On February 1st, Nigerian Christian music artist Nathaniel Bassey started a one-month prayer and worship event called “the Hallelujah Challenge.” People gathered at midnight to sing, pray, and shout. This event ran for the entire month of February, ending on March 2nd after a weekend dubbed “the Hallelujah Festival,” during which popular Christian artists and pastors like William McDowell, Joshua Selman, Victoria Orenze, and many others performed.
This event wasn’t the first such event. Bassey has held several of them, starting in June 2017, and they have become annual events, sometimes hosting two in a year. Also, this wasn’t his first Challenge. Before this, it was the #tongueschallenge.
The Hallelujah Challenge is based on the biblical story of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:16-40. Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi when Paul cast out a spirit of divination from a slave girl who earned her owners a lot of money through fortune-telling. The slave owners were not happy and reported them to the authorities, claiming they were disturbing the city. They were imprisoned as a result. The Bible says that while they were in prison, singing hymns and praying at midnight, a great earthquake shook the prison’s foundations, unfastening everyone’s bonds. This is the narrative that Bassey has used to call on people to worship God so that their chains may be broken off.
Although he claims that the primary inspiration of the Challenge is to praise God, a closer look at the activities of the Challenge and some of the material put out by the organisers reveals a more self-focused, man-centred pursuit that has led to a transactional faith and sensationalism from those who participate(d) in it. For example, a poster released by the organizers on Day 3 stated that:
- Today, my water will turn to wine.
- 500% – I am going to have harvests of 500%; it’s a landmark year.
- Tonight, my water is turning into wine.
- In the next 72 hours, I will shout hallelujah.
- I am about to testify.
- The Egyptians I see today, I see no more. Every mountain has become a plain.
- I see something turning around; it is done, and it is finished.
- I call forth those scholarships.
The emphasis or goal is/was to use biblical narratives to secure freedom from bondage, rather than worship of God. However, there is one major problem with all this. The Acts 16 narrative does not communicate that God will break off our bonds when we sing and pray at midnight, nor do the other narratives used communicate what the Day 3 poster claims.
Hallelujah
The word ‘hallelujah’ is a Hebrew word that, when directly translated, means “Praise ye Yah. It comes from two Hebrew words, ‘hallu’, which means joyous praise, and Yah, which is a short form for Yahweh and may be commonly translated as ‘Praise Yahweh’ or ‘Praise the Lord.’ A variation of this word used in the King James Bible (KJV) that means the same thing is ‘Alleluia.”
It is used several times in the Bible, especially in the Psalms, for example, in the Hallel (praise) Psalms 113-150. In all instances where the word hallelujah is used, it is not used to get God to do something or set someone free from some form of bondage or danger. Instead, it is used to glorify God for who He is. For example, Psalm 113 praises God for His greatness and care for the humble, the poor, and the needy.
Psalm 146 is another one that calls on all people to praise the Lord and not to put their trust in anything else other than the Lord. It emphasizes His faithfulness, justice, and care for the oppressed.
Psalm 150, the final psalm, is like a grand doxology (closing hymn), calling all creation to praise the Lord. It encourages all creation to praise the Lord in different ways and places, using various means.
The word “hallelujah” also appears in Revelation 19, where a multitude gathers in God’s presence for the marriage supper of the Lamb. They praise God for His righteousness, justice, and faithfulness. God’s enemies have been defeated, and the gospel has triumphed. Therefore, all His people are united in praising God for his victory.
Paul and Silas
The story of Paul and Silas is similar to the use of the word “hallelujah” in scripture. It fits perfectly into the word’s usage.
Paul and Silas were not singing and praying so that God may set them free. They worshiped and praised God for who He is and what He has done to save His people. They sang because He is worthy of our praise and adoration, regardless of our circumstances. There was no indication that God would break them out of prison because of their praise and prayers until it happened.
Neither is there any inference that there was an expectation on their part of being set free while they sang and prayed. It’s not even evident what they were praying for, and it would undoubtedly be highly presumptuous to think they were asking God to perform a miracle to break them out of prison. The fact that they did not flee shows they were not looking to escape.
