2021: The Year of Joy
2 January 2021
Pat’s distress call
An old friend of mine called me after I returned from my family staycation. I had crashed in bed and called her back 2 hours later. She was my beautician whom I led to Christ about 30 years ago. Now retired and back in her hometown in Malaysia, she was frantic as her brother in Singapore is very sick and she has problem submitting the many new forms online for her to travel to Singapore.
The Holy Spirit showed me a word “Calm”. She needs calming down. I helped her breath deep and soft, and prayed Psalms 23 into her spirit like how I taught in COBS. Her spirit calmed as the Lord lifted her anxiety. Then everything fell into pleasant places.
Instead of feeling tensed and helpless, she is now light and confident in the Lord again. I saw God put in her hands two soft fruit, like peaches; “goodness” on her right hand and “mercy” on her left. These are for herself and for her brother’s family. There is warfare and God has equipped her with what is needed. Praise God.
Continuation of Every Good Work of 2020
Later, I continued to wait upon the Lord for the word for 2021. I recalled Pat’s call and V said:
“2021 going to be a continuation of 2020’s Year of Every Good Work - but this time the good work is prayer.”
“2021 GOING TO BE A CONTINUATION OF 2020'S YEAR OF EVERY GOOD WORK- BUT THIS TIME THE GOOD WORK IS PRAYER."
V continued: “Teach people how to pray. Even matured Christians. Facing impossible situations.”
I get it - I thought about the 4D teaching uploaded on the website (Library/SOBS section). The second D (discipline) is “What is Prayer”. I feel what is on God’s heart - a lot of His people do not really know how to pray or what is prayer.
A House of Prayer
I then heard in my spirit Jesus’ words in the Scriptures:
“My Father’s house is a house of prayer...”
For some reason I couldn’t access it on my bible app and googled the verse and found it at https://biblehub.com/matthew/21-13.htm
Matthew 21:13
"It is written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer.' But you are making it 'a den of robbers.'"
And from there, I could find other related verses and this is where Jesus had quoted it from:
Isaiah 56:7 NIV
… these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
I checked the context of “these” in the verse. Is it referring to foreigners – non-believers or literally people from a foreign country? V led me to check out the NLT version, and every word spoke right into me:
- “It is those who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship Him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to His covenant (verse 6)
- He will give them joy in His house of prayer. Their offering of prayers and worship will be accepted by God and their house/temple will be called a House of Prayer for all nations.” (verse 7)
This is a Rhema moment for me – COBS life is centered around worship, but for this year, God is telling us to focus on worship and prayer.
THIS IS A RHEMA MOMENT FOR ME - COBS LIFE IS CENTERED AROUND WORSHIP, BUT FOR THIS YEAR, GOD IS TELLING US TO FOCUS ON WORSHIP AND PRAYER.
Repeating Pattern: 21,21,22,22
I felt the prompt to scroll down some more. My spirit quickened at this verse:
Matthew 21:21-22 NIV
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
I recalled that a verse had caught my eye earlier and I went back to look for it:
Isaiah 2:2 NIV
“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.”
The Lord’s temple…. The mountain… yes Lord, I have not forgotten what is on your heart, from the day you led me to Colorado in 2008 and many more mountains in several countries over the last twelve years…. looking tirelessly for a place where you can put your temple… but the people are not ready.
The Word is for 2021 and 2022
I see the pattern of 21,21 and 22,22. I felt that God is showing me not just what is His word for 2021 but 2022 as well. Prepare for two years of praying…
V: R is for “Repeat” remember? Oh yes, one of the R word.
Confirmation from KK and YY
I felt I needed confirmation and the Holy Spirit asked me to check with YY what she has received for 2021.
Reply from YY:
领受两个字：承载
Received two words: cheng zai/bearer (sic.)
承载： 支托或载满物体承受其重量 承受支撑物体
Bearer (sic.): Support or load an object to bear its weight
承载祝福 承载力 承载量 承载勇气
“Carrying blessings, carrying capacity, carrying weight, carrying courage” [Translation mine].
经文 Scriptures：
撒母耳记上16:21
1 Samuel 16:21
大卫到了扫罗那里 就侍立在扫罗面前. 扫罗甚喜爱他. 他就做了扫罗拿兵器的人
“David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armour-bearers.” (NIV)
引起注意的是：
拿兵器. 不明白拿兵器和承载有着什么意思？还在等答案.... 还有要拿什么兵器？
What attracted my attention:
Take up weapons. Don't understand what it means to take weapons and “bearer”? Still waiting for answers... what weapons do we need to bear? [Translation mine].
