Every week has its purpose in the plan of God but the kingdom of darkness also seeks to hijack seasons for her own evil purposes. That is why we must align with God and His purposes and stand to see that His will is done on earth, in each season, as it is in Heaven and as it is revealed in the Bible. We have a mandate to redeem the days from the dominion of evil. We shall win because we won in Him.
The 36th week is the beginning of a new seven-week season – the sixth 7 weeks of the year (September 3 – October 21). It is the beginning of a book of Joshua season in the year.
BIBLICAL PATTERNS FOR THE WEEK
There are five Biblical patterns for understanding the 36th week. They are
- The first day of creation. This is because the 36th week is the first week in a 7-week season – just as the 7th day of creation is key to understanding 7th seasons.
- The Book of Zephaniah – this is the 36th book of the Bible.
- The nine 36th chapters of the Bible (Genesis 36, Exodus 36, Numbers 36, Second Chronicles 36, Job 36, Psalm 36, Isaiah 36, Jeremiah 36 and Ezekiel 36).
- The first four chapters of the sixth book of the Bible (Joshua). The 36th ofweek is the beginning of the 6th seven weeks of the year and the sixth 7 weeks has some guiding light in the sixth book of the Bible. Share the 24-chapter Book of Joshua to seven weeks and you get 4-4-4-3-3-3-3.
- The first 10 books of the Bible (Genesis – Second Samuel)
B. BIBLE READING SUGGESTIONS FOR THE WEEK
Going through the 36th week of the year is like taking a journey through the 36th book of the Bible (Zephaniah). It is also like walking through the 36th chapters of the Bible. So, the Book of Zephaniah and the 36th chapters of the Bible are great guiding lights for the week. Zephaniah is the 3-chapter book following the book of Habakkuk.
You may want to read the suggested passages as follows but also be free to follow the leading of the Spirit of God:
September 2: Zephaniah 1; Genesis 36;
September 3: Zephaniah 2; Exodus 36.
September 4: Zephaniah 3; Numbers 36
September 5: 2 Chronicles 36; Job 36
September 6: Psalm 36. Isaiah 36.
September 7: Jeremiah 36
September 8: Ezekiel 36
WORD FOR THE WEEK
Ezekiel 36:24-30: “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. [25] Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. [26] I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. [27] I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. [28] Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. [29] I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. [30] And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations”.
C. THOUGHTS AND PRAYER POINTS FOR THE WEEK
- The 36th week is a season of special honor to our Heavenly Father. God is First and the first belongs to Him. This is a season to give room and space to God as Bezalel and his company began the construction of the tabernacle in Exodus 36. This is a week to celebrate and magnify God as the Psalmist did in Psalm 36: 5-10; and as Elihu did in Job 36: 5-12, 22-33. This is a season to seek God as Zephaniah 2:1-3 says: “Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, [2] Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you! [3] Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’s anger”.
If the Lord is not honored, the 36th season becomes a time to experience the 36th book of the Bible (Zephaniah).
Zephaniah 1:2-6 says, “I will utterly consume everything From the face of the land,” Says the LORD; [3] “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, The fish of the sea, And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land,” Says the LORD. [4] “I will stretch out My hand against Judah, And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests- [5] Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD, But who also swear by Milcom; [6] Those who have turned back from following the LORD, And have not sought the LORD, nor inquired of Him.”
Zephaniah 1:14-18 says, “The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. [15] That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, [16] A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers. [17] “I will bring distress upon men, And they shall walk like blind men, Because they have sinned against the LORD; Their blood shall be poured out like dust, And their flesh like refuse.” [18] Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the LORD’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land”.
PRAYER: Worship the Lord and praise Him with Psalm 36: 5-10. Speak of His mercy, loving-kindness, righteousness, justice, generosity and faithfulness. Praise the Lord with the words of Elihu in Job 36. Let the Lord be magnified in our lives too.
Pray that repentance and humility and mercy will run ahead to avert a book of Zephaniah experience in the nations this week.
- The 36th season is a time to speak blessings and comfort to God’s heritage as Ezekiel spoke blessings to Israel in Ezekiel 36; as Moses did to the daughters of Zelophehad who had no male sibling and were at risk of losing their father’s inheritance in Numbers 36.
PRAYER: Prophesy Ezekiel 36 over the nations and God’s people in them. Speak Ezekiel 36: 7-12, 15, 23-38 over plundered and hurting nations and territories. Speak Zephaniah 3: 12-20 to God’s people in the nations.
- The 36th season is a season of major victories. It is a time to dare impossible challenges by faith and with the power and presence of God. It is a time to overcome tough barriers. It is a time to cross overflowing Jordan. God’s people in the United States had a major victory at the beginning of her 36th seven years with the overthrow of Roe Vs Wade.
PRAYER: Pray that this will be a week of significant victories for God’s people in the nations.
4.. The 36th week is a season to pray against the wicked and wickedness (Psalm 36: 1-4, 11-12). The wicked seek to hijack the 36th season to dishonor God and ridicule His people and their faith in God. Darkness seeks to overtake people in this season:
a). All of Genesis 36 is about Esau and his descendants – right in the middle of Jacob’s story. It is like an unholy interruption of Jacob’s story that began Genesis 28.
b). The stubbornness of Judah reached a peak in Second Chronicles 36 and Babylon overran God’s people and burnt Jerusalem and the temple.
c). Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, threatened to invade Judah in Isaiah 36 and sent his servants to make mockery of Hezekiah’s faith in God.
d). In Jeremiah 36, Jehoiakim king of Judah destroyed Jeremiah’s scroll and burnt it when the word of the Lord was read to him from the scroll. He came under curse.
THE TESTIMONY OF HISTORY
Modern history confirms that the wicked are very active in the 36th season. The 36th year of the 20th century (1936) was a dark year for nations around the world with deaths, leadership abdication/resignations, natural disasters and persecutions. The British-America War of 1812 started in the 36th year of the United States. The season of the 36th president of United States (Lyndon B. Johnson) was full of pressures – around gun control, immigration, space program, poverty, civil rights, war against communism in Vietnam, and urban protests. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in this season (April 4, 1968). Robert F. Kennedy was shot on June 5; and pronounced dead the following day, June 6, 1968. The Joe Biden administration opened the 36th seven years of the United States on July 4, 2021. The battle between light and darkness has raged at home and abroad with allies.
PRAYER: Pray against invasions of peaceful territories this week. Pray against the disruptive spirit of Esau, the destructive spirit of Babylon, and the intimidating spirit of Assyiria’s Sennacherib, the blasphemous spirit of Jehoiakim in the matters of God’s people this week. Raise a cry against the wicked and wickedness in the nations this week. Pray that the wicked in the nations will not be able to hijack this week for evil purposes. Pray against the interruptions and disruptions from the kingdom of darkness this week. Report the wicked to the Lord as in Psalm 36: 1-4 and pray against them as in Psalm 36: 11-12.
Happy 36th week!
