Your Clothe

Clothe is used for covering from nakedness, shame and adverse weather conditions.

The type or design of clothe one wears can also be used to identify who one is in a society (Priests, Doctors, Judge, Construction persons, etc can easily be identified once they put on their uniform).

For Joseph Jacob, a young man in the Bible whose story is related to us in Genesis 37-41, clothing was an important part of his life, I guess as it is the case for all of us. Joseph’s parents made a colorful clothing for him which gave them a sense of pride in their son and for Joseph himself whenever he wore it (Gen. 37:3). Unfortunately his brothers tore it off him, making him naked and ashamed (Gen. 37:23). May the good Lord have mercy on you – that your covering and dignity will never be taken from you.

Prayer: Anyone under this teaching whose covering and dignity have been removed by jealousy and other life’s circumstances shall receive a replacement by the mercies of God in Jesus name.

Joseph’s cloth was soiled, stained and tainted with a dead animal’s blood and presented to his parents, using it to bring sorrow instead of the former joy they experienced whenever he wore it (Gen. 37:31-35).

Prayer: I pray for you that any means of soiling and tainting that the devil is using over your covering (name, pride and dignity) in order to bring weeping into your family shall be destroyed in Jesus name.

Now that his dignity had been removed, and he was sold to a slave master, he either travelled to his new master’s country without any clothe on his back or his clothe was changed to a slave’s garment (Gen. 37:26-28). What a downgrade from where he started? The new clothe he wore at Portipha’s house represented him now as a servant, instead of the beloved son of the Jacob family.

Prayer: May the Lord remove every mark of downgrade from you in Jesus name.

Just as Joseph was getting used to his downgraded identity in his master’s house, his clothe was torn off his back again, and it was presented as an evidence against him in a false claim of attempted rape ( Gen. 39:7-19).

Prayer: Your children, health, shelter, peace, honor, dignity etc are your covering. May the wicked not succeed at tearing your covering off in Jesus name. Every indisputable evidence against your identity and personality shall be blotted out and nullified in Jesus name.

As we pray these prayers, we should however not fail to examine and ask ourselves: Who are you? Who am I?

Are we the type of people who tear of people’s covering and dignity with our words and deeds?

Do we enjoy uncovering others and soiling their lives with news that make others weep for them, just as the brothers of Joseph did?

You and I may not know how we have used jealousy to tear off other people’s covering and dignity as in the case of Joseph’s brothers. We may not know how we have torn people’s covering because they didn’t entertain our lusts, as in the case of Portiphar’s wife. I pray that Joseph’s story would be a wake-up call for us to be careful of your dealings with others.

Prayer: May God forgive us of all manners in which we have taken off or turn the coverings of others, bringing them to shame.

For everyone who suffering from various types of personality, identity, positional, status and emotional downgrade from the hands of the enemy, I say,  trust the lord, do your work dutifully and do not cast away your confidence in the Lord or throw away your talent, dream, and gifting. God will make everything work together for your good (Rom. 8:28) and change your cloth, covering, and identity to a more glorious one than when you began – in due season.

By the time God wanted to glorify himself in the life of Joseph, His clothe changed. Pharaoh arrayed him with royal robe of authority and power. His class or status changed. He received a new name, chariot and wife. He moved from a prisoner to whom food was rationed to the commander in charge of food distribution (Gen. 41:37-44). I see God changing your life in Jesus name.

God did this in the life of Joshua the Priest, He will do it for you also (Zechariah. 3:1-6).

Prayer: He will remove your garment of shame. He will clothe you with His honor, dignity, blessings and goodness all around you.

Finally, I bring to your attention that at last, some people will be stripped naked at the end of age and thrown into outer darkness (Matt. 25:30). May this not be your portion in Jesus name. Accept Jesus into your life and continue to walk with Him as you expect His return.

Joseph was never clothed with shame again; I pray that your new identity in Christ shall never be soiled again in Jesus name.

Enjoy your new covering in Christ, amen.