A Nigerian pastor has shared a candid reflection on his early years as a Christian, admitting that what he once considered spiritual dedication often became a nuisance to those around him.
In a Facebook post, the cleric recounted how his youthful zeal and limited understanding led him to mistake complaints about his loud prayers for persecution, only to later realize that he had been disturbing people.
“We Thought We Were Being Persecuted”
According to the pastor, he frequently woke up before dawn for what he believed was a meaningful quiet time with God. However, those prayer sessions often became anything but quiet.
Reflecting on the experience, he said many young Christians sometimes confuse inconvenience caused to others with religious persecution.
“In our younger days as Christians, we out of zeal and ignorance tormented people and when they reacted, we thought we were being persecuted,” he wrote.
He explained that his early-morning prayers were often loud enough to wake up other residents in the compound, despite his intention to simply spend time in prayer.
His Mother Frequently Complained
The pastor recalled that while relatives and neighbors rarely voiced their displeasure, his late mother was never shy about expressing her concerns.
According to him, she regularly complained that his prayers disrupted people’s sleep. His late father, however, often came to his defense, insisting that he should be allowed to worship in the way he understood at the time.
“Late Papa told Late Mama to leave the boy alone. He said if the way the boy could pray to receive answers from God was to put his head on the ground and raise up his two legs, then let it be,” he recounted humorously.
Engineering Students Responded With Stones
The pastor also shared a memorable incident from his university days at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
While staying at Eni Njoku Hostel, he woke up early one morning and headed to the laundry area to pray. As usual, what he considered a quiet devotion gradually became loud enough to attract attention.
This time, however, some students had reached their limit.
According to him, a few engineering students, frustrated by the noise, began throwing stones in his direction from a distance.
Fortunately, the structure around the area prevented the stones from reaching him.
“The sounds of landing stones made me know that quiet time had turned to an annoying noisy time,” he wrote.
A Lesson Learned
Looking back, the pastor admitted that if any of the stones had struck him, he might have interpreted it as persecution. In reality, he now believes he was the one causing the disturbance.
“If any of the stones landed on me to cause an injury, it could have been considered persecution, while in reality I was the one troubling them and they decided to also trouble the troubler.”
He concluded by saying that maturity and experience have changed his approach to prayer.
Today, he no longer prays in a way that inconveniences those around him, joking that he can now have his quiet time without even disturbing his wife.
His reflection has since sparked conversations online, with many social media users praising his honesty and self-awareness while sharing similar experiences from their own faith journeys.
See his post below…
