifs Oyedepo often invokes during national crises. But this time, the tone was sharper, angrier, and unmistakably confrontational, reflecting the scale of the ongoing violence.

A Divided Reaction Online

The comments under the post reveal just how polarized Nigerians have become in responding to religious-targeted violence.

Supporters praised Oyedepo’s declaration of “holy anger,” insisting that spiritual warfare remains the most potent weapon for believers in a country where government protection has repeatedly failed. Many emphasized testimonies of past deliverances attributed to corporate prayer.

But critics pushed back hard. Some argued that prayers alone are no longer enough, urging the church to adopt the kind of physical defense strategies used by Israel against Hamas. Others accused religious leaders of ignoring practical security measures while depending solely on spiritual responses.

One viral reply read:

> “Israel doesn’t wait for angels; they defend their land. Nigerian churches need security, not just sermons.”

The tension reflects a broader national dilemma: how to balance faith with reality in a country where armed groups operate freely and the state struggles to contain them.

A Nation on Edge

November 2025 has seen a surge in coordinated attacks—church invasions, school kidnappings, highway ambushes, and targeted killings. Many Christian communities, especially in the Middle Belt and North-West, have reported feeling abandoned by the government.

Oyedepo’s message, whether viewed as rallying faith or escalating rhetoric, captures the mood of a population fed up with fear and desperate for a breakthrough.

As his midnight prayer campaign begins, one thing is clear: the debate over how Nigeria tackles religious violence—spiritually or militarily—is becoming louder than ever.

Busterblog.com will continue monitoring reactions and developments as the nation grapples with yet another cycle of bloodshed and resistance.