Four reasons why you should pray for 2018 before you get into the year

January is the month that you will find many believers in intense prayer and fasting. This is the time used to speak into the year to pray and commit your year before the Lord.  This is an excellent thing to do because being the first month of the year, this is the first fruit of the year, the tithe month of the year.   So yes it is important, no its critical to pray and fast the first month of the year as you are setting apart the year for the Lord.

However as we prepare to enter into another year we should likewise spend time shaping, framing, speaking, building the year, before we step into the year.  The following four reasons are why you should pray for 2018 before the year comes

1.                   Hebrews 11:3 “ By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear.”      Praying in the months of November and December, gives you an opportunity to shape and frame your oncoming year, before it has even begun.  It is like building a house. Ideally you first build the house and then you move into the house.  When you start praying in the month of January, you are both building the house whilst living in it.  Not very comfortable!.  You are digging the foundations while living in the hole of the foundation.  You are putting up walls while already you are in the house. The rain and the sun beat you while you try to put up the roof.

It would be prudent to build up your house and get into it when it is complete.  You can do the finishing and the final touchups when you are in the house.  These final touches are the prayer and fasting in January and part February.

Hebrews says we understand that the world was framed by the word of God.  Frame your year before the year comes into being. Speak the word that you would want to manifest in that year before the year comes into being.

As the year is preparing to manifest or to show up, package it with what you want to see in the year. Frame it with the word of God.  Declare that it is your year of favour, breakthrough, divine health and wealth, growth in your spheres of influence

God spoke and it came into being, you too as you speak it will come into being; Psalms 82:6 “You are  gods, and all of you children of the most high”, Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits

2.     .    Secondly praying before you get to the year allows you to deal with family patterns which are set to manifest in the coming year.  If you have done a study of your family pattern (I suggest you do so) and see that certain events occur in certain months, or after a number of years and the coming year happens to be the Nth  year. Then this is the time to speak and deal with the family pattern in your life before it manifests 

Family patterns can be deaths in your family, marriage failures and divorce, sickness and illness, poverty cycles by loss of incomes, court cases, wrong investments etc. If the coming year is the Nth year or a certain month in the year is the Nth month when such events are likely to occur, then you should:  

a.        Engage in spiritual warfare, cancelling the handwriting of written ordinances that are standing against you and your family (Colossians 2:15).

b.      Conduct a courtroom session for you and your family pleading for mercy and the intervention of God so that his mercy may prevail over every judgment set to be executed against you and your family in the coming year.  In a nutshell you go before God the judge, bring detailed r

c.       Repentance over every sin, iniquity, transgression that would cause the face of God to turn away from you;   petition for a verdict of mercy instead of judgment. ( read Hebrew 11:22-25, Daniel 7: 9-10, Zechariah 3)

d.      Saturate your environment and especially the suspect months, and year with the word of God.  God watches over his word to perform it, it does not go back to him void(Isaiah 55:11)

3.       Thirdly praying before you get to the year allows you to become your own prophet as you declare and decree about your life. Job 29:22  You shall decree a word and it shall be established for you.  When a prophet of God prophecies over your life they are speaking from either the word of God by revelation that is a Rhema word to you to, or they are speaking from an insight into your books as the Lord has written them (Psalm 139:16, Hebrews 10:7 ). 

You may not have the luxury of having a prophet of God prophesy over your life, or he may not have the time to specifically speak and prophesy over your life in a detailed manner as you would like.  Notwithstanding that, the word of God is powerful, it is alive, it must come to pass, it releases Angels, anointing, mantles, help for you.  You have all the time to speak over your own life, your children, your spouse.  Speak the word of God and declare what the word of God says over your life, family, destiny, ministry, Nation,.  

As you pray over the incoming year, ask God to give you revelation over who you are so that you can speak it into your atmosphere.

When the Lord brings you into contact with a Man or Woman of God to speak over your life they will affirm what you have been speaking, their voice will add to what you have been praying and declaring. 

4. Fourthly Praying before you get to the year gives you sufficient time to speak over the gates of every month of the coming year before it shows up.  Station the word of God over every gate that you will encounter as you walk through the year.  Gates that you will encounter include:
1. Gates of months & days.   Time  gates, as you move day to day, and month to month.
2. Gates of a new age. This is on birthdays, of your children, spouses, and your own self.
3. Gates of nations. If you are set to travel out of the country during the year
4. Special gates: if you are planning on special events like anniversaries, weddings, during the year
5. Gates of new things like entering into new ventures, businesses,  & projects,  
6. Education gates: if  your children, your spouse or yourself are going to new schools, institutions.  This is a key gate and is a destiny defying gate

The months of November and December are critical months, use them well as you prepare to usher in the new year.

