Project – The Influence of Social Media Prophets on Christian Faith and Spiritual Discernment among Pentecostal Youths: A Study of Selected Churches in Lagos State

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The rapid development of digital communication technologies has significantly transformed the ways in which people communicate, learn, form relationships, and participate in religious activities. Social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and X have created spaces where religious messages can be produced, circulated, discussed and consumed beyond the physical boundaries of the local church. The emergence of what scholars describe as digital religion demonstrates that religious beliefs and practices are increasingly negotiated through interactions between online and offline environments. Campbell (2013) explains that digital media have introduced new dimensions to religious identity, community, authority and authenticity, while Campbell (2012) argues that religious practice in a networked society involves changing relationships between individuals, religious communities and traditional sources of authority. In the Nigerian context, this development is particularly significant because Pentecostal churches have actively adopted new media for evangelism, religious communication and youth engagement (Afolabi & Oderinde, 2024).

Nigeria provides an important context for examining the relationship between social media and Christian faith because of the country’s substantial level of digital engagement and the prominence of Pentecostal Christianity in contemporary religious life. DataReportal (2025) reported that Nigeria had approximately 107 million internet users and 38.7 million social media user identities at the beginning of 2025, although the report cautioned that social media identities should not automatically be interpreted as unique individual users. The increasing availability of digital platforms means that young Nigerians can encounter religious sermons, prophetic declarations, Bible teachings, testimonies, prayers and Christian motivational materials without necessarily being physically present in a church. Afolabi and Oderinde (2024) specifically observe that Nigerian Pentecostal churches have increasingly used online media to reach young people, while Odewale (2026) notes that new media are reshaping religious communication, authority, worship and evangelistic practices within Nigerian Pentecostalism. Consequently, social media has become an important environment within which Pentecostal youths encounter and interpret Christian teachings.

Within this digital religious environment, the emergence and growing visibility of social media prophets represents an important development. Social media prophets may be understood in this study as individuals who present themselves as prophetic or spiritually authoritative Christian ministers and use social networking platforms to communicate prophecies, revelations, prayers, spiritual instructions, teachings, warnings and promises to online audiences. Their influence is not necessarily limited to members of a particular congregation because social media enables their messages to reach audiences across geographical and denominational boundaries. Recent scholarship on African Pentecostalism indicates that contemporary neo-prophetic figures frequently employ media platforms, livestreaming and digital communication to expand their ministries and cultivate personal visibility and authority. A 2026 study of the neo-prophetic movement identifies media presence, prophetic authority and the use of digital platforms as significant features of contemporary prophetic ministry, while Popoola (2026) demonstrates how Nigerian Pentecostal performance and popular culture can become intertwined with social media visibility and public imagination. These developments suggest that prophetic influence can increasingly operate outside conventional church structures.

The influence of social media prophets can be considered in relation to the development of Christian faith among Pentecostal youths. Christian faith involves trust in God, commitment to Christ, acceptance of Christian teachings and the practical expression of those beliefs through Christian living. Traditionally, faith formation among Pentecostal youths has taken place through preaching, Bible study, prayer, worship, fellowship, discipleship and personal relationships with church leaders and other believers. Social media has expanded this process by providing youths with continuous access to religious materials from numerous ministers and churches. Brubaker and Haigh (2017) found that people engage with faith-based social media content for purposes including spiritual enlightenment, religious information, ministry and entertainment, while McClure (2016) found that social networking use among emerging adults can be associated with greater willingness to select and combine religious beliefs independently of traditional religious boundaries. In Nigeria, Folarin, Otunla and Atowoju (2024) similarly report that digital technologies are reshaping the worship experiences and spiritual engagement of Pentecostal youths.

The issue of spiritual discernment becomes particularly important when youths are exposed to a large volume of competing religious messages online. In Christian theology, discernment involves the ability to examine teachings, claims and spiritual experiences in the light of Scripture and to distinguish truth from error. The Bible encourages believers to “test the spirits” rather than accept every spiritual claim without examination (1 John 4:1), while Paul instructs Christians to examine prophetic utterances and retain what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:20–21). The social-media environment, however, can make such examination more complicated because messages are often presented through short videos, dramatic testimonies, prophetic declarations, personal branding, attractive visual content and highly shareable statements. Campbell (2013) identifies authority and authenticity as major issues in digital religion, while Cheong (2013) notes that digital environments can alter the ways religious authority is established and negotiated. In the Nigerian Pentecostal context, Afolabi, Ojo and Oderinde (2024) also draw attention to the marketing and commodification of Pentecostal religious practices in the public sphere, raising questions about how religious messages are packaged and consumed.

The problem is not that social media is inherently incompatible with Christian faith. On the contrary, digital platforms can provide significant opportunities for evangelism, Bible teaching, prayer, fellowship and access to Christian resources. Nigerian Pentecostal churches have used digital media to maintain relationships with members, reach youths and extend religious communication beyond church buildings. Afolabi and Oderinde (2024) found that the Internet has become an important avenue through which Pentecostal churches engage Nigerian youths, while Odewale (2026) identifies digital media as an important instrument for evangelism, religious instruction and networking within Nigerian Pentecostalism. Similarly, Megwas, Ihechu, Benson-Eluwa and Osuagwu (2025) found that faith-based social media handles have become significant sources through which Christians encounter and engage religious information in southeastern Nigeria. Therefore, the central issue is not simply whether youths use social media for Christian purposes, but how exposure to online prophetic personalities may influence their understanding of Christian faith, their relationship with their local churches and their capacity to critically evaluate spiritual claims.