Sara:
I thought to myself: This is consistent - praying also means carrying or bearing a burden…
I replied to YY:
The weapon is prayer... we bear the burdens of those whom God sends to us.
And then V suddenly says: “Jesus is the weapon bearer (not you).”
Phew!
Sara:
I see a bunch of arrows, in a wicker basket. And the Lord hands me an arrow from the basket.
“Ah, arrows of blessings, capacity, weight and courage as YY said,” I thought.
V: “Worship releases the power to fly the arrows. You have all faithfully worshipped God for the last twelve years, now you will see the power in your prayers released through worship.”
YOU HAVE ALL FAITHFULLY WORSHIPPED GOD FOR THE LAST TWELVE YEARS, NOW YOU WILL SEE THE POWER IN YOUR PRAYERS RELEASED THROUGH WORSHIP.
YY shares what her husband, KK, has received:
领受: 恩年和禧年
Received: Year of Grace and Jubilee
经文：Scriptures
以赛61：2, Isaiah 61:2
宣告耶和华的恩年和我们的上帝报仇的日子 安慰所有悲哀的人
“to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.” NIV
经文：Scriptures
路加4：19 Luke 4:19
宣告上帝悦纳人的禧年
“to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”” NIV
这里有五个英文字：
There are 5 English words here:
1) Cease 停止
2) Repeat 重复
3）Fetch 取
4）Receivable 悦纳 收纳
5）Year
Sabbath: Resting in God, Trusting Him
Sara
I was unsure about (1) and (4) and asked them for clarification. They sent me the original writing in Chinese with translation probably by google translate. There is a number quoted for each: “Cease” (H7676) and “Receivable” (G1184). I looked up the Strong’s Concordance.
Figure 1 http://lexiconcordance.com/hebrew/7676.html
H7676 is actually the Hebrew word for Sabbath.
To me, it means to rest in Him – to remember God, trusting Him to provide for all our needs; not working ourselves so hard as though everything and everyone depend solely on us.
Accepted, Favoured and Welcomed
Figure 2 http://www.lexiconcordance.com/greek/1184.html
G1184 is a Greek word for accepted or acceptable, favourable, welcome; consistent with what I had shared with them earlier from Isaiah 56:7 earlier (... their offering of prayers and worship will be accepted by God…)
We were very thrilled that the Holy Spirit has confirmed what we have received separately. I preened my ears to God’s heart to hear more as I was still not sure what the word for 2021 is.
Do the 5 Rs for 2021
V: For you and the COBS members for this year, do the 5 “R”s:
WHAT WE OFFER UP TO GOD IN WORSHIP AND PRAYER WILL BE ACCEPTABLE, FAVOURED AND WELCOMED BY HIM.
For me, I am reminded to revisit lessons on Prayer in the 4D class and also to teach lessons on high level spiritual warfare.
3/1/2021:
Sharon sends me a message:
Sara, are you aware of yesterday’s date 2.1.21…? double again.
Hahaha yes Lord thank you – double confirmed! 😊
SUMMARY OF THE WORD FOR 2021
1. For 2021 we continue to do every good work of the Lord as in the previous year, but this time it is the work of praying only for those described in Isaiah 56:6 (NLT):
- Who commit themselves to the Lord,
- who serve him and love his name,
- who worship Him and rest/trust in Him, and
- who hold fast to His covenant.
2. Verse: Isaiah 56:7 NLT
“He will give them joy in His house of prayer. Their offering of prayers and worship will be accepted by God and their house/temple will be called a House of Prayer for all nations.”
The first sentence jumped out at me:
“He will give them joy in His house of prayer.“
I got it! The Word for 2021!
3. 2021 is The Year of Joy!
Hallelujah! Finally!
The world around us may be filled with sadness and sorrow, but this year will be a year of joy as we worship and pray together in our Father’s House.
The joy of the Lord will also fill those who would come to His House. His joy shall be our strength to face down two more difficult years.
More Confirmation
After our worship ended on 11/1/2021, I shared these notes with the members. Florence whipped out her notes from their meeting on 26/12/20 which I had missed.
She had written:
Rejoice is a weapon.
I saw Jesus with a whip, clearing his house and said:
”My Father’s house is a house of prayer.”
Psalms 100:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord. Every day, we must declare as we enter his gates that the Lord is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- Rejoice always
- Pray without ceasing
- In everything give thanks
3 Rs:
- God Remembers Us
- We must Remember Him, and
- Remain in Him
Thank you, Lord. Triple Confirmed now – this is a year to rejoice, our Year of Joy, and our good work is to pray.
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