REPENTANCE OVER KENYA

Zechariah 1:18-20 
Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.  19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.  20 And the Lord shewed me four carpenters. 21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.   

We can liken the Nation of Judah to the nation of Kenya.  There are horns that have arise to scatter the nation of Kenya.  The horns that have risen over the nation of Kenya are:

1.       Foundations of Kenya
2.       Customs and traditions of communities in Kenya
3.       Corruption
4.       Tribalism

The Lord has released Craftsmen who have come to terrify the horns and to scatter them. Craftsmen are skilled artisans or carpenters. These are the believers whom the Lord has raised for such a time like this.

This is the time to go before the Lord in repentance over the horns in Kenya that they may be destroyed forever.  A broken and contrite spirit the Lord does not reject. As we humble ourselves before the Lord in repentance asking for the mercy of God he will not reject us.  

The following is a detailed list of areas to repent, over the nation of Kenya as you deal with the horns that are scattering the nation 

Scripture references

2 chronicles 7:14  If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Isaiah 2:18 Come now, let us settle the matter,”     says the Lord.  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.

Psalm 59:1-4 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated  you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice;    no one pleads a case with integrity.  They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

Psalm 51:1-4  Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion  blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

Father we humble ourselves and bring repentance over

1.      Foundations of Kenya

 Pre independence period  (1895 -1963)

a.       We repent over covenants, blood sacrifices and blood transactions done during the pre independence period in Kenya

b.      We repent over oaths and allegiances  made to strange gods

c.       We repent over every ungodly dedication of the people and the nation of Kenya to gods of the waters, forests, mountains, land, and valleys in the pre independence period

d.      We repent over the rejection of God Almighty in the pre independence period

e.       We repent over every wicked selfish contract and covenant made on Kenyan leadership before independence

f.       We repent over wicked covenants, contracts and dedications that were made by our forefathers in the pre independence period over the lives of Kenyans, those born, and those yet to be born.  Covenants in the area of

                                                              i.      Their Marriages

                                                            ii.      Their Virtues

                                                          iii.      Their Resources

                                                          iv.      Their Destinies

                                                            v.      Spiritual Allegiances

                                                          vi.      Their sphere of influence

g.      We repent over evil decrees, pronouncements, announcements, declarations by community leaders and political leaders made during this pre independence period for the sake of political freedom and power

h.      We repent over every blood shed during the pre independence period

i.        We repent over destruction of property of those who were not sympathetic to the freedom fighters cause

j.        We repent over every person murdered over betrayal and perceived betrayal during this period

k.      We repent over secret agreements that were made during the pre independence period that tied up the destinies of the Kenyans

Psalm 51:1-4  Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion  blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

l.        We plead mercy Lord over our pre independence period

m.    We ask for forgiveness of our sins and the sins of our forefathers

n.      We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.(Psalm 106:6)

o.      Lord we pray that you blot out our sins, iniquities, and transgressions done over this period

p.      We confess our sins and the sins done by our forefathers that have opened evil doors and allowed wicked spiritual traffic into this land as it was being born.

q.      Cleanse us from this wickedness we pray  in the name of Jesus

Post independence period (1964-to date)

r.        We bring repentance over every secret agreement made during the independence period

s.       We bring repentance over every broken promise made during the independence period

t.        We bring repentance over every evil committed by ourselves as individuals, communities and leaders in every sphere and sector in the nation of Kenya

u.      We repent over every political betrayal experienced in the nation of Kenya that has given rise to bitterness, anger, jealousy, in the political arena.

v.      We repent over historical injustices done in this land in the name of Jesus

w.    We repent over every careless word spoken by our leaders at all levels that has caused lives to be maimed, destroyed or lost.

x.      We repent over every human and animal blood shed as a sacrifice by individuals, communities, and leaders, to get, & retain power and influence in different sectors of the nation of Kenya

y.      We repent over every destruction of property in the pursuant of power, influence in the nation of Kenya

z.       We repent over every election cycle that has brought death, destruction of lives and property in the four corners of the nation

