Ancient Romans referred to January as “Ianuarius” (meaning month of Janus), a word not so far removed from the modern day January and taken from the Etruscan word “Jauna” meaning “door”. The Romans dedicated it as their first month to their god of gateways and doorways whose name was JANUS, hence the name January.

The month Shevat commencing on the 1^st of January 2014 (Sundown), is the fifth (5^th) and eleventh (11^th) month of the Jewish civil and sacred calendars respectively. This is the first (1^st) month of the year 2014 according to the Gregorian calendar.

According to the Romans, the first (1^st) month was the gate through which everyone enters the calendar year; this made it easier to exert unfair influence and control on their enemies by dedicating it to the god Janus hoping they would have better favor in wars. Therefore January became the first (1^st) month of the Gregorian year.

Originally, the old Roman calendar began in spring; the season of new beginnings around March/April. The beginning of their year was dedicated to the god of war – Mars.

Finally, in 46 B.C.E., Julius Caesar initiated a thorough reform that resulted in the establishment of a new dating system, the Julian calendar. He wanted the year to begin in January since it contained the festival of the god of gates (later the god of all beginnings).

Since Julius Ceasar  was very superstitious and fearful he dedicated the beginning of the year to the god of gates Janus. Thus; the year was moved back 2 months from March to January.

This calendar was finally re-configured to align to what we have today by Pope Gregory- the Gregorian calendar. While the original pattern begins the year at the gates of spring season, the Gregorian calendar begins the year in the middle of the winter season.

The dedication of the era after Yeshua’s birth to “Anno Domini” (A.D) “The year of our LORD”; has elevated the Gregorian calendar to become the most widely used calendar all over the world for the marking of passage of months and years.

PRAYING INTO THE MONTH

• This is another opportunity to possess the gates at the beginning of an important season. It is the new year 2014. Praise the LORD that you have seen another new year.
• Proclaim Psalm 148 commanding all creation to praise HaShem. Instruct all creation to ignore every other voice that commands it to praise any other demon-deity except HaShem in this season.
• For you to enter into the new season, there must be closure of the past season. Ask Yeshua to close the gates of the past year, and season. Ask that He will seal and cause a closure on any areas of your life where there is exposure and a lack of closure;
• Whether any loss that continues to haunt you; like death of loved ones, loss of property, possession or position, loss of face or relationships. Ask for the opportunity for closure so that you can enter the new season on a clean slate.
• Read Psalm 25:14, Psalm 91:1 This is a season to dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you in this season so that you will have extended seasons of personal communion with Him.
• It is a season when you should seek to fear HaShem more than ever before more than you fear men or yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you in areas where you have compromised your standards in the past for fear of men, and circumstances more than fear of HaShem.
• You can only have reverent fear of a God whose discipline you submit to. It is a season of becoming serious soldiers in His army and no more behaving like civilians. The disciplines of fasting, prayer, word intake, fellowship with likeminded brethren, should become top priorities in your diary. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you change your desires, preferences to become those of a soldier who has counted the cost and is willing to pay the price to enter into the season 2014.
• Many perceive that this is a season of rest. You cannot rest when you have not worked. Rest simply means, work must be done first. It is a season of being an overcomer. Overcomers must face battles first in order to overcome. Therefore if you have been lackadaisical in the past year, this is a season to belt up and soldier up, so you can face your fears, your battles head on knowing you are more than a conqueror with Yeshua on your side. Only then will you reap the harvest, enjoy the plunder and come to a spacious place of rest. Bring repentance for areas where you have refused to work out your salvation, shake off negativity, held on to un-forgiveness, refused to love, pampered your feelings of woundedness and exalted your emotions above the purposes of YHVH. Psalm 66:18
• It is a season to for greater word intake. Fast, read more of the word in big chunks, meditate on it, memorize it and interact with it in any way that would increase your knowledge of the Most High. The Bible marathon is provided on our website, and in the latest publication “Praying for the Gates at the Watches.”