Scriptures are full of people who had great potential, but who came up short, often because of immaturity. Cain couldn’t control his anger. Esau gave into hunger. Reuben and Samson gave in to sexual sins. The list is long. God doesn’t want us to be tripped up; rather He wants us to mature and fulfill the potential He made us for. Let’s be sure to take steps to maturity.
Also, the letter of the month is ayin (ע) which means “eye” or “to see.” The more we recognize (see) that God is in everything, in all our circumstances, the more we will move into maturity. Conversely, an immature person quickly forgets/doesn’t see God, and makes immature choices.
1. Month of the tribe of Dan—Means to judge; to grow up and mature. See Genesis 49:16–18 [1]. Samson came from the tribe of Dan (see Judges 13). Samson didn’t mature, and therefore failed to reach his potential. In Revelation 7, the tribe of Dan isn’t listed with the other tribes. It seems to have disappeared from history. We cannot expect to use “immaturity” as an excuse forever.
But despite the sadness of Samson’s failure, there is a positive—and perhaps prophetic—picture. Just as Samson killed more of the enemy in his final act than in all his previous years (see Judges 16:30 [2]), we too can expect more harvest than ever before as God rapidly matures us. In just one day, Samson—repentant and relying on God—achieved more than he had in his whole lifetime. What a picture of end-time harvest! In just a short period of time, there will be greater harvest than all the harvest since the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 until now.
Declare: “God is maturing me now. As Paul said, I am ‘forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead’” (Phil. 3:13).
2. Samson’s weakness was basically an inability to say “no” to his flesh—he put his fleshly desires above his vows and calling. As a Nazarite, he was to never cut his hair or eat anything unclean (see Judges 13:4–5 [3]). Eating honey from a lion’s carcass broke that vow (see Judges 14:9) [4]. Also, he should have run from Delilah, but his flesh kept him coming back. Gradually she wore him down and he revealed the source of his strength—that he was a Nazarite whose hair had never been shaved. His great gifting didn’t have the impact it could have. Say, “Lord, I choose to deal with my flesh and immaturities. I choose to walk in sync with You.”
Declaration: “The Lord is helping me to grow and mature. Thus, I am well able to deal with my immaturities and fleshly weaknesses.”
3. A month to fast—It was on Tevet 10 in 588 BC that Nebuchadnezzar II began the siege of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:1 [5]). We know this was a culmination of Israel’s long ignoring/breaking of their covenant with God and their rebellion against Him. The enemy always wants to besiege us. Fasting helps us to be watchful and sharpens our spiritual senses to focus on the Lord and to keep aligned with Him. This year, Tevet 10 falls on January 10. Think of Samson and how fasting could have helped him say “no” to his flesh and better enabled him to hear and respond to the Holy Spirit.
Declaration: If/as the Holy Spirit so leads me, I will fast and I will grow in watchfulness. The Lord will break any siege of the enemy against me.
4. Ending of Hanukkah (Dec. 25–Jan. 2)—In the midst of destruction there is mercy. This festival means “the light will not go out.” No matter what the enemy does, God will come through and help us. He will provide the oil of the Holy Spirit so we can keep shining as “lights of the world” (John 8:12). This all connects to us dedicating and keeping our lives dedicated to the Lord (see John 10:22). In the second century BC, the Maccabees rose up and led a revolt taking back their land and their temple. The enemy ruler had desecrated it completely, so the Jews cleansed it and rededicated it back to God. When it came to lighting the lamps in the Holy Place, there was a problem with the oil supply—they only had enough for one day. It required a whole week to prepare a new batch in the proper way. But they didn’t want to wait, so they lit the lamps immediately. And God gave them a miracle—the oil lasted not just a day, but seven days until the new batch was ready. The lesson for us is huge. When we dedicate our lives to Him for His purpose for us, He will always make sure we are filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit.
Declaration: “I dedicate myself to the Lord daily. I live for Him. He will keep me filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit.”
5. Month of the Hebrew letter ayin (ע)—It means “Let your good eye see.” The more we live our lives for Him and His purposes, the more we will see what He wants us to see. Remember Paul’s prayer, “that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened” (Eph. 1:18). Wisdom/maturity is seeing/recognizing God in all our circumstances.
