God did not intend that man would be a slave to time or be controlled by it. God made time for man and designed it for the execution of His purposes on earth. In Mark 2: 27, Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man; and not man for the Sabbath”. Joshua understood this when he called the sun and the moon to stand still until he had done the will of God. From our exalted place in Christ, we shall be speaking into this 35th week of the year to cooperate and align with God’s purposes in the nations. By prayer, prophetic decrees and obedience, let us redeem the week from the clutches of evil.
FIVE THINGS ABOUT THE 35TH SEASON:
- This is a week of rest. The 35th week is the seventh and last week in the fifth 7 weeks of the year. It is a Sabbath week. A seventh week should be a season of rest from toil, labor, trouble, and struggles. The Lord Jesus used the Sabbath to call the distressed into rest from their struggles and pains. When God speaks rest, the evil one speaks distress.
PRAYER: Pray that this week would be a time of ending yokes and burdens rather a week of unrest and troubles. Let us lean on the finished work and command rest for God’s people in this week.
2. This is a week of everlasting joy but the evil one hijacks this season to make it a season of sorrow. Isaiah 35:10 says, “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away”.The evil one makes the 35th season a time of abrupt endings. He cuts short lives and purposes in this season. Genesis 35 bears witness to this. Isaac died there. Deborah (Rebekah’s nurse) died there. Rachel died there after giving birth to Benjamin (Genesis 35: 8, 19, 29). Jacob’s active life ended in this chapter also. Genesis 36 is about Esau. The rest of the book is about the sons of Jacob especially Joseph and Judah. The death of King Josiah is recorded in Second Chronicles 35. He died at the age of 39. His life ended abruptly in a battle field.
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated within the 35th seven years of America from 1620. King George VI died at the close of the 35th seven years of the United Kingdom. The 35th President of the United States, John F, Kennedy, was assassinated. In the 35th seven years of America (from 1776), Donald Trump escaped two impeachment attempts. Within the same 35th seven years, the spirit of death working through COVID-19, swept through the land and ended many lives. This week in 1985 (August 27), the regime of Muhammad Buhari ended abruptly in Nigeria following Ibrahim Babangida’s coup. This week in 1991 (August 27), Ibrahim Babangida created 9 new states in Nigeria increasing the number of states from 21 to 30. This week in 1993 (August 27) Ibrahim Babangida yielded to pressure, stepped down as Head of State, and handed over to an Interim National Government.
PRAYER: Pray against abrupt endings for God’s people this 35th week of the year. Pray against operations of the spirit of death in this week. Decree abrupt ends for things that should not be – in families. In the church and in the nations.
3. This is a week of judgment against wickedness. Psalm 35:1-3 says, “Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. [2] Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help. [3] Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.” The 35th season is a season when the wicked do wickedly. It is a book of Habakkuk week. In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet complained to the Lord about His seeming indifference to his cry against violence and breakdown of justice n the land. God promised He would tame the land with a wicked nation. The prophet protested; wondering how God would use a wicked and ungodly nation to punish His people. In a 35th week, God may seem silent or absent but He is in His temple and will act in due time. Reuben defiled his father’s bed in Genesis 35. The Abacha government accused, arrested, and jailed Obasanjo in 1995 (Nigeria’s 35th year). The Ogoni 8 (including Ken Saro-Wiwa were executed the same year. It was a year impunity and great human rights abuse in Nigeria leading to tough UN sanctions.
PRAYER: Pray that God will rise against wickedness, violence, and injustice in the nations this week. Pray in line with Psalm 35 that God will deliver His people from wicked hands and hearts in this week.
4. This is a week of revival. This is a time to return to Bethel. The 35th season is a time to go back to Bethel – the place of encounter with God. In Genesis 35, God told Jacob to return to Bethel. He got his family and household to do away with all idols in their possession. In Second Chronicles 35, Josiah led Israel to keep a landmark Passover as part of his reforms. Josiah and all Judah returned to the Lord and observed a ground-shaking Passover; such as had never happened since the days of Samuel. That was the last revival before Babylonian captivity. The 35th season is a time for revival of faith. Josiah’s celebration of the Passover was like a return to the beginning. The Passover was the beginning of Israel’s independence and separation from Egypt. In Jeremiah 35, God commended the sons of Rechab for refusing to depart from their roots and from the instructions of their father
.PRAYER: Pray for revival in the nations. The Spirit of God is calling us this week to go back to Bethel. Pray that the God’s people will hear this call. Pray against temptations to shun the path to Bethel in this week.
5. The 35th season is a season of blessings for the godly. In Genesis 35, God spoke comfort and blessing to Jacob. He announced his change of name for the last time in this chapter. In Jeremiah 35, God blessed the sons of Rechab. Jeremiah 35:19 says, “…Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.”
PRAYER: Pray that this is a week of divine encounters for God’s people in the nations. Let it be a week of removing the garment of old identity and a week of walking in the blessings our new identity in Christ.
SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK:
Isaiah 35:5-6, 10: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. [10] And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away”.
Amen!!! Happy 35th week of the year.