This concern is particularly relevant among Pentecostal youths in Lagos State, where the concentration of churches, religious ministries, media organizations, young people and digital activity creates an environment in which online religious communication can have considerable reach. Social media enables a youth to follow multiple prophets simultaneously, compare prophetic messages, participate in livestreams, share religious videos and seek personal spiritual direction from ministers whom they may never have encountered physically. Pew Research Center (2023), although based on the United States rather than Nigeria, provides evidence that digital platforms are already being used to follow religious leaders and seek religious information online. Nigerian research likewise shows that Pentecostal youth are increasingly targeted through online media and that social media has become part of the contemporary religious communication environment (Afolabi & Oderinde, 2024). Against this background, there is a need to investigate whether exposure to social media prophets strengthens Christian faith and scriptural engagement or creates difficulties in spiritual discernment, especially when online prophetic messages compete with the teachings and authority of local churches.

The study therefore focuses on The Influence of Social Media Prophets on Christian Faith and Spiritual Discernment among Pentecostal Youths: A Study of Selected Churches in Lagos State. The study is premised on the understanding that social media has become an increasingly important space for religious communication, but that its influence on young Christians cannot be assumed to be uniformly positive or negative. Contemporary scholarship points to both opportunities and challenges associated with digital religion, including expanded access to religious resources, new forms of community and evangelism, changing patterns of religious authority, commercialization, doctrinal contestation and questions of authenticity (Campbell, 2012; Campbell, 2013; Afolabi & Oderinde, 2024). Recent scholarship on neo-prophetic Christianity further emphasizes the importance of theological authenticity, ethical leadership and accountability in evaluating contemporary prophetic ministry (Kgatle, 2026). The present study consequently seeks to provide empirical evidence concerning the relationship between social media prophets, Christian faith and spiritual discernment among Pentecostal youths in selected churches in Lagos State.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The rapid expansion of social media has changed the environment within which Pentecostal youths receive Christian teachings. Previously, young Christians were more likely to receive regular spiritual instruction through their local pastors, youth leaders, Bible study groups, Sunday school, fellowship meetings and personal Bible study. Today, a young person can simultaneously follow numerous pastors, prophets, evangelists and Christian content creators from different churches and theological backgrounds. Afolabi and Oderinde (2024) demonstrate that Nigerian Pentecostal churches increasingly use online media to target youths, while Odewale (2026) observes that digital media are reshaping religious communication and authority within Nigerian Pentecostalism. The problem is that increased access to religious information does not necessarily guarantee increased theological understanding or spiritual maturity.

A second problem concerns the growing visibility of individuals who present prophetic messages through social media. Online prophetic messages may include predictions about marriage, employment, finances, health, relationships, migration, family problems and future events. Such messages can attract considerable attention because they often address the personal concerns of young people and may be delivered through emotionally compelling videos and testimonies. Research on contemporary African neo-prophetic movements identifies the use of media to build prophetic visibility and personal religious authority, while research on Nigerian Pentecostalism has also documented the commercialization and marketing dimensions surrounding some religious practices (Kgatle, 2026; Afolabi, Ojo, & Oderinde, 2024). The problem therefore lies in determining how Pentecostal youths interpret such prophetic claims and whether repeated exposure may cause them to place greater reliance on online prophetic personalities than on Scripture, prayer, responsible pastoral guidance and their local Christian communities.

A third problem is the potential difficulty Pentecostal youths may experience in exercising spiritual discernment in a highly saturated digital environment. Social media platforms do not necessarily distinguish between established theological teaching, personal opinion, prophetic claims, entertainment and commercially motivated religious content. Algorithms can repeatedly expose users to content that attracts attention, while short-form videos may communicate complex theological issues without adequate context. Campbell (2012) identifies shifting authority as a defining feature of networked religion, and Campbell and Connelly (2020) note that digital religion raises important questions concerning authenticity, authority and the relationship between online and offline religious practice. Recent Nigerian research also shows that social media has become a significant arena for religious debates, doctrinal disagreements and the participation of young people in religious conversations. The resulting problem is whether Pentecostal youths possess adequate biblical and theological criteria for evaluating the numerous spiritual messages they encounter online.

