The first week of the year is a book of Genesis season in the year. Genesis is the first book of the Bible and holds the guiding light for the first week of the year. The first chapters of the Bible are also applicable to this first week. Patterns in the first book and first chapters of the Bible indicate the following about the first week of the year:
1. It is a season to honour God by prioritizing His Word (or Voice) and your relationship with Him. The book of Genesis begins with God speaking. The first week of the year is a time to give attention to the Word of God. The word of must come before everything else. God is first and the first belongs to Him. God demands to be honoured with the first (Exodus 13:1ff; Proverbs 3: 9-10). God rewards honour and reacts against dishonour in the first season. In the book of Genesis, He rewarded honour in Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and his descendants. He reacted against dishonour in Adam and Eve, Cain, the Flood generation, the Babel generation and in Sodom and Gomorrah.
The first season 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 our lives. 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.
PRAY that the Lord be honoured in your life and among His people in land.
2. It is a season to release the light of God’s presence against the darkness of the unknown future. God is Light and there is no darkness in Him. The light of the first day of creation did not come from the sun, moon or stars but from God Himself. It came from His Presence and Voice. God also began to reveal Himself and His plans to man in the first book of the Bible. The first week of the year is both for receiving light for the year and releasing light into the year.
PRAY “Let there be Light” into the new year this week. Receive light from His presence and release the same into the year.
3. It is a season to start work. It is the opening season of the year. God did the work of creation in the first book of the Bible and started the work of the first week on the first day of the week. Let us follow His steps and start the year’s work on this first week. The journey into the year starts this week. You have received a destination from Him. You have also received the roadmap. Now is the time to step out and go to work.
PRAY grace and strength and wisdom to start the work of the year and continue to the finishing point.
4. It is a season of recruitment. God recruited men in the first book of the Bible. He began with the creation of Adam and Eve. They failed. Abel came into alignment with God but was murdered by his brother. God came to Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. God ended His search when He found Abraham. This week, God is looking in Christ. for the ‘People of the Year’. He is looking for people whose hearts are after His. It is important to give attention, and respond, to the pull of the Spirit on your heart. It might just be a recruitment opportunity.
PRAY to come into alignment with God and what He wants to do this year in your life, community, region or in the world.
