Seasons do not always bring what they should. People can have drought in a time of rain; or war in a time of peace. That is the reason Zechariah 10:1 says we should ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. God’s watchmen should align with the Lord in the matter of seasons to also get each time to align with divine purpose.
The 31st season is Heaven’s season of channge. It is a time for watchmen, gatekeepers, and intercessors to draw the line, shut the door to the old narrative and open the gates to the new. This is a gate of time for progressive change. Amen! Let it be so this week in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
BIBLICAL PATTERNS FOR THE 31ST WEEK
- Week 31 is a third-day-of-creation week (Genesis 1: 9-13). The 31st week has its pattern in the third day of creation when God ended the reign of the waters and manifested in the earth to bring forth vegetation.
This is a week of triumph over death.
- Week 31 is a book of Obadiah week. The 31st book of the Bible (Obadiah) is a one-chapter and 21-verse book. Obadiah prophesied the overthrow and destruction of Edom; and the deliverance and restoration of God’s people to possess their possession. In five verses (17-21), the words ‘possess’ and ‘possession’ are used eight times. This 31st week is a week of deliverance and possessing possessions.
- Week 31 is a 31st-chapters-of-the-Bible week. The 31st chapters of the Bible indicate the 31st is the end of old things and the beginning of new things. In Genesis 31, Jacob fled the house of Laban by the word of the Lord. The sons of Laban became envious of his wealth and prosperity and began to complain about him. Jacob was no longer comfortable. That was the end of his twenty-year sojourn with his uncle. In Exodus 31, God called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and other assisting artisans, to undertake the work of constructing the tabernacle – so that God would have a dwelling place among His people. God did not put it in the hands of Moses and Aaron to do the work; although Moses received the pattern. Power changes hands in the 31st season. In Numbers 31, God commanded Moses to fight against the Midianites and overthrow them. They also killed Balaam there. The 31st week is a week of divine vengeance. Numbers 31:7-8 says, “And they warred against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed all the males. They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed-Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword”. In Deuteronomy 31, Joshua became the new leader of Israel. Moses gave his farewell speech to Israel in that chapter. In First Samuel 31, Saul and his three sons died in the battle field. That made way for David to become the new king of Israel. In Second Chronicles 31, Hezekiah carried out sweeping religious reforms and overthrew idol worship in Judah. In Job 31, the servant of God gave his last long speech before Elihu took over from chapters 32-37. He swore and invoked curses to come upon him if he had done wrong. Job 31 ends with “The words of Job are ended”. In the 31st season, the old gives way to the new. In Psalms 31, the psalmist prays for deliverance and against coming to an end. He also prays for the end of the wicked. Psalm 31:15-18 says, “My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me. [16] Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me for Your mercies’ sake. [17] Do not let me be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon You; Let the wicked be ashamed; Let them be silent in the grave. [18] Let the lying lips be put to silence, Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous”. Proverbs, the book of divine wisdom, ends in Chapter 31; and the last chapter ends at verse 31. Whereas Proverbs 1-30 are the words of a father to his son, the 31st chapter consists of the words of a mother to her son. In Proverbs 31, the male teacher stopped and female teacher took over. Isaiah 31 is a pronouncement of judgment against those who rebel against God. The 31st season is for war; the wicked against the righteous; and righteousness against wickedness. Jeremiah 31 is the promise of return, comfort, and the end of sorrow and weeping in Judah. It is in this chapter also (Jeremiah 31:31-34) that God spoke of ending the Old Covenant and introducing the New Covenant. Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah – not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” In Ezekiel 31, the prophet spoke of the overthrow and humiliation of Egypt.
- Week 31 is a Deuteronomy 11-15 week. Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Bible; and is applicable to the fifth 7 weeks of the year. The third five chapters of the fifth book of the Bible is applicable to the third week in the 5th seven weeks of the year. In the third 5 chapters of Deuteronomy, God commanded Israel to love the Lord and separate themselves from the ways of the other nations. He gave them commandments about how they must live as a distinguished people; to ensure the continuous flow of His favor and blessings. The old ways of doing things come to an end in the 31st season.
