Welcome to the 21st week of the year. This is the seventh and last week in the third 7 weeks of the year. This week consists of days 141-147. As we pray into this week, it is important for us to be guided by the Holy Spirit as we pray with understanding also. As usual, we would consider the Biblical patterns for the season and then, revelations and prayers points for the season. You may also jump to the prayer-points section.
A. BIBLICAL PATTERNS FOR THE SEASONS
1. THE THIRD SEVEN WEEKS OF THE YEAR
To understand this week closing the third seven weeks of the year, it is important for us to know the agenda and purpose of the third seven weeks. The thirds of the Bible are helpful here – the third day of creation and the book and third chapters of the Bible. Equally important are Bible passages mentioning the third. The Bible indicates that third is a game-changing point. So, the third seven weeks of the year is a game-changing season – when history is made. In 2023, the historic 21-day Isaiah 62 fast occupies the last three weeks of this season. The 21st week is the last week of this game-changing season. In this season, the enemy wants to kill (Genesis 3; Esther 3; Daniel 3) but the life giving Voice of God also sounds in this season (Exodus 3; 1 Samuel 3; Matthew 3; Luke 3; Acts 3). Think of what the evil one hoped to do with the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 and how God turned it
2. THE 21ST WEEK
There are seven biblical patterns for understanding the 21st week: the seventh day of creation narrative, the seventh book and chapters of the Bible, the 21st book of the Bible, the 21st chapters of the Bible, the seventh section (last three chapters) of the third book of the Bible (Leviticus) and the 21st seven Psalms.
a) . The 7th Day of Creation Narrative: The Creator ended His work and rested on the seventh day. He also blessed the seventh day and consecrated it to Himself. So, the seventh season is a season of intervention to end affliction and oppression. It is also a season dedicated to doing the Creator’s pleasure. That is the reason it is called the Lord’s day. Under the New Covenant, everyday is the Lord’s; but the temptation and tendency to pursue your own fleshly thing is more in seventh seasons. The seventh season is often a season of battling enemies to end oppression and affliction. It is a season to end toils and struggles. In the sight of God, the seventh season is an end-point for wickedness and oppression. In seventh seasons, men are pressed to the wall to cry out to God for intervention and deliverance.
b). The 7th Book of the Bible Judges is the seventh book of the Bible. In this book, Israel severally broke God’s covenant; and this brought untold hardship on them. They were oppressed by their neighbors. But each time they turned to God and cried to Him, He raised a judge for them to deliver them from the oppression of their enemies. The 21st week is a week of challenges and interventions.
c). Psalm 141-147 season. It is a time to cry to God for intervention, preservation, deliverance from troubles, and from the wicked. Psalms 141-144 are prayers to God. The enemy unleashes trouble in the 21st season; and so, the righteous must cry to God for intervention. The 21st is also a time to praise God and sing to Him – for His works and for His mercies. It is a time to trust in God and focus on Him. Psalms 145-147 are psalms of praise to God – because they focus on His excellence, goodness, greatness, and mighty works. The 21st season is not a time to focus on man, on self or on the flesh. Think of Ecclesiastes the 21st book of the Bible. It begins as a ‘book of me, my, and mine’; but ends as a book of redirected focus on God. Think about the 21st century and entertainment of the flesh? The pleasure and satisfaction of man is the heart of every invention, innovation, development, or advancement. It all aims at putting man in command. Before the end of the 21st century, man will awaken to the truth that serving God is the purpose of existence. Nothing else will make sense to man.