What the biblical narrative in Acts 16 reveals to us is:
- Spiritual opposition to the spreading of the gospel is real. Paul and Silas faced this opposition through the demon-possessed slave girl. Satan is actively trying to resist the spread of the gospel, especially through false doctrine. The slave girl was saying the right thing about Paul and Silas – these men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way to salvation – yet her actions were resisting its spread and orchestrated by a spirit of divination.
- Persecution is part of the Christian life, and it is to be expected by all Christians. They will face persecution, especially as they carry out the Great Commission or pursue godliness (2 Timothy 3:12). Paul and Silas faced this persecution in Philippi when they were unfairly imprisoned.
- Worshipping God is not dependent on our circumstances. We do not worship God only when things are going well but even in adversity. Paul and Silas were unfairly imprisoned, but they worshipped God regardless of their circumstances.
- Even under persecution, we ought to remain faithful witnesses of the gospel. Paul and Silas did not use this event to escape unfair treatment but revealed their integrity and faithfulness through the circumstances.
- God can bring deliverance. Faith means trusting God in all circumstances to guide our lives and care for us. He can deliver us from all our afflictions according to His purposes (2 Tim. 3:11). In delivering Paul and Silas, God shows His power and ability to rescue His people. But like Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego in Daniel 3:17, we should worship Him regardless even if He does not.
- God’s salvation is available to all, and He works in marvellous ways, according to the counsel of His will, to bring about His purposes. Through His providence and predetermination to save the jailer, He orchestrated the circumstances that brought the gospel to the jailer and his family and ultimately saved them through Paul’s preaching.
- Christian leaders should hold authorities accountable for injustice. Paul’s assertion of his Roman citizenship highlights the importance of justice and the protection of rights.
- God’s purposes cannot be defeated, either by spiritual powers or ungodly worldly leaders through persecution. In all circumstances, the gospel was advanced, which is revealed by the salvation of the jailer and his entire family in conditions meant to stop the spread of the gospel.
As believers, we are to worship and trust God in all circumstances, knowing He has defeated all His enemies in His vicarious victory on the cross. Ultimately, all these enemies will be subject to Him in the final judgement.
The challenge
Biblically, there is no justification whatsoever to turn the worship of God into a corporate social challenge. In fact, there is no justification to turn any of the means of grace (prayer, sacraments, worship, the Word) into social challenges. They are God’s instruments to enable believers to live the life He calls them to live, in response to what He has done for them, in uprightness, godliness, and self-control (Titus 2:11-12).
Hallelujah – Praise the Lord – is a heart response to God’s holiness, faithfulness, goodness, righteousness, and His work to save sinners. It is the result of and the appropriate response to the mercy of God in saving sinners (Romans 12:1-2).
These events distort the true nature of worship and prayer, reducing them to mere transactional activities rather than acts of devotion and submission to God’s will. They promote a superficial understanding of faith, where the focus is on obtaining personal desires rather than growing in spiritual maturity and character.
Moreover, this approach can lead to disillusionment and frustration when expectations are not met, causing participants to question their faith or God’s goodness. It undermines the essence of grace by suggesting that God’s blessings can be earned through specific actions or declarations, contradicting the biblical teaching that God’s gifts are given freely out of His love and mercy.
The commercialization and sensationalism of such challenges can also attract individuals who seek quick fixes to their problems, rather than a genuine relationship with God. This can lead to a diluted and misguided faith, where the pursuit of material or personal gain takes precedence over the pursuit of holiness and righteousness.
Conclusion
Therefore, believers should seek to deepen their understanding of scripture and cultivate a faith that is rooted in truth and reverence for God. A genuine relationship with God involves a commitment to studying His word, seeking His presence, and aligning our lives with His will. It calls for a transformation of the heart and mind, leading to a life that reflects His holiness and love. By avoiding the pitfalls of misinterpretation and sensationalism, believers can grow in spiritual maturity and experience the fullness of God’s grace and blessings. In doing so, they honour God not as a means to an end but as the ultimate end Himself, deserving of all glory, honour, and praise.