2.      Repentance over customs and traditions of different communities in the nation of Kenya

a.       We repent over wicked evil customs that bind communities

b.      We repent over wicked and evil practices that continue to strengthen community and tribal strongmen

c.       We repent over blood sacrifices given in the name of traditions and customs in the various tribes of Kenya

d.      We repent over customs/traditions that encourage promiscuity in the name of celebrations of life and death

e.       We repent over customs and traditions around births, naming ceremonies, marriage, entry into adulthood, and death, that open doors from one generation to the next generation.

f.       We repent over customs and traditions that pass on wicked and evil batons from one generation to another.

g.      We repent over customs and traditions that open and maintain evil spiritual traffic in communities and tribes of Kenya  by spillage of blood, and sacrifices made to ungodly altars

h.      We repent over utterances, pronouncements, declarations by community elders and leaders that have:

                                                              i.      bound the communities, tribes

                                                            ii.      dimmed the stars and destinies of members of their communities

                                                          iii.      opened evil spiritual traffic to members of their community

                                                          iv.      caused any potential leader in their community not to shine, or be seen

                                                            v.       

3.      Corruption

a.       We repent over every theft of national resources that have been used to propel individuals, communities, to positions of influence and power

b.      We repent over leaders who have been looters instead of custodians of resources entrusted to them in their leadership period in the nation of Kenya

c.       We repent over being complacent, and lazy as Kenyans and not calling into account those we have elected as leaders

d.      We repent where land has been taken forcefully, by violence, deceit, from its rightful owners

e.       We repent where our women and children have suffered as a result of historical injustices perpetuated in the land

f.       We repent as a nation where we have ignored the cry of the orphaned, widowed, and poor of this land that has been raised up in this nation as a result of injustices done to them.

g.      We repent for embracing corruption as a way of life in the nation of Kenya at all levels

h.      We repent for not guarding our resources as a nation, but allowing them to be harvested and misused

i.        We repent for the misuse of national resources that has allowed poverty, death and destruction to continue harvesting the lives of Kenyans through famines, floods, and drought

j.        We repent for allowing corruption, bribery and nepotism to be the foundation of our national institutions  which are suppose to be the pillars of our nation

4.      Tribalism

a.       We repent of exalting our tribe over other tribes

b.      We repent for giving opportunities based on tribal balances not individual competencies

c.       We repent for speaking about “our man”, “our woman”, “our turn” instead of God’s man, woman.

d.      We repent for grouping and aligning ourselves in tribal cocoons, instead of being members of the body of Christ

e.       We repent for  raising our voices against other tribes

f.       We repent for pulling down different communities and tribes in Kenya

5.      Spiritual matters

a.       Father forgive us for turning away from the calling of God as a nation

b.      Forgive us for rejecting the calling of God as a nation

c.       Forgive us for the spiritual leaders who have diluted the message of God in the nation of Kenya

d.      Forgive us for the spiritual leaders who have corrupted the message of God in this land

e.       Forgive us for the spiritual leaders who have mislead the people of this land

f.       Forgive us for giving our land to other gods

g.      Forgive us for raising ungodly altars in this nation

h.      Forgive us for practicing witchcraft as individuals, families, communities, and the nation in order to gain power, influence, and glory.

6.      We repent of the sins committed by our leaders

a.       Personal  sins

b.      Leadership sins

c.       National sins

7.      Father for your name's sake, forgive our iniquity though it is great. (Psalm 25:11)

8.      Indeed if you would regard iniquity who would stand

9.      Lord indeed your mercies are new every morning. Have mercy upon us(Lamentation 3:22-23)

10.  We stand before your throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and grace to help us in our time of need (Heb 4:16)

11.  We plead and petition for Kenya in the heavenly courts:

12.  That the blood of Jesus would silence every other blood speaking over the nation of Kenya

13.  We thank you for the blood that speaks of better things over the nation of Kenya (Heb 12:24)

14.  We stand in agreement with the blood of Jesus as he gives witness of your word over the nation of Kenya

15.  Remove this filthy garment that clothes us as a nation and put on us a clean and rich robe ( Zechariah 3:3-5)

16.  In your wrath remember mercy over the Nation

17.  Release a judgment and a verdict of Mercy over the Nation of Kenya in Jesus name

18.  Every time the courts of heaven convene and the matter of Kenya is mentioned let the blood of Jesus rise and speak for Kenya

a.       Mercy,

b.      A 2^nd chance,

c.       Forgiveness of our sins

d.       Preservation,

e.       The fulfillment of her destiny

f.       A release of Angelic help

g.      A release of

h.      Unity,

i.        Love, in Jesus name