Act 3:1 (KJV) “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the NINTH hour”
Welcome to the Ninth Month of the year, the month of September. In the Bible, numbers often carry symbolic meaning, and number 9 is connected to the “hour of prayer”, being the ninth hour (Acts 3:1). In Bible times, the Jews divided the day into 12 hours of daylight (from sunrise - 6 a.m. to sunset - 6 p.m.). So, the ninth hour is around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The Jewish people had set times to pray during the day (morning, noon, and evening). The ninth hour was one of those special times. The ninth hour was considered a sacred time of communion with God, in connection with the time of the evening sacrifice in the Temple at Jerusalem (Exodus 29:39).
Now, in Daniel 9:21, Daniel was praying at the time of the evening sacrifice (the ninth hour) when Angel Gabriel brought him understanding. Also, Cornelius, the Gentile centurion, received a vision from God at the ninth hour, opening the door of salvation to the nations (Acts 10:3,30). May I therefore, call us to a time of offering the “Sacrifice of Prayer” to begin our preparation for the year 2026. The month of September begins what is generally called, “The Ember Months”. It is very symbolic. It is wisdom to begin seeking the face of God for mercy, wisdom, favour, divine direction for the new year. Remember, “… for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isa 66:8). Travailing, as in the birth of a child, is expected in the ninth month of pregnancy. It is time to travail in prayer.
Written by: Pastor Andrew A Esemudje