.d). The 21st book of the Bible: Week 21 is a book of Ecclesiastes Week. Ecclesiastes is the 21st book of the Bible and is applicable to the 21st week of the year. Ecclesiastes is an ‘it is done’ book. It says nothing is new under the sun. The word ‘done’ is used 15 times in this book. The phrase ‘done under the sun’ is used 10 times in the book. The phrase ‘under the sun’ is used 29 times in the entire Bible and only in the book of Ecclesiastes. The word ‘vanity’ (including ‘vanities’) is used 36 times in this book. The phrase ‘grasping after the wind’ is used nine times in the book. The book of Ecclesiastes holds out a realistic but negative view of life. It looks at life ‘under the sun’ as profitless exercise. It sees living and working as grasping after the wind’ because of the limitations imposed by death and impermanence. Death opens its mouth wide and makes mess of human existence in 21st seasons. For the saint in Christ, who is living under God, the 21st season is not a season of wastage; but a season of making profit, accomplishing eternal results, and overcoming death. Our labor is not under the sun but ‘in the Lord’ and it is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
In the 21st seven years of the United States (1916-1923), when Woodrow Wilson was President, the spirit of death claimed the lives of about 675, 000 citizens through the Spanish flu; and over 120, 000 soldiers through the First World War.
e). Leviticus 25-27: Week 21 is a Leviticus 25-27 week. This seventh section of the third book of the Bible is applicable to the seventh week in the third 49 days of the year. The 25th chapter is about ‘the Sabbath of the year’, the year of Jubilee, the redemption of purchased possessions, lending to the poor, and laws that prohibit Jewish enslavement of fellow Jews. Leviticus 26 is about blessings for obedience; or curses for disobedience. The 27th chapter is about the redemption of persons and things dedicated to God. Week 21 is a Sabbath week of REST. It is a season of deliverance from unrest. It is a time of returns and REWARDS – blessings or curses. It is a week of DEDICATION of people and things to God. It is a day of REDEMPTION.
f). The 21st chapters of the Bible: The 21st week is a 21st-chapters-of-the-Bible week. In Genesis 21, the child Abraham and Sarah waited for, was born. Isaac is also the 21st from Adam. In Joshua 21, Israel witnessed and testified that the Lord had given them the Land He promised their fathers. Not one word of the promise failed. In Psalm 21, the Lord gave the king the desires of his heart. In Matthew 21, Jesus recovered the temple of God from merchants and restored it to be the house of Prayer it was intended to be. In Revelation 21, the ‘new heaven’ and ‘new earth’ which Isaiah and Peter spoke about (Isaiah 65: 17-25; Second Peter 3:13) became reality.
g). The Last 9 Books of the Bible. Every seven-week season is like going through the Bible. It has an Old Testament side and a New Testament side. The first four weeks (28 days) is the Old Testament side and expresses the 39 books of the Old Testament. The remaining three weeks constitute the New Testament side and expresses the 27 books of the New Testament. Week 21 is the last week in the New Testament side of the third 49 days; and expresses the last 9 books of the New Testament. It is a Hebrews – Revelation week in the third 7 weeks of the year. Those nine books are books of correction, judgment, recovery, and restoration. Week 21 is a week of results. The 21st week of 2021 is a very unique, once-in-a-century gate of time. It is the 21st week of the 21st year of the 21st century; and began May 21.
B. BIBLE READING SUGGESTIONS FOR THE WEEK
Going through the 21st week is like taking a prophetic journey through the 21st seven Psalms (141-147) and the 21st book of the Bible (Ecclesiastes) plus the 21st chapters of the Bible.
You may read as follows:
May 21: Psalm 141 & Ecclesiastes 1-2
May 22: Psalm 142 & Ecclesiastes 3-4
May 23: Psalm 143 & Ecclesiastes 5-6
May 24: Psalm 144 & Ecclesiastes 7-8
May 25: Psalm 145 & Ecclesiastes 9-10
May 26: Psalm 146 & Ecclesiastes 11
May 27: Psalm 147 & Ecclesiastes 12
C. THOUGHTS AND PRAYER POINTS FOR THE WEEK
Here are 10 things from the 21st book and chapters of the Bible that we can bring before the Lord in the 21st week.
