PRAYING INTO THE 4TH WEEK OF THE YEAR (JANUARY 22 – 28)

The week of January 22 – 28 is a very significant season. It is the fourth week of the year. This is the bridge week in the first seven weeks of the year. Patterns in the word of God indicate that the fourth season is one we should handle with prayer. Jesus fasted in the wilderness in the fourth chapters of Matthew and Luke. In the plan of God, the fourth season is for training, testing, triumphs and testimonies. For the kingdom of darkness, it is a time to cause troubles, temptations and tears. God made the fourth season a time of training and stretching for growth. Satan attacks people in the fourth season to confuse, frighten, deceive, cause error, stumbling, defeat and death.

The fourth season is like a fight-back season for darkness. So, God made luminaries to rule over darkness on the fourth day. After God had called forth light on the first day of creation, He created light bearers on the fourth day – as it were to reinforce light in the battle against darkness. In the fourth season, darkness manifests through temptations, pressures, pains, persecution, tension, conflicts, and confusion. Darkness does not kill but it can frustrate and confuse people and make them hurt themselves or do things they should not do. There are many things that happen in this season that should not happen but the reason they happen is because people are overtaken by the darkness (mental darkness):

The first murder was committed in the fourth chapter of Genesis.

Moses almost missed going to deliver Israel in Exodus 4.

Many Israelites who came out of Egypt in the book of Exodus perished in the fourth book of the Bible.

The failure of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam is recorded in the fourth book of the Bible. The negative ministry of Balaam against Israel, the rebellion of Korah and his company, the attack of the fiery serpents and Israel’s failure to enter the Promised Land on schedule are also recorded in the fourth book of the Bible.

Israel divided into two kingdoms under the fourth king of Israel, Rehoboam. One part of the kingdom turned to idolatry as a state religion.

The adversaries of Judah, Sanballat and Tobiah put up strong resistance in the fourth chapters of Ezra and Nehemiah. The work was made to cease in Ezra 4. Nehemiah was prepared for the opposition in Nehemiah 4.

Queen Esther came under intense pressure to act in Esther 4. The fasting that defeated Haman’s plot happened in this chapter.

The temptations of Jesus are recorded in the fourth chapters of Matthew and Luke.

A storm rose against Jesus and His disciples in Mark 4 as they were crossing “to the other side”.

The Early Church began to face persecution in Acts 4. The chapter ends with prayer that shook the building.

In Second Corinthians 4, Paul says, “We are hard-pressed on every side….”

The War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom happened in the season of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison.

In Nigeria, the fourth national leader, Murtala Mohammed, was assassinated in a bloody coup in his sixth month of his leadership. The tough Buhari-Idiagbon regime was toppled in the fourth year of Nigeria’s fourth 7 years. A lot of misfortunes have befallen Nigeria since the beginning of her fourth republic; especially in the season of the 4th President in her fourth republic,Muhammadu Buhari.

The Ukranian Revolution of 2014 happened in the season of the ousted fourth President of Ukraine, Victor Yanukovych. This also happened at the beginning of the fourth seven years of her independence from the Soviet Union.

Going through the fourth week (Days 22-28) is like going through the fourth seven chapters (22-28) of the Bible. Genesis 22-28 are trial chapters in the lives of Abraham, Rebekah, Isaac, Esau, and Jacob. Numbers 22-28 are trial chapters for Balaam and Israel. Matthew 22-28 are trial chapters in the parables and experiences of Jesus and His disciples. Acts 22-28 are trial chapters in the life of Paul. The fourth seven books of the Bible (Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentation, Ezekiel, Daniel and Hosea) are also full of trials and temptations.

The divine agenda for the week is to hold out light against effects of darkness. It is a week to subdue darkness, disorganization and disorderliness. It is a week to overcome temptations and trials. This is a week of organized strategic warfare against darkness – especially mental darkness that produces fear, confusion, deception, and wrongdoing. What you need is light and God has given you light in His word, in the Holy Spirit, and in the wise people around you.

PRAYER POINTS

1. Pray that the Lord will protect His people and leaders of nations from mental darkness leading to wrong decisions and actions – as in the case of the fourth king of Israel in First Kings 12.

2. Pray against manifestations of the murderous spirit of Cain that rises in the fourth season to attack the righteous and the innocent.

3. Pray for grace to discern the presence of the tempter and to overcome temptations this week. Pray against mental darkness and deception.

4. As heat was created on the fourth day of creation, pray against unnecessary heat this week. Pray that darkness will not overtake any part of our nation this week.

5. As Esther declared a fast in Esther 4, as Jesus withdrew to the wilderness in the fourth chapters of Matthew and Luke and as the Lord called John to “come up hither” in Revelation 4, pray that this is a week of blocking off and rising beyond the noise on this earth to pray and hear God.

This week, do not give room to darkness! God made the luminaries on the fourth day of creation. Jesus overcame temptation in the fourth chapters of Matthew and Luke and calmed the storm in Mark 4. Joshua and Caleb did not submit to fear in the fourth book of the Bible – Numbers. Nehemiah refused to be stopped by Sanballat and Tobiah in Nehemiah 4. Mordecai and Esther accepted the challenge to break the law for good in Esther 4. The Apostles refused to be intimidated by persecution and threats in Acts 4. This is a week of the dominion of light. Ephesians 4:27 says, “(Do not) give place to the devil”

BIBLE READING SUGGESTIONS FOR THE WEEK.

This week has patterns in the fourth day of creation narrative (Genesis 1:14-19), the 4th book of the Bible (Numbers), the 4th chapters of the Bible and the 4th seven chapters (22-28) of the Bible. You may read through the book of Numbers this week as you pray.

January 22: Numbers 1-6; Psalms 22

January 23: Numbers 7-11; Psalms 23

January 24: Numbers 12-16; Psalms 24

January 25: Numbers 17-21; Psalms 25

January 26: Numbers 22-26; Psalms 26

January 27: Numbers 27-31; Psalms 27

January 28: Numbers 32-36; Psalms 28

SCRIPTURE FOR WEEK

2 Corinthians 4:8-10: “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed- [10] always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body”.

Happy fourth week of the year!