Beloved as we prepare for PROJECT 21, the 21 Days Period of United Prayer for the Church and the Nation that starts April 23 and ends May 13, let us prepare ourselves so that our prayers may be heard.
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. (Josh.3:5)
As we prepare for United Intercession through prayers and fasting, let us focus at the beginning of the fast on the issue of Personal Sanctification.
With the Lord most times, the critical issue is not what we are praying or how long we are praying, but who is praying?
Let us focus on all our personal gates and ask the Lord to cleanse us from any and every defilement.
Let us ask for sanctification through:
The Blood of Jesus. Heb.13:12
The word of God – Jn.15:3
The Holy Spirit – 1Cor.6:11
1. Personal Gates: gates through which things come into or go out from a person.
i. Forehead: Ezk.3:9
ii. Eyes: Ps.119:37: Defilement and pollution comes through the eyes. Job.31:1;
iii. Ear: Jer.6:10; Rev.2:7 Note: Rom.10:17; Job34:3. The redeemed ear is a sieve that sieves words.
iv. Nose: Ezk.37:5; Job27:3
v. Hands: Job9:30-31; 1Tim.5:22. The hand is a gate of transfer. It transfers blessings and curses Gen.48:14; Dt.34:9. It carries current.
vi. Feet: Ps.18:33; Ps.31:8; Eph.6:15. The feet gate is the gate of possession. Josh.1:3
vii. Heart: Ezk.11:19; Jer.24:7
viii. Armpits: Ex.4:6-7
ix. Finger: is.58:9; Lk.11:20
x. Sex Organs: 1Cor.6:13, 18-20
xi. Mouth and Tongue: Job27:4; Is.6:6-7; Ja.3:5, 2Sam.2:32; Ps.141:3. The mouth if un-redeemed is a gate of destruction.
xii. The Umbilical cord. Ezk.16:4
Pray Ps.24:3-4.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
Apply Ps.24:7-10 with understanding and co-operate with the Lord to come in as the Lord of glory into these gates.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah
It is when the Lord has been sanctified in your personal gates that you can bring other gates into submission.
(See 2Cor.10:6)
ASK THE LORD TO SEARCH YOU:
Search me O God and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. Ps.139:23-24; Ps.19:12-14.
In the light of the ongoing, reconsider this prayer we normally pray from the 24th Psalm.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
As powerful as this prayer is, external gates cannot yield to us unless our personal gates are fully offered up to the Lord and kept in sanctification and purity.
Can we consider Paul’s charge in Phil.3:7-14?
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
To achieve such high standard of focus in the Lord that grants us unhindered access to His presence becomes easier the more our personal gates are offered up to Him to become His to use to express His will, desires and goals.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, I offer you all my personal gates today to become yours to express your will, desires and pursue your goals.
I bring repentance for every way I have defiled these gates willingly and unwillingly. I ask you Lord to cleanse, purge and sanctify them and release grace upon me to possess them in purity and holiness.
As I anoint these gates this morning (Mention all the gates and if in private anoint with oil), I make room for you to express yourself through these gates and thus enable me to deal with all external gates that contend with me in the place of my assignment and calling.
I thank you as I pray:
Proclaim Phil.3:7-14.
In Jesus’ Name;
Amen.
Messenger!!
Revival Altar – 22-4-18.