BIBLE READING SUGGESTIONS FOR THE WEEK
Going through the 31st week of the year (July 30 – August 5 in a clear year) is like taking a prophetic journey through the 31st book of the Bible (Obadiah) and 31st chapters of the Bible. So, the Book of Obadiah and the 31st chapters of the Bible are great guiding lights for the week. Obadiah is a one-chapter, 21-verse book.
You may want to read the suggested passages as follows:
July 30: Obadiah 1:1-21
July 31: Gen. 31; Exod. 31
August 1: Num. 31; Deut. 31
August 2: 1 Sam. 31; 2 Chron. 31
August 3: Job 31; Psa. 31
August 4: Prov. 31; Isa. 31
August 5: Jer. 31; Ezek. 31
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 31ST WEEK
The 31st season is change-over and hand-over season. The longest months in the Hebrew Calendar have 30 days. What should have been the 31st day of the month is the beginning of a new month. The longest months in the Gregorian calender has 31 days. No month has 32 days! After the 31st day, a new month begins.
Ancient and modern history also bear witness that ‘the 31st’ is an endpoint and a new beginning.
In Africa, three countries gained independence in the 31st week of 1960: Benin (August 1), Niger (August 3), Burkina Faso (August 5). In Nigeria, the military administration of Yakubu Gowon began in the 31st week of 1966 following the murder of Aguiyi-Ironsi. Nine years later, in the 31st week of 1975, Murtala Mohammed overthrew Yakubu Gowon in a bloodless coup and started a new regime. Twelve of Nigeria’s 36 states began in her 31st year (1991) either by creation or change of name. The same year (1991), Nigeria’s Capital moved effectively from Lagos to Abuja.
In the United States, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ written in 1814 was adopted as the National Anthem in 1931 (March 3). After the 31st president of the United States, Herbert Hoover, the Republicans did not return to power till after 20 years (1933-1953). His successor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was elected for a fourth consecutive term. That was the first and last time a President was elected for a fourth term in the history of the United States. A new beginning followed the 31st President. In the season of the 31st president, the Great Depression wiped out a lot of investors. Things come to an end in the 31st season. After the 31st seven years of the US (the Reagan/Bush season – 1986 – 1993), a era of unique leadership ended. Ronald Reagan is a reference point in US politics. In that season, the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union collapsed, and Kuwait was saved from annexation by Iraq. Bush was the first sitting Vice President to be elected President. After the 31st seven years, Madeleine Albright became the first female Secretary of State (1997-2001) in the 32nd seven years. Margaret Thatcher, the first female UK Prime minister, was in service in the 31st seven years of the United States, and she came to power after the 31st Prime Minister from Benjamin Disraeli, the first to use the title of Prime Minister. In the 31st seven years of the United Kingdom, a number of significant things happened: enfranchisement of women both in the UK and the United States and the beginning of women being elected to the legislature both in Britain and America; the Balfour Declaration supporting a Jewish National Home in Palestine; the defeat of the central powers in World War One. The year 1931 was a year of new beginnings. The crushing Russia – Ukraine War that started in 2022 began in the 31st year of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
PRAYER POINTS FOR THE 31ST WEEK OF THE YEAR
- Pray that this 31st week of the year is a time of deliverance and possessing possessions in the nations. Pray that this a week of moving into freedom and peace for many people.
- Pray that saviors will arise from every quarter and judge ‘the house of Esau’ in the nations and that the Lord may possess His possession on earth. This week, declare Obadiah 1:21 – “. . Saviors shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s”.
- Pray that this 31st week of the year will be the end of the old narrative of wickedness, oppression and exploitation in nations. Pray it is the beginning of a positive new story in the nations. Pray that ‘Omri’ will not rise in the nations this 31st week as it did in the 31st year of Asa king of Judah (1 Kings 16: 23).
- Pray against destructions and the wasting of lives in the nations this week.
SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK
Isaiah 31:4-5:
“For thus the LORD has spoken to me: “As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice Nor be disturbed by their noise), So the LORD of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. [5] Like birds flying about, So will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it.”
Happy 31st week of the year.