6. A month to war with the evil eye and to break the power of evil watchers (if you don’t break that power, it will try to manipulate you). The evil-eye structure is embedded in our culture. It allows us to be manipulated by evil spirits. In Acts 13, Barnabas and Paul were hindered by Elymas the sorcerer. Paul prayed, and the Lord struck Elymas with blindness. Similarly, we can pray and ask the Lord to close the eyes of the enemy so we aren’t hindered. In 2 Kings 6:17–18 [6], Elisha prayed for the eyes of his servant to be opened. That servant was then able to see the angelic army protecting them. Elisha prayed again and the enemy army was blinded.
Declaration: “Ever since I rededicated myself, my home, and my work to the Lord, He has been enabling me to see and hear. Miracles are happening all around me. I will not be entrapped and led back to the old ways.”
7. Pray for our leaders—In 1 Timothy 2:2, Paul exhorts us to pray “for kings and all who are in authority.” Many strategies begin to be released at this time, as well as in April and July. God gives us people to lead and guide. We need to pray for them. A good leader will give us revelation. Be sure to pray for your spiritual covering, as well as for the political leaders of your nation.
Declaration: “I declare I will pray for my leaders (including those in my home, church, work, and nation).”
8. Review your education or what is initiating you into your next phase. Part of maturing is making sure you get the training and knowledge you need. Sign up for a course or training you need.
Declaration: “I declare the Holy Spirit enables me to be flexible. I am not locked into old ways. I eagerly accept the new training He has for me.”
9. Be angry but sin not—Anger itself isn’t necessarily a sin, but we have to be careful not to let it control us, as it can easily lead to sin. It rose up in Cain and he murdered his brother Abel (Gen. 4:5–8) [7]. In Ephesians 4:26–27 [8], we see anger is equated with being demonized. Note the suddenness of anger. If we don’t learn to process anger properly so our emotions are under control of the Holy Spirit, we will erupt and fail when the test comes. “Be angry and sin not” (Eph. 4:26). Get over your anger before nightfall. God will give you the opportunity. So when you have time, deal with it. For example, if you are between jobs, then pour the word of God into you and build yourself up.
Declaration: “I declare I am dealing with anger and any other hidden issues. The Lord is helping me mature.”
10. Month of the constellation of Capricorn, the goat—Hind’s feet on high places. See 2 Samuel 22:34 [9], Psalm 18:33 [10], and Habakkuk 3:19 [11]. God is enabling us to go to higher places in Him.
11. Time to leap like a goat (deer). Maturing doesn’t always have to be a long, slow process. The idea here is we can “leap” quickly to a state of maturity by the decisions we make. “The lame shall leap like a deer” (Isa. 35:6). “He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places” (Ps. 18:33).
Declaration: “I declare quick maturing. I can leap ahead like a deer.”
12. The month of the liver. The liver is important because it purifies. Proverbs 7:23 [12] talks about a dart in the liver (for the man who gave into sexual temptation). Sexual sin will affect your liver. We can trust God to purify us by the blood of Jesus. Think of His blood as entering your own bloodstream and cleansing you of the spiritual impurities that may be there because of your family bloodline or because of your own sin. When the liver is purified, the brain and heart also function more effectively.
Declaration: “I declare the blood of Jesus purifies me and my DNA whenever I confess sin. I also pray for those with liver problems to be healed.”
(This material comes from my 2006 notes taken from a series of lectures given by Chuck Pierce [Glory of Zion]. I highly recommend his website for more materials and more in-depth explanations. —Ron Sawka)
References
[1] “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider shall fall backward. I have waited for your salvation, O Lord!” (Gen. 49:16–18).
[2] “Then Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines!’ And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life” (Judg. 16:30).
[3] “Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines” (Judg. 13:4–5).
[4] “He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion” (Judg. 14:9).
[5] “Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around” (2 Kings 25:1).
[6] “And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, ‘Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.’ And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17–18).
[7] “But He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.’ Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him” (Gen. 4:5–8).
[8] “‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26–27).
[9] “He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places” (2 Sam. 22:34).
[10] “He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places” (Ps. 18:33).
[11] “The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills” (Hab. 3:19).
[12] “Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, he did not know it would cost his life” (Prov. 7:23).
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