1. The 21st season is about kings and the King.
This is the season to tame arrogant rulers and leaders both in the Church and in the Nations (Ahab in First Kings 21; Manasseh in Second Kings 21; David in First Chronicles 21; and Jehoram in Second Chronicles 21. This is the season to recover kingdoms and thrones from abusive leaders and rulers. The 21st chapters of Exodus and Deuteronomy reveal that this is a season of justice and responsibility. The governments of this world have become too compromised to stand for justice. The church, by prophetic unction, must rise to this responsibility of enforcing the rule of the Kingdom in the nations.
It is a time to tame the proud and the arrogant. In First Kings 21, Elijah stepped in to confront and curse Ahab and his house – over the case of Naboth. In Second Kings 21, judgment came upon Manasseh and Judah because of the sins and wickedness of Manasseh. In First Chronicles 21, Israel came under a plague for David’s wrong step in numbering Israel. The 21st chapters of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are judgments decreed on nations. Heaven reacts against human pride and arrogance in the 21st season.
PRAYER: Pray that the Lord would visit wickedness and the wicked in our world. Pray that the Lord would hear the cry of the poor and helpless and answer their prayers against wickedness. Pray that the Lord would move the heart of kings and people in authority to do His will this season. Pray that the king’s of the earth will humble themselves before the King of kings.
2. This is a season to fulfill prophecies and promises
The 21st and the realization of dreams go together. It is a time to realize dreams and receive long awaited promises and expectations. The birth of Isaac (the 21st from Adam) is recorded in Genesis 21. This is a week of laughter. Israel began to possess the land of her enemies in Numbers 21 (defeating Og, Sihon, and the King of Arad). This is the season to bring down and dispossess giant enemies (2 Samuel 21: 15-22). The tribe of Levi received their inheritance in Joshua 21. In the same chapter, it is recorded that God fulfilled to Israel the promise of land He made to their fathers. Psalm 21 is about a king whose desires the Lord had granted. Revelation 21 records the fulfillment of the promise of a new heaven and a new earth, the manifestation of the tabernacle of God on earth, and the wiping away of tears. The 21st season is a season of dreams coming true. Read Genesis 21: 1ff; Joshua 21:1-3, 43-45; Psalm 21: 1ff; Revelation 21: 1-4). Under the 21st president of the United States,Arthur Chester, the Civil Service reforms that the 18th, 19th, and 20th presidents could not achieve, became reality.
Receiving promises may require the removal of obstacles. So, this season is also for dismantling all barriers to access. In Numbers 21, Israel overthrew three kings that denied them access on their way to Canaan.
PRAYER: Pray that this week would be a season of receiving promises and realizing dreams. Pray that it is not a season of unjust miscarriage of hopes and expectations. This week, pray that the Lord will grant you access to purposes, places and people you desire.
3. This is the season to separate Ishmael from Isaac.
It is a season of pain for Ishmael but the Lord will reveal the well of living water to Hagar and her son (Genesis 21).
PRAYER: Prayer that the Lord would cause a separation between that which is of the Spirit and that which is of the flesh among His people in the nations. Pray for Israel – that Isaac would rest from Ishmael’s trouble.
4. This is a season of refreshing. This is a season of wells of water. The Lord opened Hagar’s eyes to see a well of from which she and her son were refreshed in Genesis 21. In Numbers 21, God led Israel to a place of wells of water.
PRAYER: Pray that times of resting would come from the presence of the Lord this week and that the thirsty would find wells of refreshing water in the assemblies and congregations of God’s people.
5. This is a season of three Rs – recovery, restoration wand redirection:
It is a time of recovery and rehabilitation. In Judges 21, Israel came together at Shiloh to solve the problem of finding wives for the men of Benjamin. That step saved the tribe of Benjamin.They recovered Benjamin. In First Chronicles 21, David recovered a holy ground that had become a threshing floor from Araunah (Ornan). In Matthew 21, Jesus cleansed and restored the temple. In John 21, Peter and the other disciples wanted to return to fishing but Jesus redirected Peter to shepherding. In Acts 21, Paul returned to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. The Jews wanted to kill him; but God delivered him and began to make way to take him to Rome.
