The 13th book and chapters of the Bible reveal six broad things concerning the 13th season that can guide us to pray into the 13th week of the year.
1. The 13th season is the beginning of a new phase. The 13th book of the Bible (First Chronicles) is a new beginning. The 12th book of the Bible ends with the captivity of Judah but the 13th book opens with the genealogy found in Genesis 5 and 11. Paul’s missionary journeys began in Acts 13. Saul of Tarsus became Paul in Acts 13. Believers were first called Christians in Acts 13. From Acts 13, Paul takes over and his epistles are a product of what happened in Acts 13 – 28. This is a prophetic indicator of the significance of the 13th season. Slavery was abolished in the United States within the 13th seven years of the nation and by the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution. The season of the 13th monarch of the United Kingdom, King Charles III, is the beginning of a new phase in UK monarchy. The 13th week is a dividing line in the year.
PRAYER: Proclaim a new beginning in the year and pray for a positive change of story and direction in the nations.
2. The 13th season is a season of separation. In this season, God separates people, places and things to Himself. Deuteronomy 13 is about how Israelites should deal with those who will tempt them to step out of their consecration to serve other gods. In Judges 13, Samson’s mother was to consecrate herself to conceive and give birth to a Nazirite. In First Samuel 13, King Saul offered a sacrifice he was not consecrated for and was rejected from being king. In First Kings 13, the man of God from Judah was commanded to separate himself from people because of the the task God gave him. He violated his consecration and paid dearly for it. The 13th book of the Bible (First Chronicles) is about people chosen for a special work – from Adam down to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David and Solomon the temple-builder. Those men were chosen to prepare a habitation (a chosen place) for God on earth. In First Chronicles 13, the Ark of God was conveyed on a cart instead of being carried by consecrated men. Uzzah died from the error. In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were separated for a task God had given them.
The evil one also seeks to separate people to himself in the 13th season. Satan entered Judas Iscariot in John 13. Revelation 13 is about the Mark of the Beast. Satan seeks those who will submit to him in this season. Since the 13th season is a season of consecration to God, the god of this world wants it to be a season of committing sacrilege and forming unholy mixtures on earth. We must be sensitive to avoid being used by Satan in this season.
The 13th season is a time to separate people from people. It is a season of divisions when people and things move to, or are put, where they belong. Lot separated from Abraham in Genesis 13. Abraham returned from Egypt in Genesis 13 but also returned with Hagar – the Egyptian slave girl. He left Egypt but Egypt went with him. Israel moved from Egypt in Exodus 13 and God commanded all firstborn be consecrated to Him. Leviticus 13 is about the separation of the (unclean) leper. The priests (consecrated men) examine the lepers. In Numbers 13, Joshua and Caleb stood out from the rest of the 12 spies. In the early 13th century, Archbishop Stephen Langton assigned chapter numbers to Bible narratives and put the narratives into families. That wasn’t something that just happened. It was a response to season and followed a Biblical pattern. There is a season- factor underlying the separation issues in the British Royal Family. This is the season of the 13th Monarch of the UK. In the 13th seven years of the United States 1860-1867), the nation battled secession. In this season, slaves were separated from their masters by the Emancipation Proclamation. of 1863 and the 13th Amendment to US Constitution (1864/65). This 13th week, Heaven will separate men from men and places for special tasks.
The 13th season abhors ‘unholy’ mixtures’. The adversary pushes for unholy mixtures and alliances in this season. In Nehemiah 13, the mixed multitude was separated from Israel and the Jews were called to separate from mixed marriages and unholy alliances. In Matthew 13, Jesus spoke of the separation of wheat and tares.
PRAYER: Pray that those whom the Lord calls in this season to separate themselves to Him, in the nations, will be sensitive to respond to that call with courage and discipline. Pray this week that the Lord will separate men from men, places and things that should not be part of their lives or preoccupations this season. Pray that the Lord will scatter evil or ‘unholy’ alliances and take people where they belong.
3. The 13th season is a season of love in which the adversary seeks to promote pseudo (counterfeit) love, spread hate, and perpetrate wickedness. The love-chapters of the Bible are the 13th chapters. The enemy works wickedness in the 13th season because it is a season of love. In Second Samuel 13, one of David’s sons abused David’s daughter, Tamar (Absalom’s sister) in the name of ‘love’. Absalom killed him for it. That was hate in a chapter of love! Psalm 13 is a prayer of deliverance from enemies and troubles. The humble need God’s mercy in the 13th season because of the wickedness of the wicked. As God wants to possess people in this season, the devil also wants to fill the hearts of people in this season. Satan entered Judas Iscariot in John 13 and he decided to betray his Master and Lord. It wasn’t just coincidence that, in 2013, many countries legalized the gay lifestyle. The year 2013 has been named ‘the gayest year’ in history.
