Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV
”Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!“
INSIGHT
–Iniquity from a broader perspective can be translated as lawlessness or evil. Iniquity draws us away from God and He does not hear our prayers (Isaiah 59:2). Repentance is mandatory in our walk of faith. The Lord reminds us that even through one walks in power and prophecies, casts out demons and do many wanders, but they practice lawlessness, one cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. Repentance means to ask for forgiveness, shunning away from evil and walking in holiness. God calls us to be holy for He is Holy (1 Peter 1:16). God reminds us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling and to participate in the work of preaching the gospel for His good pleasures and will.
PRAYER
We thank You dear Jesus for this new week that You have enabled us to see. We know that many have gone ahead of us but by Your mercy and grace You have kept us alive. We know that You have a good plan and future for our lives and we sincerely thank You. Dear Lord Jesus we repent for every sin and iniquity that we have done, said and thought. We humbly ask that You forgive us every sin, iniquity, and transgression that we know of and those that we are not aware of. We are sorry for the times we have grieved, ignored and disobeyed You Holy Spirit. The times we have walked away from You and Your will, may You forgive us and wash us with Your precious blood. Your mercies are new every morning, may You deliver us from every habitual sin and every snare of the enemy. May You break every barrier, chain, snare, delay in our lives and every sphere of our lives, families, communities, churches, nation and level every mountain. May You guide us with Your eye in our journey of faith Abba Father. We welcome You into our lives Holy Spirit, may You anoint us afresh. May You Lord God Almighty, our God of peace, sanctify us through and through. May You Lord keep our whole spirits, souls and bodies blameless at You coming Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
Further reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Matthew 7:1-6
Joshua 7:2-5 NIV
”Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.” So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.“
INSIGHT
-Beth Aven is derived from the Hebrew words “bayith” and “aven” which means the house of iniquity,” a place in Benjamin. While taking new territories, it does not mean that every war must be won especially if the people are living in iniquity. The Israelites went into war under the leadership of Joshua and they lost the battle. They were devastated and Joshua tore his clothes and went where the ark of the covenant was till evening and complained asking the Lord why He brought them out of Egypt to come and die by the sword of the Amorites. The Lord disclosed that, “Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.” (Joshua 7:10-12). The Lord ordered that they people must consecrate themselves and destroy every idol so that they may win their battles and emerge victorious.
PRAYER
We give thanks to You Lord for You are good and Your love endures forever. We give thanks to You God of gods for Your love endures forever. We give thanks to You Lord of lords for Your love endures forever. To You Who alone does great wonders, Your love endures forever. You who by Your understanding made the heavens, Your love endures forever. You who spread out the earth upon the waters, Your love endures forever. You who made the great lights Your love endures forever, the sun to govern the day, Your love endures forever, the moon and stars to govern the night; Your love endures forever. We love You Lord, thank You for loving us first. May You help us Lord to love You with all our hearts, souls, hearts and strength, and love our neighbors as ourselves. May You help us to love one another deeply for love cover a multitude of sins. May You forgive us, our families and cover the sins of our nation with Your precious blood that speaks better things that that of Abel. May You fight for us every battle and make us victorious in every area of our lives. May You enable us to take new territories according to Your great love and purpose. Lord Jesus You have saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to Your own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. Amen
Further reading: 1 Peter 4:8, 2 Timothy 1:9
Psalms 51:5 NKJV
”Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.“
INSIGHT
–Iniquities may stem out from one’s bloodline. Originating from the sin of one’s fathers and forefathers. The possibility of one being conceived in iniquity is evident as King David confessed when he orchestrated the death of Uriah and took his wife. Leviticus 26:40-42 reveals that when one confesses the sins and the sins of their ancestors, God remembers His covenant with Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, and heals the land. Due to unconfessed iniquity we find families battling with hereditary diseases, addictions and other challenges. We are called to confess our sins, those of our fathers and forefathers, and the Lord will continually bless us.
