Blessings in Disguise: Fr. Anthony Omodunbi Says Persecution Strengthens the Church, Not Destroys It

Akahi News learnt that Rev. Fr. Anthony Omodunbi, in his reflection for Wednesday, 22nd April 2026, has reminded Christians that not every storm comes to destroy. Some storms, he said, come to clear the path and make way for progression. The reflection, drawn from the Wednesday of the 3rd week of Eastertide, takes its theme from Acts 8:1-8 and John 6:35-40.

Titled “Blessings in Disguise,” the reflection zeroes in on a powerful truth: persecution has never been the end of the Church. It has often been the beginning of something greater.

When believers are scattered, the gospel spreads. When Christians are attacked, their faith deepens. When the world hates them, they remember whose they are. Fr. Omodunbi is not minimising suffering. He is reframing it.

Persecution Fulfilled Jesus’ Warning – And Grew the Church

Akahi News gathered that Fr. Omodunbi noted that from the very beginning of the Church, the faith has experienced challenges everywhere it has gone. Christians were attacked, rejected, and often denied their rights. But all of this was in fulfilment of what Jesus had earlier told them: that the world will hate them, and they will be persecuted.

“But that was not all,” the priest emphasised. “The gospel continues to spread as Christians were dispersed from place to place (Acts 8:4).”

It was alleged that the Church of God grew stronger in the face of persecution than when they were pampered. That is a hard truth for comfortable Christians to hear. But it is biblical. It is historical. And it is relevant to Nigerian Christians today who face insecurity, discrimination, and even martyrdom in some parts of the country.

Fr. Omodunbi posed a profound question: “Only God knows what Christianity would have been if believers never experienced persecutions and troubles.” A Christianity without opposition might be a Christianity without urgency. A faith never tested might be a faith never deepened.

He then turned his words into a call to action: “Arise, O soldier of Christ. Remember that not all storms of life come to destroy and disrupt your life; some come to clear your path and make a way for your progression.”

That is not prosperity gospel. That is not denying pain. It is saying: even in the pain, God is working. Even in the storm, God is steering.

A Prayer for Troubled Believers

For those in distress or in a great storm of life, Fr. Omodunbi offered simple but powerful advice: hold on to Jesus. Draw closer to Him. He is capable of making it a blessing in disguise.

“Do not give up on God and prayers,” he urged. “Remember that everything (including troubles) will work together for the good of those who love God (Cf. Romans 8:28).”

That verse from Romans is one of the most quoted in Scripture. But Fr. Omodunbi places it in the context of persecution. Not every trouble is punishment. Not every storm is a curse. Some are the very tools God uses to reposition His people for greater impact.

Akahi News had earlier reported on the rising wave of attacks on Christians in various parts of Nigeria. From the North-East to the North-Central to the Middle Belt, believers have faced kidnapping, killing, and displacement. It would be easy to despair. It would be understandable to ask where God is.

Fr. Omodunbi’s reflection does not dismiss the pain. But it dares to look beyond it. He prays: “Arise, O Lord, in your power, and cause all that happens around me to turn around for my good and blessings in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

It is not a child’s play to pray that way when you have lost a loved one to violence. It is not easy to believe that trouble can become a blessing when you are in the middle of the trouble. But that is the audacity of Christian faith. It looks at the cross and sees resurrection. It looks at the tomb and sees an empty grave.

Fr. Omodunbi’s reflection is timely for Nigerian Christians. The storms are real. The persecution is not imagined. But the gospel continues to spread. The Church continues to grow. And the same God who scattered the apostles and turned their flight into a mission field is still on the throne.

May that be our hope. Not that we will never face trouble. But that when we do, God will turn it around for our good and His glory.

Key Summary Box

Scripture readings: Acts 8:1-8 (the scattering of believers after Stephen’s death) and John 6:35-40 (Jesus the Bread of Life).
Theme: Blessings in Disguise.
Core message: Persecution and troubles do not destroy the Church; they spread it. The gospel grew stronger under attack than when believers were pampered.
Call to action: Arise, soldier of Christ. Not all storms destroy; some clear the path for progression. Hold on to Jesus. Do not give up on prayer.
Key promise: Everything—including troubles—will work together for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28).
Why it matters to Nigerian Christians: Many believers face real persecution and distress. Fr. Omodunbi’s reflection offers a biblical reframing of suffering: not as abandonment, but as potential blessing.
Bottom line: Storms may come. But the same God who scattered the apostles to spread the gospel is still turning troubles into testimonies. Hold on. Pray. Do not give up.