Last month was eye-opening, and I’d like to share a particular moment with you.
Around a month back, I contracted COVID-19. Fortunately, the fever subsided by the evening of the second day, and the headache vanished. Subsequently, I tussled with fatigue and muscle pains. On the third day, I asked some people to remember me in prayer. That night, I had a dream where I was instructed to replicate what happened with the walls of Jericho.
While the instructions were somewhat unclear, the reference to Jericho stuck with me. Upon waking up, I began rebuking the walls of Jericho, walking around my house, and invoking the name of Jesus to dismantle them. I persisted until God intervened, directing me to stop and read the verse. He said that the walls didn’t come down like that.
Curious, I went to my Bible, and sure enough, I saw what God told me.
And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. [Joshua 6:4-5]
- It was through worship that the walls came down. You don’t confront the walls of Jericho as I did; you merely engage in worship, and the song will bring in the presence of God. The act of worship itself will serve as the rebuke for the walls.
The presence of God is something worth diving into. The Bible says:”The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.” Pslam 97:5
Worship brings forth the weighty presence of The Lord. When God visits you, things have to shift and change. We weren’t promised the absence of the enemy, but if he dares to come, he will melt like wax, just like the verse above says. Why? It’s the power of His presence – God’s presence. Now, do you understand why worship is crucial?
Also, Joshua 1:1 says, “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.”
- If Jericho weren’t afraid of the Israelites, there would be no need for them to barricade themselves. The spirit of Jericho seeks to hold onto people’s destinies. Jericho didn’t confront the Israelites openly; they hid behind formidable barriers. It can look scary when you see such high, fortified walls, but remember, what scares you does not scare The Lord.
Having heard about their God, Jericho was apprehensive about Joshua and the Israelites. Fear compelled them to seal off the city. If we can’t fight you, we’ll try to block you. The Israelites were the same people whom God parted the Red Sea for – they were terrified. Let me share a mystery with you – when you see a wall, you’ve already won. Just go into praise. That’s why, in verse 2, God says, “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.” So we shouldn’t fear the walls of Jericho or what it can do. It already fears us.
Jericho was part of Israel’s inheritance. It doesn’t matter how fortified the devil tried to make it – praise dismantled its foundation and brought it down.
How does all this apply to us? What is yours is yours. The word says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You were created to be feared and revered. You carry Jesus’ DNA in you; of course, the foundations of the world tremble when they see you. Once you unlock who you are, your destiny will know you are ready, and the walls will crumble for you.
This is the year of establishment, and as we wrap up 2023, it’s time for us to step into our identities. Walls exist to guard you from getting to something that’s yours. Walls came up because whoever put it up feared your potential and ability.
If you’re dealing with a spirit of delay, procrastination, setback, failure, etc. – these are types of walls. They try to keep you away from your promise and inheritance. Engage in worship. Remember – the walls of Jericho were rebuked through worship.
Be encouraged.
