PRAYING THROUGH THE MONTH OF JULY 2016

July is the seventh (7th) month of the Gregorian Calendar.

In the ancient Roman calendar, July was the fifth month so it was called “Quintilis mensis” in Latin, meaning “fifth month”. March was the beginning month of the year before it was changed to January. The name “Quintilis” was changed to “Julius” in honour of Julius Caesar who was born in the that fifth month, and was the one who assigned 31 days to the month in the year 46 BC, hence the name JULY.

July is the warmest month in most of the northern hemisphere where it is the 2nd month of summer and the coldest, in much of the southern hemisphere where it is the 2nd month of winter.

The Hebrew holiday of Tzom Tammuz, begins at dawn on Sunday, July 24, 2016 (17th Tammuz). The fast of the 17th of Tammuz, known as Shivah Asar B’Tammuz, is the start of a three-week mourning period for the destruction of Jerusalem and the two Holy Temples. During those weeks the Jewish adherents mourn the loss of the vision of Israel as a holy nation set apart for the Lord.

Ungodly mythology around this month has to do with the festival of Tammuz. The summer solstice on June 21st commenced the festival of Tammuz derived from the mythology of a sun-god who is in charge of fertility. In Egypt he was known as Osiris, to the Greeks he was called Adonis (a name derived from the Phoenician and Hebrew word for “lord”). His consort or spouse was the goddess Ishtar (Astarte or Ashtoreth, Venus).

Adonis’ death is believed to set off the onset of winter while his restoration symbolizes the return of the sun. Celebrations marking this started off with lamentation and was followed with wild revelry.

The second half of the year commences in July.

WERE YOU BORN IN JULY?

• Thank God for your specific day of birth. Declare that day blessed.
• Thank God that when He thought of you, he already thought of your entire life. Thank Him that He did not leave anything to chance. (Isa 49:1)
• Thank Him that he knew exactly what your redemptive purpose was going to be. (Psalm 139:16)
• Pray that He will reveal the original you more and more as you enter another year of your life. (Psalm 139:13-15)
• Pray that He will restore the heavenly label, and the heavenly name He gave you before you were conceived. (Jeremiah 1:5).
• Thank Him for allowing you to celebrate another anniversary. Declare that this special time which is a new year to you, will indeed bring with it the fulfillment of every God ordained purpose in your life.

MOON PHASES IN JULY 2016

Command the heavens to praise the Lord in each of these phases of the moon.