JERICHO : The Place of Breaking down strongholds.

By Bishop DR F. M. Mawit

We read about the story of conquest of Jericho in Joshua chapter six.Jericho was a fortified city, with walls as thick as the complete width of a house.For example,the house of Rahab was built on the wall of the city.That is how thick the walls were.

Inside of the fortified city of Jericho there inhabitants and a king.The king of Jericho was no pet.He was powerful and equipped with army.But,most of all,he trusted in the complete protection of his city by the wals surrounding it.But God had promised the land of Canaan to the descendants of Israel.Part of their inheritance by behin thick cty walls.So,in order to make progress,the walls of Jericho had to collapse.
God directed the children of Israel to march around the walls of the city once everyday for a period of six days.Then on the seventh day they were to march around the walls seven times and then to shout.They were promised the walls would collapse.

Marching around the walls of Jericho repesents persistent prayer.This is "prayer until something happens"


The stage of "Jericho" n prayer is the stage where "work" is done!It is the stage where we shall normally spend the longest amount of time.I believe it is the stage where Daniel spent most of three weeks until a breakthrough worked out,and the angel sent down to him booke through the resistance of evil principaalities over Persia(Daniel 10).I also believe it was at this stage" Jericho" that Esther and her prayer team spent most of three ays of water-less fast,until the king could not even sleep,and called for the book of chronicles of kingdom to read to him.This culminated in the honouring of Mordecai,and the ultimate destruction of Herman,the enemy of Jews.The "Jericho walls" which stood between them and their deliverance must have been smashed during the three days of fasting prayer.

The stageof "Jericho" in prayer is not enjoyable at all.It is hard work.It is like you are being punished.It is like heaven has got closed on you.


Ifeel, very many of us begin on the Jericho march of prayer,but then we do not go all the way.We give up,maybe,on the fifth round!And as result many"Jericho" walls are still intact and the King of Jericho is still holding on our inheritance.