THE FIRST WEEK OF NIGERIA’S YEAR
Happy New Year, Nigeria; and welcome to the first week of the year! Let us give thanks to God for bringing us into a new Nigeria-year. God is first and the first belongs to him.
Let us begin the year by giving God His place in the nation and in the year. God demands to be honoured in the first season. The firstborn belongs to Him. The first-fruit belongs to Him. In the same way, the first day, week, month – the first season – belongs to Him. In the first book of the Bible, God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden for dishonoring Him. He destroyed the first earth for the rebellion of humanity against Him. He judged Sodom and Gomorrah for their ungodly ways. God does not tolerate dishonor in the first season. God honors those who honor Him in the first season. In the first book of the Bible, God honored Enoch, Noah, and Abraham in unprecedented ways. The first week of the year is for honoring the Lord – through thanksgiving, receiving His word and acting on it. Nigeria ought to come before God with thanksgiving this beginning of her new year. Nigeria ought to give God a seed or token of devotion and honor in this season. This is the time to bring her glory, as the Giant of Africa, and lay it before the Owner of Heaven and earth. How is Nigeria going to do that? Only believers can do that on behalf of Nigeria. They can also disciple the leadership of the nation to show such gratitude to God at the beginning of her time each year. This is how a people can invite the presence of God to take over their nation.This week, let’s go before God on behalf of Nigeria with offerings of thanksgiving, praise and devotion. It is a season to be preoccupied with God and also fill the nation with God. It is a time to touch God’s heart through alignment with His plans and purposes. It is a time to acknowledge Him as FIRST in Nigeria. This is important because the devil uses every beginning to tempt men and recruit them to disregard God and live independently. He knows how spiritually strategic the beginning is; and that is when He wants people to focus on themselves instead of focusing on the Giver of time and life. Those who yield to the temptation inadvertently make themselves enemies of God and reset the course of the year against themselves. Man missed it in the first book of the Bible. Nations miss it or get it right at the beginning of each new year – their own years. Deuteronomy 28:47-48 says, “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you”.
THE 40TH WEEK OF THE YEAR
The first week of Nigeria’s year is also the 40th week of the year. Nigeria gained independence in the 40th week of 1960; and her year changes at the beginning of the 40th week of each year. This is very significant. The 40th week is a critical gate of time. Since nothing comes into this world without passing through a gate of time, this week will be the door for certain purposes seeking to manifest on earth. God has an agenda for every gate of time. The evil one also has a purpose for every gate of time. It is important to understand this battle for time and what we ought to do or how we ought to pray.. Gates of time should be guarded diligently just as we guard physical gates. When gates of time are not guarded with understanding, the enemy will push through the gate to execute evil purposes planned for that gate of time or to obstruct divine purposes meant for that time.
Here are 6 things the Bible indicates concerning the 40th season:
1. The ’40th’ is the beginning of good news. The 40th book of the Bible (Matthew) is the beginning of the New Testament and the gospel of Jesus Christ. The 40th year of Nigeria was the first year of transition to Civil Rule and Matthew Obasanjo was President of Nigeria in that 40th year. Isaiah 40 opens with a message of comfort: “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. [2] “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the LORD’s hand Double for all her sins.”
2. The 40th is a point of testimonies and new songs. Psalm 40:1-3 says, “I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. [2] He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. [3] He has put a new song in my mouth- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD”. Of the 17 African nations that gained independence in 1960, Nigeria was the only English-speaking country of West Africa in the number; and the only African country that gained independence on the first day of the 40th week of that year. The timing was perfect because God made Nigeria to be a bearer of good news and a minister of hope and comfort to the nations of the world. The enemy knows that; and is working very hard to tie Nigeria to bad news – corruption, fraud, insurgency, kidnapping, bloodshed, and so on. However, the hand of God is at work in Nigeria. The amalgamation of Nigeria happened in the year the First World War began because Nigeria was born for peace. Do you wonder why we are struggling to have peace at home? The devil wants to make us the opposite of what, and who, God made us to be; and many are cooperating with him. That is the reason we must contend earnestly for the prophetic destiny of our country, Nigeria.