PRAYER: Pray against manifestations of wickedness in the nations this week. Pray that the Lord will deliver families and nations from wicked and hateful men in this week of love and unity. Pray against pseudo-love practitioners and wicked pretenders who cause harm in the name of love.
4. The 13th season is a season to fight for unity. In Genesis 13, Abraham eschewed quarreling with Lot because “we are brethren”. In John 13, Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another. He said loving one another would distinguish His disciples from all other people. Romans 13 says Love is the fulfilling of the law. First Corinthians 13 (the great love-chapter) says Love is greater than faith and hope. Hebrews 13 says, “let brotherly love continue”. In the 13th seven years of the United States, the Lincoln administration fought against secession to keep the United States together. This week in 2023, protests broke out in Israel over the PM Netanyahu’s controversial judicial reform leading to the firing of the Defense Minister. Netanyahu had to halt the judicial overhaul in the interest of peace.
PRAYER: Pray for the unity of God’s people, in the nations, who should be together. Pray against unnecessary wars in the nations. Pray for wisdom against fighting to unite what God had divided; or fighting to divide what God had united. Pray for King Charles III and the United Kingdom.
5. The thirteenth season is when Heaven focuses on taking and giving lands. The strife between the Herdsmen of Abraham and and the Herdsmen of Lot was over insufficient land. In Genesis 13, “…The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are-northward, southward, eastward, and westward; [15] for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. [16] And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. [17] Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” [18] Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD”. In Numbers 13, Moses sent 12 spies to view the land of Canaan and bring back report. In Joshua 13, God told Joshua to survey land for allocation to the tribes. In this chapter, Israelites began to receive and possess their possessions. Isaiah 13 is about the desolation of Babylon. Their land was given to the Medes. Matthew 13 is about parables concerning land and things done in it. Luke 13 also has parables about land. In Acts 13, God released Paul and Barnabas for their missionary work in foreign lands. The 13th season is a season of taking lands for God. The 13th President of the United States was a champion of commercial expansion of the US. He laboured to open doors of business with Japan. Since, God made the 13th season to be a season of receiving inheritance, the enemy wants it to be a season of strong resistance to entering, possessing, or enjoying, your inheritance. He fights with terrorism and persecutions to scare people from lands.
PRAYER: Pray, in this week of giving lands and inheritance, that the Lord will save His people from enemies scaring them from their lands. Lead your people to break and possess new grounds for your name and kingdom. Pray for enlargement of coasts for God’s people this season. Frustrate evil men who set their eyes on the inheritance and possessions of God’s people.
6. The 13th season is a time of judgment against rebellion, evil and wickedness. In Second Chronicles 13, Judah defeated Israel in battle because Israel, under Jeroboam, had lost consecration before God. The 13th chapters of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah are about judgments. The 13th chapters of Matthew, Mark and Luke are also about judgment. Matthew 13:39-43 says, “The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. [40] Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. [41] The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, [42] and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Paul judged Bar-Jesus (Elymas) in Acts 13:9-12: “Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him [10] and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? [11] And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. [12] Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord”.
PRAYER: Pray to dismantle obstacles and hindrances to God’s purposes in the nations this week. Pray against sorcery and witchcraft blocking or distracting people from the truth and the light.
BIBLE READING SUGGESTIONS FOR THE 13TH WEEK:
Going through the 13th week (Days 85-91) of the year is like taking a prophetic journey through the 13th seven Psalms (85-91) and the 13th book of the Bible (First Chronicles). So, Psalms 85-91 and First Chronicles 1-29 are great guiding lights for the week. In the second 7 weeks of the year, it is like going through Zephaniah – Luke for days 36 – 42. You may read books 36-42 of the Bible and also the 13th chapters of the Bible . This is a season of separation from the crowd; a season to express God and manifest His nature. This is a week for people and things and places separated and dedicated to God. This is the week of the Ekklesia in the nations. It is the week of the temple and tabernacle of God. It is the week of those dwelling in the secret place of the Most High.
You may want to read the suggested passages as follows:
March 26: Psalm 85 & 1 Chronicle’s 1-5 – Adam, Israel, David, Judah, Reuben, Gad and Manasseh.
March 27: Psalm 86 & 1 Chronicles 6-9 – 8 and Half Tribes, Saul and dwellers at Jerusalem
March 28: Psalm 87 & 1 Chronicles 10-13 – End of Saul and beginning of David’s reign.
March 29: Psalm 88 & 1 Chronicles 14-17 – David in Jerusalem
March 30: Psalm 89 & 1
Chronicles 18-21 – David’s conquest and the terrible census
March 31: Psalm 90 & 1 Chronicles 22-25 – The temple and ministers
April 1: Psalm 91 & 1 Chronicles 26-29 – Gatekeepers, Warriors and the Builder of the temple.
SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK
Acts 13:2 – “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Happy 13th week of the year!
