Open and Close

Scripture For Meditation: Deuteronomy 28:1-24

We’ve been meditating and praying on the Theme: Open Heavens, as we’ve waited on the Lord in fasting for this month’s sessions.

But the thing is, if there are open heavens, it means also that there are possibilities of there being closed heavens as well.

If the heavens are closed over you, no amount of prayer or fasting, binding and loosening or prophesying will make any difference in your life or situation.

So, our main task and objective today, is to deal with the state of the heavens over our lives.

What Causes The Heavens to Be Closed?

Before we look at this, let’s first see what the bible says about “closed heavens”:

Heavens Like Brass and Earth Like Iron

Have you ever been in that place? Have you ever experienced a season in your life, when it appeared as though the heavens were like brass and the earth like iron? Have you ever gotten to the point where it seems like that last verse is playing out in a particular situation or your life in general?

A type of reenactment of that frustrating Jobsian moment like when job well in dire straits declared: “No matter where I turn or look, I can’t seem to find Him; if only I could get Him to hear my case”! Only this was not about some character in the bible, it is about you and the struggles you have been going through!

Shuttered Heavens

Even though the scripture that we just read was about God detailing through Moses to the children of Israel, the curses that would be the consequences of them breaking covenant and walking in disobedience to Him, there are times in our lives when that last verse seems to be our default state of affairs — Nothing seems to be coming down from heaven and nothing is coming up from the earth in spite of all our efforts!

It is like the heavens are shut up against us and the earth has refused to release the harvest from our labours and efforts. We have cried out to God in prayers and supplication; we have begged, grovelled and “faithed” our way through, but what we have believed God for has not materialised.

Then Mercy Spoke…

In 2 Chronicles 7:13-14, Solomon had a visitation from God at the dedication ceremony of the temple he had just built.

It is interesting to note that the promise that God made to Solomon made a reference to shut up heavens and its consequences. He then went on to proffer a solution to the problem —

13“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14if 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”.

PRAYER FOCUS

There are so many people going through a hard time right now. So many countries are buckling under the strain of recession and economic downturn. A lot of business are on the brink of collapse; marriages are failing and depression and suicide rates are rising. Unrighteousness and sinful living has become the order of the day.

So many dear saints are going through personal crises and are frustrated waiting for God to show up and bring deliverance. Can God see, does He hear, Does He still even care?

Dear friend, If the promise of reprieve from shut up heavens and restoration of God’s favour was made to Solomon in respect of an earthly building – the temple, can you imagine how much more glorious and powerful our heritage as New Testament Christians who are joint-heirs with Christ is; and for whom the precious blood of Jesus is speaking atonement on our behalf?

God said to Solomon — If His people humbled themselves and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways, He will heal and forgive and restore.

That is our prayer today; our hearts cry to God.

If per chance, the sins of the land have stood between our welfare and God’s blessings, if the heavens have been shut up over our business, our ministry, church, home, marriage, children, family line, city or geographical area because of corporate or personal transgressions, we have a reprieve in God’s promise; we have an advocate in Christ Jesus!

Let’s humble ourselves before God today. Let’s stand in the gap for our families, the corporate body or group that we identify with. Let’s turn our face towards heaven; let’s repent and cry out to God to forgive our corporate and individual sins.

Let’s cry out to Him in faith —

Lord have mercy, Lord, hear us; Lord heal our land. Lord remember your promises and the blood that Your Son Jesus Christ shed for us on the cross. Lord please relent in your anger. Lord, Heal my life.

Pray this prayer in faith and hold on to the promises of God. We are believing together that there will be a turnaround in our situations — God will hear from heaven and answer us speedily; we are going from a life of delayed and unanswered prayers to a life of victory and favour with God and man in Jesus, Name. Amen.

Shalom,

Pastor Wale Ola