THE PROSPERITY OF THE LORD’S CITIES

05/23/2024

“Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The LORD will again comfort Zion, And will again choose Jerusalem” (Zechariah 1:17).

There’s a direct connection of the prosperity of believers to prophecy. This is why the Lord places emphasis on not despising it. 1 Thessalonians 5:20 says, “Do not despise prophecies.”  

Casting our minds to today’s theme scripture, we get the idea that prophecy is the mind of God concerning a subject and you don’t have to feel goosebumps or be in the throes of euphoria when you prophesy. Prophecy can also be given without euphoria or even retold. The emphasis of prophecy is that it is the mind of God about a matter expressed in intelligible language. 

That said, in today’s theme scripture, we find the Lord’s usage of the term, “My cities…” A city in God’s terminology, is an inhabited place that He shares with His people. In Psalm 48:1-2, we get a glimpse of this when the Bible says, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King.”

Then in Psalm 87:5-6, the Holy Book says, “And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her.” The LORD will record, When He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.” Selah” 

Now, where does God dwell with His people outside the Church of Jesus Christ? Nowhere. As a matter of fact, Hebrews 12:22-23 settles the matter with unequivocal clarity. It says, “But you [talking about you, when you were born again] have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect.”

The cities of God are His churches. And His strategy for proliferating His cities around the world is a form of prophetic prosperity. Now, while your mind should go to financing the preaching of the gospel, the root Hebrew word for prosperity in this context is “speaking good” or “spreading good news lavishly.” Paul interprets this in 2 Timothy 4:2. He says, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

It is hidden within it but if you pay attention to Zechariah 1:17 carefully, the same message is repeated twice: Preach it again and again until the cities of God spread. The Lord is asking us to be lavish with the gospel; to go back to those with whom we have shared the gospel before and preach it again. He is calling us to preach and spread His cities everywhere. There is only one way. It is evangelism.

Have a blessed day!

Faith-Filled Confession 

I am God’s point person of the hour. I do my work to proliferate His cities. And I am effective in birthing men, women, and children into the cities of God. Hallelujah! 

Prayer

Pray for the leadership of the Iranian government, that every decision and action they take in light of the death of their president will be free from demonic influence that could bring about a global catastrophe.

Pray and declare that every mountain of influence in your nation is taken over by God’s people and used to propagate the saving news of the Lord Jesus.

Pray for the rise of Christian prophetic activism, city watchers, gatekeepers, and intercessors in the various mountains of influence. Declare that every policy initiative and law that sets itself against the Gospel in these mountains of influence will be demolished in Jesus' name.

One-Year Bible Reading Plan: 1 Chronicles 11-13; John 9:1-23