PRAYER
We have sinned and fallen short of Your glory dear Lord Jesus may You forgive us. May You help us to forgive all those who have sinned against us and heal all our wounds. May Your blood dear Lord Jesus cleanse our bloodlines and make us clean in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. In Your mercy Lord Jesus may You remember mercy. May You reunite all the broken families and visit us in all our needs. May Your hand of mercy and grace empower us and remove every darkness, malice, hatred, jealousy, and every wicked plan within our families. May You provide for every family food, shelter, clothing, school fees and all our needs. May You level all the mountains dear Lord Jesus. Many are waiting on You for marriages, may Your favor be upon them dear Lord Jesus. Many are waiting on You for children, may Your grace be upon them. Many are waiting on You for financial breakthrough and provision may You answer all their prayers and needs. Many are waiting on You for healing, may You heal them dear Jesus. Only You are our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory; forever and ever. Amen
Further reading: 2 Chronicles 7:14, Romans 12:17-21
John 10:10-11 NIV
”The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.“
INSIGHT
–Temptations come to distract, dissuade and draw us away from the will of God. Everyone is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed, and when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full-grown, it brings forth death (James 1:14-15). Iniquity gives birth to death and allows room for the devil to kill, steal and destroy. God is faithful and does not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but with the temptation He makes the way of escape, that we may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). After He had fasted and prayed, Jesus was tempted by the devil but He overcame. At the end of the temptations, the devil departed from Him until an opportune time (Luke 4:13). Jesus is the Author of life and He makes our lives complete. He is our Good Shepherd and gives us abundant life and life everlasting by His grace.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus You are Faithful, You remain Faithful even when we become faithless, we worship You Lord God Almighty. We thank You for enabling us to see this new month knowing that there are many who have passed on before us. We give You all the glory and praise. We ask You to open all the gates of February for us to gain favor and grace before You dear Lord Jesus. May You deliver us from evil and temptation, and grant us victory in every sphere of our lives. We love You oh Lord for You are our Good Shepherd. We thank You for laying Your life down for us even when we did not deserve it. You are so good and wonderful to us. Thank You Jesus for laying Your life for us and making our lives complete. Oh all we bless Your name. Dear Lord Jesus, we humbly repent from all the sins we have committed, may You forgive us and sanctify us by Your precious blood. May You purify us and blot out all our transgressions in our lives oh Lord. Today we pray for all who don’t know You that You may allow them to enter through Your Door of salvation. Father You are the one who restores, may You restore us all and everything that we have lost. We pray all these knowing You are our Faithful Father, and You are able and You have already done it. We thank You Lord and pray this in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.
Further reading: Luke 22:40, James 1:12
Titus 2:11-15 NKJV
”For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.“
INSIGHT
–The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Jesus Christ saved us from eternal condemnation by nailing our sins and iniquities on the cross for the benefit of the whole world. His blood dripping down His face to the cross, wipes away all our iniquity when we repent and look for the blessed hope of eternal life, and we are called to shun away from all unrighteousness, ungodliness and be ardent for every good work by the grace of God.
SUMMARY
Iniquity in Hebrew is written as evel, avlah or olah which means unrighteousness or lawlessness. When temptations overcome a person it leads to iniquity. This gives opportunity for the devil to distract someone from the will of God and he comes in to implement his main agenda of killing, stealing and destroying (John 10:10). Iniquity then may have dominion over someone and the word of God gives room for escape (Psalms 119:133). Iniquity comes at the point of one’s conception due to the fallen nature of man (Psalms 51:5). This gives room for child birth deformities, miscarriages, hereditary illnesses, addictive behavior and other challenges. The Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. They also read the Book of the Law, confessed and worshiped God (Nehemiah 9:2-3). Joshua and the Israelites went to war against the Amorites and lost the battle. He had sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven, the house of iniquity to the east of Bethel, where the soldier of Ai killed some Israelites and chased others away, and their hearts melted in fear and became like water (Joshua 7:2-5). While taking new territories, it does not mean that every war must be won especially if the people are living in iniquity. The Lord discloses that, Israel sinned and violated His covenant. They took devoted things, stole, lied, and therefore the Lord rejected them lest they destroyed every unclean thing (Joshua 7:10-12). The Lord ordered that they people must consecrate themselves and destroy every idol so that they may win their battles and emerge victorious. God is our Good Shepherd and lays down His life for us His sheep. The Lord cautions us from becoming workers of iniquity for this results in destruction (Matthew 7:21-23). He calls us to be holy because He is Holy and work out our salvation with fear and trembling by His mercy and grace.
PRAYER
We declare that Jesus You are our Lord and King. We declare the victory that You Jesus have won for us on the cross. We raise Your banner Lord our God Jesus Christ. Let the earth rejoice and let the heavens be glad. May You allow the portal of heaven to be open and take charge of our lives, families and nation. We glorify You Jesus Christ who takes away the sins of the world. May You draw us near to You and forgive us, cleansing us with Your precious blood and open our eyes that we may see and receive Your true salvation together with our family members, nation and nations of the world. May You destroy every enemy, opposer and accuser of our lives and destinies. May You help us to walk according to Your work and purpose for the feet of the righteous are ordered by You Lord. May You renew our minds and hearts according to Your holiness and righteousness. Create in us clean hearts and renew Your steadfast spirit within us. May You cause us to love what You love and to hate what You hate. May Your Holy Spirit reveal to us the truth and convict us to righteousness, sin and judgement. May Your kingdom come and will be done on earth as it in heaven. May You bless us and keep us dear Lord Jesus. May You shine Your face towards us and be gracious unto us. May You show Your countenance unto us and give us peace. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen
Further reading: 1 John 3:7-9, 1 Corinthians 13:6-7