A fourth problem is the limited empirical understanding of how exposure to social media prophets relates specifically to the Christian faith and spiritual discernment of Pentecostal youths in Lagos State. Existing studies have examined the adoption of ICT by Pentecostal churches, youth use of mass media, digital Christianity, online religious engagement and the broader transformation of Pentecostal communication (Omotayo, 2017; Afolabi & Oderinde, 2024; Megwas et al., 2025). However, there remains a need for focused research that examines the relationship between social media prophets, Christian faith and spiritual discernment among Pentecostal youths within selected churches in Lagos State. This gap makes it necessary to investigate the extent to which Pentecostal youths are exposed to social media prophets, the ways such prophets influence their Christian beliefs and practices, and the extent to which youths critically evaluate prophetic messages in accordance with biblical teachings.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study is to examine the influence of social media prophets on Christian faith and spiritual discernment among Pentecostal youths in selected churches in Lagos State.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. examine the extent to which Pentecostal youths are exposed to social media prophets in selected churches in Lagos State;
2. examine the influence of social media prophets on the Christian faith of Pentecostal youths;
3. determine the influence of social media prophets on the spiritual discernment of Pentecostal youths;
4. identify the major types of prophetic messages Pentecostal youths encounter on social media

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. To what extent are Pentecostal youths exposed to social media prophets in selected churches in Lagos State?
2. In what ways do social media prophets influence the Christian faith of Pentecostal youths?
3. To what extent do social media prophets influence the spiritual discernment of Pentecostal youths?
4. What types of prophetic messages do Pentecostal youths commonly encounter on social media?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between exposure to social media prophets and spiritual discernment among Pentecostal youths in selected churches in Lagos State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to Pentecostal youths because it will provide a clearer understanding of how social media prophetic messages may shape their Christian beliefs, spiritual practices and approaches to evaluating religious claims. The findings may encourage young Christians to engage online religious content with greater biblical awareness and thoughtful discernment.

The study will also be significant to pastors and church leaders. The findings may help church leaders understand the ways in which youths encounter religious teachings outside their local congregations. This may enable churches to develop more effective digital discipleship programmes, Bible-based social media content and youth-oriented approaches to addressing misleading or confusing religious messages.

The study will be useful to Christian educators and youth ministers because it will provide information that can support teaching on biblical discernment, prophetic ministry, digital Christianity and responsible social media use. It may also contribute to the development of programmes that equip youths to distinguish between biblical teaching, personal opinion, entertainment and unsupported prophetic claims.

The study will be valuable to Pentecostal churches in Lagos State because the findings may help churches understand how digital religious communication is influencing young members. The study may encourage churches to strengthen discipleship, theological education and responsible digital engagement rather than leaving young Christians to navigate the rapidly expanding online religious environment without adequate guidance.

The study will also contribute to academic scholarship in theology, religious studies, Pentecostal studies and digital religion. While existing research has examined digital religion, Pentecostal media use and religious communication, this study brings together the specific variables of social media prophets, Christian faith and spiritual discernment among Pentecostal youths in Lagos State.

Finally, the study may be useful to future researchers who wish to investigate related issues such as digital discipleship, online prophetic ministry, religious misinformation, Pentecostal youth identity, social media evangelism and the changing nature of religious authority in contemporary Christianity.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the influence of social media prophets on Christian faith and spiritual discernment among Pentecostal youths in selected churches in Lagos State.

The study will specifically examine Pentecostal youths’ exposure to social media prophets, the nature of prophetic messages encountered online, perceived influence on Christian beliefs and practices, and the capacity of youths to evaluate prophetic messages through biblical and spiritual criteria.

Geographically, the study will be limited to selected Pentecostal churches in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study will not attempt to cover all Pentecostal churches in Lagos State because of the large number of Pentecostal congregations and the practical limitations associated with studying the entire population.

The study will focus on youths within the age range adopted by the researcher for the study. It will examine their experiences and perceptions regarding social media prophets and will not attempt to determine whether specific prophetic predictions are supernaturally genuine or false. Rather, the study will investigate how youths perceive, receive and evaluate such messages and how exposure relates to Christian faith and spiritual discernment.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Christian Faith: In this study, Christian faith refers to the beliefs, trust, convictions, commitment and practices through which Pentecostal youths express their relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Pentecostal Youths: These are young members or regular participants of selected Pentecostal churches in Lagos State who fall within the age range specified for the study.

Prophet: A person who claims to communicate a message, revelation, warning or declaration received from God for individuals or a community.

Social Media Prophets: In this study, social media prophets refer to individuals who present themselves as prophets or prophetic ministers and use social media platforms to disseminate prophetic messages, revelations, prayers, teachings and spiritual instructions to online audiences.

Social Media: Digital communication platforms that allow users to create, share, receive and interact with content and with other users. Examples relevant to this study include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and X.

Spiritual Discernment: The ability of a Christian to examine, evaluate and distinguish between teachings, spiritual claims, prophetic messages and practices in accordance with biblical principles and Christian understanding.

Prophetic Message: A message presented as a divinely inspired declaration, revelation, warning, prediction, instruction or encouragement delivered through a person claiming prophetic authority.

Influence: The extent to which exposure to social media prophets is associated with changes or perceived effects in the beliefs, attitudes, practices and spiritual evaluation of Pentecostal youths.

Digital Christianity: The expression, communication and practice of Christian faith through digital technologies and online platforms.

Project – The Influence of Social Media Prophets on Christian Faith and Spiritual Discernment among Pentecostal Youths: A Study of Selected Churches in Lagos State