3. The 40th season is for the manifestation of God in the affairs of men. In the 40th book of the Bible, Jesus is called Emmanuel (God with us). In Genesis 40, God manifested Himself through Joseph to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh’s servants. Joseph told them that “interpretations belong to God”; yet it came through him. He was Emmanuel in that prison. In Exodus 40, the glory of God filled the tabernacle in the form of cloud; and Moses could not enter the tabernacle of meeting. In Job 40, the servant of God laid his hands in his mouth and said he would not speak again. He gave up the floor so God would have His way. In Psalm 40, the psalmist testifies of God’s intervention and deliverance following a season of waiting. Isaiah 40 says, “Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. [11] He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young” (Isaiah 40:10-11). In Jeremiah 40, God sent a savior, Johanan, to Gedaliah; to save his life by revealing the plot of the Ammonites to assassinate him; but he did not believe him. He rejected the truth. He lacked spiritual sensitivity.
4. The 40th season is a season of freedom and salvation for those who believe. In Jeremiah 40, the prophet was set free to choose where to live. Jesus set people free from afflictions in the 40th book of the Bible
5. The 40th is a season to operate by faith. It is not a season of rationalizations. Sensitivity in the spirit is key to succeeding in the 40th season. Jesus challenged people to believe the gospel in the 40th book of the Bible. In Ezekiel 40, the prophet began to receive a revelation of the Jerusalem and new temple. God comes in the 40th season; so, it is necessary to prepare the way for His coming. The 40th season is a time to see into the spirit realm.
6. The 40th season is the terminus for waiting. Psalm 40:1-3 says, “I WAITED PATIENTLY for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. [2] He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. [3] He has put a new song in my mouth- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD”.The Lord discharged Moses from waiting and fasting before Him on the 40th day. Jesus ended His great fast on the 40th day. Israel’s wilderness journey ended with 40th year. Moses ended His allegiance to the Pharaoh family about his 40th year. This is a good time to remember nations, journeys and projects that are in the 40th season.
PRAYER POINTS FOR THE WEEK
1. Give thanks to God for leading us through 39 weeks of the year. Thank Him for His love and faithfulness.
2. Pray that as the Old Testament ends with 39th book and the New Testament begins with the 40th, so be it that the Old Testament side of the year is gone with the 39th week and that we have cone into the New Testament side of good news in the year. Let the good news begin this week.
3. Pray also that as the stripes of Jesus ended with the 39th, let the season of stripes come to an end in the year. Let there be a shift in the year from pain to comfort as Isaiah 40:1-2 says.
4. Pray that the Lord will grant us grace to walk by faith concerning His works in the nations and concerning our prayers before – as this New Testament week demands; because without faith it is impossible to please God; and two cannot work together unless they agree.
5. Pray that the presence and glory of the Lord will take over in the nations this 40th week – wherever God’s people have done as commanded – as it filled the Tabernacle in the 40th chapter of Exodus.
6. Pray that as Jesus came in the 40th book of the Bible and brought change by His teachings and miracles, let the 40th week of the year be a week of week in the nations.
7. Pray that the Lord will us this 40th week to find answers to puzzles in the nations as Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s servants in Genesis 40.
8. Pray for strength to diligent occupy and guard the gate of this 40th week against satanic purposes and to see that God’s will is done in the nations as it is in heaven.
9. Pray that the Lord will have mercy on us with respect to any sin, failure, shortcoming, or fault, that may count against Nigeria in the new year. Ask the Lord to forgive us and cleanse us from every uncleanliness.
10. Pray that the Lord will save us from the disasters of this week. Let the name and blood of Jesus speak for Nigeria this week.
SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK:
Isaiah 40: 31 “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint”.This week, may the Lord grant Nigeria and her people a smooth take-off in nation’s new year.
Have a happy 1st week in Nigeria’s year and a triumphant 40th week of the year!
