Deuteronomy 2:4-5 NIV
”Give the people these orders: ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own.“
INSIGHT
–New territories always sound good and an achievement anyone can look forward to. Fortunately, or unfortunately, every territory is occupied either physically, spiritually or both. The animal kingdom is also territorial, and lions protect their own fearlessly, and retreat at nothing (Proverbs 30:30). Moses was instructed by God to command the people to pass through the territory of Seir where Esau and his descendants lived. The Lord cautioned that they should not provoke them to war but maintain a peaceful relationship. God promised the Israelites land as an inheritance more than they could imagine, and Joshua subdivided it later to all the tribes of Israel (Joshua 11:23). We have been called to maintained peace and unity even as we take new territories. Also, like the lion which is mighty among the beasts and retreats at nothing, let us be bold and courageous trusting in God, and we will take new territories according to God’s good pleasures and will.
PRAYER
You are the Lion of Judah, You are the King of kings, You are the Lord of lords, You are the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the Eternal One, the King of Grace, none can compare to You in all the heavens and the earth. Only You are worthy to be praised, You are worthy to be adored, You are worthy to be glorified and feared above all other gods. You are seated at the right hand of God the Father in majesty our Great High Priest and we have been raised with You Jesus Christ forever. We thank You and praise Your name. Lord Jesus all power and authority belongs to You and all angels, powers and authorities are subject to You. Lord Jesus You have given us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy and nothing will harm us. May You protect us dear Lord Jesus and increase us in strength, faith, peace, humility and grace as we conquer new territories for the glory and honor of Your name. Amen
Further reading: Hebrews 8:1, Revelation 3:21
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NIV
”Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain. Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.“
INSIGHT
-Jabez mother had hard labor when she was in travail with him. She records this, that it might be a memorandum to herself, to be thankful to God as long as she lived, for bringing her through that sorrow: and a memo to him, that she bore him into a vale of tears, in which he might expect few days and full of trouble. Jabez turned out to be an honorable man. Probably he was a man who treasured devotion and religion. Possibly also a respected man due to his wisdom, wealth, might, courage and dedicated to prayer. He asked God to expand his territories, possibly in prayer, finances, family, religious and societal position etc, and the Lord blessed him and answered him. As we begin the year, let us pray for God’s blessings and favor that He may expand our territories.
PRAYER
Oh Lord Jesus may You bless me indeed and enlarge my territory. May Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain. May You reveal Yourself to me, I want to know You more. As a deer pants for brooks of water, so my soul yearns for You. As a sparrow looks for a home in Your sanctuary, so does my heart wait on You. I wait on You Lord God Almighty day and night. Save me dear Lord Jesus. Deliver and guide me precious Holy Spirit. Oh Lord just as You did for Jabez, may You do it for me dear Lord. Father in the Mighty Name of Jesus we come before Your throne of grace and mercy today with humility in our hearts. Father we humbly repent for the sins and iniquities we have done, said and thought, for what is hidden and known oh Lord and even the sins of omission and commission. Father we thank You for all You have done for us, for all Your faithfulness and goodness in our lives and for who You are. We trust in You and thank You for You have heard us and You are faithful to answer us. We pray all this in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.
Further reading: Psalm 118:5, 1 Peter 5:6
saiah 54:1-3 NIV
”Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the Lord. “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.“
INSIGHT
–Prophet Isaiah is speaking hope to the hopeless. A declaration of the promised lifting up the faith of the hearers. The Lord promises to enlarge your tent, to stretch your curtains wide, to lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes, expand your territory to the right and to the left, and to settle your descendants in nations they do not own and settle in bleakly empty spaces, and a restoration of Israel, God’s chosen people. This scriptures are mirrored in Galatians 4:26-28, where Sarah the barren woman and mother of faith, bares a son Isaac, the son of promise, and so are all those who are of the same faith, in Jesus Christ. Therefore, this is a call for us to rejoice in the Lord even though the situation may seem tough in whatever area of our lives, and God will definitely deliver the promise.
PRAYER
Dear Almighty Father, how great art thou oh Lord. Father we adore You and exalt You for there is none like You. You say in Your word that faith comes by hearing and hearing by Your word. May Your word fill our hearts that it may illuminate our trust in You alone Jesus. May You empower us to spread the gospel to the whole world and reach the unreached. Dear Lord Jesus may You forgive us all our sins and the iniquities and purify us with Your precious blood. Oh Lord, we surrender unto You and ask that You shall do a great thing even for the many out there seeking children, that truly they shall enlarge their tents for their descendants shall be many. May You release the son of the promise dear Lord Jesus in all spheres of our lives. May You bless all those who wait on You for spouses dear Master. Oh Lord for You are the one who does this, may You do it for Your Glory oh Lord. May You enlarge all our territories and the territories of our nation that we shall grow and expand in all ways. We thank You Lord for You are able and You shall do according to Your will and good plan for us. We pray this in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.
Further reading: Romans 10:17, Genesis 21:2
2 Corinthians 3:14-18 NKJV
”But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.“
INSIGHT
–Moses wore a veil to obscure the temporary nature of the glory of his face. Then whenever Moses left the people to go into the presence of the Lord, he removed his veil (Exodus 34:34). In the same manner Jesus Christ removed the temple veil on the cross and gave us access to the Father through His grace. In the New covenant, we then have liberty as we believe in Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Spirit in our hearts, who transforms our lives and takes us from glory to glory, territory to the next by His favor and love.
PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus, we worship and adore You. We exalt and magnify You for who You are and all You have done. Thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross that gave for us on Calvary that our eyes may be opened, and the veil may be removed. We look to You Jesus Christ with our eyes of faith that You may save us, deliver us, transform us day by day and elevate us from one glory to the next and one territory to another. May Your revival come and transform all those who do not know You and do not acknowledge You as Lord and Savior. We believe in You dear Lord and ask that Your Holy Spirit may come into our lives and help us in our journey of faith, our lives, health, families, work, businesses, schools, education, marriages, relationships, churches, government, judiciary, nation and all nations of the world. Your right hand Oh Lord is lifted high for You have done mighty things. May Your right hand Abba Father lift us up from territory to territory according to Your merciful love. May You release the hidden treasures and riches stored in secret places that You may lift us in all spheres of our lives and our economy. May You protect us and preserve us from all evil dear Lord Jesus. May Your name be exulted in all the heavens and the earth, now and forevermore. Amen
Further reading: Matthew 27:50-51, Isaiah 45:3
Psalms 105:17-24 NKJV
”He sent a man before them— Joseph—who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, The ruler of the people let him go free. He made him Lord of his house, And ruler of all his possessions, To bind his princes at his pleasure, And teach his elders wisdom. Israel also came into Egypt, And Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham. He increased His people greatly, And made them stronger than their enemies.“
INSIGHT
-Joseph a slave boy was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites and taken to Egypt at the age of seventeen years (Genesis 37:2). He persevered in prison for approximately thirteen years for he was appointed ruler over Egypt at the age of thirty years (Genesis 41:46). Joseph possibly thought he would be a slave for a shorter time. Just after his first release, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him; and he refused. She accused Joseph of making unwanted sexual advances, and Potiphar had him thrown into prison again (Genesis 39:7–20). During that time Joseph had tasted leadership being in charge of everything in Potiphar’s house (Genesis 39:2–6). Finally, the Lord restored him and gave him a new territory to take charge of, he took authority over Egypt. Some among us might be going through a difficult time or have prayed for a specific matter for a long time that seems like the time of Joseph’s imprisonment. God is releasing a breakthrough and a lifting during this season that we may move into new territories in every aspect of our lives.
SUMMARY
Territory in Hebrew is written as gebul and in Greek ‘edafos, which means a coastline, boundary or border. A multitude of instances can be cited from the Bible to explain the relevance of new territories. Abraham was instructed by God to leave his country, his father’s household and move to the land that the Lord will show him, and he will bless him (Genesis 12:1-2). The Lord also promised the Israelites an inheritance in the territory of Canaan where other nations occupied. From this study we discover that taking new territories may either be through a peaceful takeover and other times through war and violence. The Lord ordered his people to pass through the territory of Seir peacefully where the descendants of Esau lived for that land was given to them (Deuteronomy 2:4-5). King Jehoshaphat led the Israelites in worship, prayer and fasting and the Lord gave them victory. On the other hand the Israelites went into war with the Moabites and defeated them and ten thousand men died under the leadership of Ehud the judge (Judges 3:12-30). Jabez overcame his personal challenges through prayer. Even though he was born through difficulty thus his name Jabez, he emerged victorious through his dedication to God. He prayed that the Lord may bless him and expand his territories. He also prayed that the hand of the Lord may be with him knowing that none can oppose God’s hand. The hopeless are therefore encouraged to pray and hope in the Lord, and He will surely answer their requests. The barren and desolate woman is encouraged to sing to the Lord and give praise, and the Lord will enlarge her tent (Isaiah 54:1-3). Those who have given up are called to arise and rejoice in the Lord in all situations and they will find rest in the Lord. Jesus tore the temple veil through His death, the same veil that Moses revealed as he exposed the people to the presence of the Lord. Therefore, then the whoever turns to the Lord, their veil is taken away and their hearts are transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:14-18). When we submit our hearts to God, He becomes our Lord and Savior and captures the territory of our entire self with His gift of salvation for the glory and honor of His name. Therefore, having the Holy Spirit indwelling in us, we are called to go into the nations and make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all things that the Lord has commanded and He will be us always to the end of age (Matthew 28:19-20).
PRAYER
We thank dear Lord Jesus for You have removed the veil of eternal destruction upon us. You have healed and delivered us from oppression of the law and have given us the law of love that we may love You and our our neighbors as ourselves. May You deliver us dear Lord Jesus from every disease, delay, barrenness, lack, oppression, misfortune, curse, addiction, sin, iniquity, condemnation, injustice, our Great High Priest. May You remove every accusation against us in the courts of heaven our Righteous Judge by Your precious blood. May You enable us to take new territories in every sphere of our lives. Lord Jesus, You have called and commissioned us to take new territories in every sphere of our lives. May You help us, empower us and anoint us afresh Holy Spirit for the great work that You have called us to do. May You release Your Abrahamic blessings upon us, our families, churches, nation and whole world, and grant ever soul the gift of salvation. May You make known to us all the purposes for which You have called us that we may leave a lasting legacy for the glory and honor of Your name. 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: Psalms 1:1-3, Psalms 2:8-9