PRAYER: Pray that the Lord will grant recoveries and cause rehabilitations among His people and in the nations. Pray for the recovery of Holy grounds of faith and wells of living water lost to the world as in Genesis 21 and Second Chronicles 21. Pray that God’s Vineyard will be recovered from unfaithful and wicked caretakers as in Matthew 21. Pray for the restoration of the temple and house of God suffering abuse from self-centered pursuits. Pray that the Lord will redirect His people from returning the familiar place we used to be, to move on to to new grounds we’ve never been to.
6. The season of the bride
The 21st season is for the presentation or engagement of the bride. Ishmael got married in Genesis 21:22. Exodus 21 talks about the slave wife.; Leviticus 21 is about the wife of the priest. Moses addressed the issue of the unloved first wife in Deuteronomy 21. Israel found wives for the men of Benjamin in Judges 21. Jezebel fought for her husband, Ahab, in First Kings 21. The wife of the Lamb is introduced in Revelation 21. A man’s wife makes his dreams and desires reality. Sarah bore a son to Abraham. Jezebel gave Ahab Naboth’s land.
PRAYER: Pray that the Bride of Christ will shine forth and be celebrated in the nations this season.
7. Season of laughter instead of crying.
In Genesis 21, Sarah said God had made her laugh; and in Revelation 21, God said “there shall be no more crying or pain”. This season, Gods people are to proclaim “no more death” by the force of truth.
PRAYER: Pray that this would be a seasons of laughter and celebration for God’s people – and not a season of sorrow and tears.
8. Season of finding answers
It is a time to gain knowledge and receive answers to questions. Ecclesiastes, the 21st book of the Bible is about seeking and finding answers to life’s hard questions. In Genesis 21, God showed Hagar a well of water in a critical time of need. In Numbers 21, Moses received an answer from God concerning the plague of the fiery serpent. In Second Samuel 21, David gained insight concerning the three-year famine that afflicted Israel. In First Chronicles 21, David wanted to know the population statistics of Israel; although it got him into trouble. In Luke 21, the disciples of Jesus wanted to understand times and seasons. In John 21, Jesus delivered His disciples from their struggles to catch fish; by telling them what to do. This is a week of answers.
PRAYER: Pray that the Lord will lead us to answers this week. Pray that the Lord will open the eyes of leaders to His answers to plagues in the nations as in Second Samuel 21.
9. This is a season to pay attention to times and seasons;
The 21st book of the Bible (Ecclesiastes) and the 21st chapter of Luke give prominence to the value of understanding times and seasons. Understanding times and seasons will save individuals, families, the church, and the nations from evil surprises (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; 8: ; 9:12). It is costly to be ignorant of times and seasons in this age.
PRAYER: Pray for a clear understanding of the times to know what you ought to do and to do it.
10. This is a season to be guided by love rather than selfishness.
Israel was guided by love in Judges 21 when the tribes came together to seek the welfare of Benjamin..Ahab and Jezebel treated Naboth’s matter selfishly in First Kings 21. Manasseh was a very selfish king. Second Kings 21 bears witness. He shed much innocent blood. Jehoram was selfish in the way he killed his brothers in Second Chronicles 21. The 21st book of the Bible opens with the king and author and his self-centered achievements and pursuits. In John 21, Jesus queried Peter to secure a commitment of love. This is a week to walk in love, project community and emphasize connectivity. Isolation and individualism are killers in this season. The 21st book of the Bible says, “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12).
PRAYER: Pray for grace to walk in love and for wisdom to go the way of community, collaboration and company. Pray to be deliver from self-centered people and be kept from following selfish ways.
To learn more about praying into the 21st week, go to
https://nkemokemiri.com/praying-into-the-21st-week-of-the-year-may-21-27
