PRAYER MOUNTAINS IN AFRICA

PRAYER MOUNTAINS IN AFRICA Praying on the mountain is largely a Nigerian thing, almost confined to the South West. You ha

Praying on the mountain is largely a Nigerian thing, almost confined to the South West. You hardly see such in the Eastern and Northern parts of Nigeria. We sometimes believe that complicated issues could only be solved on the mountains.” Magnus Otutu and Soja Bewarang agree with Oseayo Rotimi that the Mountaintop prayer is largely a South West phenomenon. “In the Eastern part of Nigeria, there is no prayer mountain. Though some pastors in the East do go to the Mountains sometimes with their members but they go to the Mountains in Osun State.

Soja Bewarang, the CAN Chairman Plateau state also said the practise is just catching on in Plateau state in the last two years. “There was nothing like this here for a long time. Don’t forget that here in Plateau, we have a long history of profound Christianity. It is sad that things are changing fast!” Bishop Ebenu, the CAN chairman for Kogi state said the tradition is on in the state but limited to the CAC, the white garment and some Pentecostals.

Also, the CAN chairman for Kaduna state, Bishop Jonathan George Dodo said he would not know if such practice exist in Kaduna state. “I don’t know if it is done in Kaduna state because as a Catholic, I have never been to any prayer mountain and don’t know if they exist.” However, Pastor Raphael Ogunkunle, senior pastor Seed of Life Global Ministry, a model parish of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church said though the practise is not common in Kaduna, but there is a Prayer Mountain called Kujama Hill on the way to Kafanchan where some Churches do congregate to pray.

THE PRAYER MOUNTAINS:

Abe Apata Prayer Mountain, Toll gate, Ibadan, Oyo state.
Alakowe Prayer Mountain, Ilesha Road, Ife. Osun state
Alasepe Prayer Mountain, Ikire, Osun state
Aramoko Prayer Mountain, Aramoko, Ekiti state.
Baba Abiye Prayer Mountain, Ede, Osun state
C.A.C Prayer Mountain, Imuo Ilesha, Osun state
Efon Alaye Prayer Mountain, Efon Alaye
Erinmo Prayer Mountain 1 (C.A.C) Osun state
Golgotha Prayer Mountain, Efon Alaye
Ido-Ile Prayer Mountain, Ido Ajinare
Ikeji Arakeji Prayer Centre,
Ikoyi Prayer Mountain (both men and women) Ikire, Osun State.
Modakeke Prayer Mountain, Ondo Ife Road, Osun state
Mt. Carmel Prayer Mountain, Ifewara, Ile Ife, Osun state
Odo Owa Power House, Odo Owa
Odo-Owa Prayer Mountain, Odo-Owa.
Oke-Aanu Prayer Mountain, Erio, Ekiti state
Olorunkole Prayer Mountain, Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State
Olusoye Prayer Mountain, Olode, Osun state
Prophet Kasali Prayer Mountain, Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State
Ori Oke Eyebiokin, Dagbolu, Osun State
Ori Oke Erio, Ekiti State

PRAYER MOUTAINS AROUND THE WORLD
MALI
Going to the mountains to pray is not just a Nigerian thing. Around the world, especially in Africa, research on the internet shows that so many pastors in different countries do so. However, it is suspected the tradition was exported to some of these countries by Nigerian pastors who went to live there. Kolade Oseayo Rotimi, a Nigerian missionary in Mali said the culture is catching on gradually in the country. “A Nigerian pastor known to me introduced it here in Mali. He goes to a particular mountain to pray and gives it publicity for people to know its importance.”

KENYA
There is a flourishing culture of it in Kenya. Speaking with Elife, Moses Zewedi, a pastor in Kitale, Kenya said Prayer Mountains exists everywhere in Kenya, instituted by some mega Churches. “All the mountains and hills that I know in Kenya are set aside for prayers. People go there to fast and pray for weeks.” One of the biggest prayer mountains in the country is the Heavens Gate Prayer Mountain in Nakuru, run by a pastor who also own a Christian TV station.

GHANA
The most famous prayer mountain in Ghana is the Atwea Mountain. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people go up the mountain each year. The Atwea Mountains located in the newly-created Sekyere Central district in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The Atwea Township is surrounded by three huge mountains. The other two mountains apart from the Atwea Mountain are the Adenkyirewi and Krobo. The Atwea Township is located inside the loop of the three mountains and in the ancient times it served as a protection for the locals against invaders.

Research on the internet shows that the practise is catching on steady in countries like Ghana, Zambia, South Africa, even in the Philippines. Speaking to Elife, Naledi Matlou, a South African in Johannesburg said there are people who go to the Mountains to pray but no mountain is specifically called a Prayer mountain or reserved for that. Cecilia Dladla, a South African woman added that Mountaintop prayer is not a South African Christian tradition. “What we see today is largely imported here by some Nigerian pastors who come here to live.”

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INTRODUCTION
THE SPIRITUALITY OF PRAYER MOUNTAINS
ABUSE OF PRAYER MOUNTAINS IN NIGERIA

PRAYER MOUNTAINS IN AFRICA