Why do prophecies about politics keep failing?

By Oscar Amaechina, Op-ed Contributor Thursday, June 22, 2023

Supporters of Nigerias Peoples Democratic Party carry a placard during a protest at Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters, over the results of Nigerias 2023 presidential and general election in Abuja on March 6, 2023. | AFP via Getty Images/Kola Sulaimon

I have followed what is happening in the Church with respect to alleged prophetic words from notable ministers. But what is surprising to me is that most of their prophecies concerning elections have failed woefully.

Is it that their words were not from God, or they were driven by emotions and sentiments? If they did not hear from God, why are they saying that it was God who told them to speak?

This calls for concern as these failed prophesies are bringing shame and reproach to the body of Christ worldwide. Not only are unbelievers mocking us, but this has also adversely affected the faith of believers who genuinely believe the prophecies of many of these ministers.

My country just concluded the 2023 general elections, and there were lots of prophecies that were made in favor of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labor Party. Many notable men and women of God in Nigeria predicted that Peter Obi would surely win the election. By the end of it, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under a Muslim-Muslim ticket, was declared the winner. Some followers of these ministers get around this uncomfortable outcome by stating that Obi ultimately won, but the election was somehow stolen by Tinubu.

Now, if this were the case, shouldn’t their prophecies have included this key detail? A detailed prophecy would have saved us from the embarrassment that we are all facing presently. A similar trend happened in the 2020 United States presidential elections. The evangelical community was convinced that Trump had won the elections as well.

We must ask ourselves why these prophecies keep failing. We need an explanation from those who gave these prophecies because one thing is for sure: the Word of God cannot fail! “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Authentic prophecies cannot fail; by definition. People should be careful not to be deceived by the words of men.

Instead of keeping quiet and allowing the name of the Lord to be dragged in the mud, genuine ministers of God who have prophetic unction and have mistaken the voice of God should swallow their pride and apologize for every one of their failed prophecies.

“The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; ‘And he who has my word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?’ says the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:28). As the United States prepares for its next elections next year, ministers of the Gospel should learn to keep quiet when they have not heard explicitly from God. Silence is more honorable than telling lies knowingly or unknowingly in the name of God.

Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. His calling is to take the gospel to where no one has neither preached nor heard about Jesus. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed.