Change Your Clothes and it Will Change Your Life
(This Weekly Prayer Summary was written by Lisa Ang, assistant director of the CBC English Prayer Ministry, and edited by Brigitta Tedja)
Watch full sermon here
Pastor Dominic Yeo from Trinity Christian Centre of Singapore opened the service with prayer. He briefly shared about his Church and some of his favorite past-times, one of which is shopping. He shared how he and his wife enjoyed trying out different clothes during shopping.
Clothing is a very important part of our life because clothing represents:
Covering: That covering provides certain assurance and security in our lives so that we can operate and exist in the public domain.
Who you are: It talks about your personality, your style. The extension of self.
Where you are: Different geographical location has different clothes. You dress differently in warm climate vs cold climate.
Where you are heading
Culture: Different culture wears different clothing.
Symbol and status in life: A banker always wears suits, while a judge always wear his/her judicial robe/gown. Clothes are a symbol of position, authority, and social status in life.
Station of life where you are at: You dress differently during your different station of life (e.g. a 70-year-old dresses differently than a 5-year-old).
Ps. Yeo continued by declaring the following prayer over those who listened to this sermon:
“I declare to you this do says the Lord, that until and unless you change your clothes, you will not arise to the next level. For you have been called to arise and be radiant; so, change your clothes so that you can rise to the next level. I say to you this day that until and unless you change your clothes, you will be stuck in the old season, for I have not commanded you to remain in the old for I have made all this new. For I say to you this do that until and unless you change your clothes, you will not be aligned to the new things that I have for you says the Lord. For the new things that I am bringing you into are things that you have never experienced before, things that you have never had before, for a new season is coming, so change your clothes says the Lord. For I say to you this day, that until and unless you change your clothes, you will be in the old wine skin that cannot take a fresh wine of the Holy Spirit, for I am not depositing new wine into this body.
So, I say to you this day, become new skins and do not remain in the old.”
It is important for us to enter the new year 2023 with a new set of clothes, because we do not want to be using the same clothing we used in 2022. We need to recognize the importance of changing clothes to experience new things.
Five Biblical Characters Who Had a Change of Clothes that Changed Their Destiny:
1 Joshua - Filthy Clothes
Zechariah 3: 1-7 “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire? Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.” The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So, they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by. The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.”
Joshua, the high priest (not Joshua who led the Israelites to the promised land) had to be removed from his filthy garments and God clothed him with rich and fine garments. Joshua; a priest; was wearing filthy clothes due to the fire of accusations. He might be a priest, but he is also a regular man who can fall into sin, giving the devil a foothold to accuse him. Pastor Yeo gave an analogy like when we barbecue something; the smoke from the barbecue will stick on to us, making us smell like what we barbecued. Similar to what Joshua experienced, the smoke from the fire of accusations made him smell like fire.
The filthy clothes represent living in the same old life, dealing with the same old issues and living in sin. The angel changed Joshua’s clothes, because salvation is by grace. The clean garment represents the forgiveness of God and the cleansing of the Lord; a new beginning. Grace ushered in the “turban and the clothes.”
Some of us fell into sin; we are saved by the blood of Jesus, yet we are not cleansed by the blood of Jesus because we continued to bathe in the garment of sins. We need to step into 2023 with the victory of God, as a new creation of God. We do not need to continue living in sin. We need to change our garments.
2 Joseph - Prisoner Clothes
Read Genesis 39-41
Joseph was his father’s favorite child because he was the youngest. He was given the multi-colored robe and was sold as a slave to Potiphar and went to prison due to false accusations hurled by Potiphar’s wife who lusted after him. Joseph changed his garment multiple times: from multi-colored robe to a slave garment to a prisoner garment. No matter who you are, what social status of life you have, once you go to prison, you have to wear the same prisoner’s clothes. your hair might even be shaved so that you look like every other prisoner. Prison has a way of restricting your freedom and limiting you. The prison wardrobe neutralizes you.
The prisoner garment represents a bad situation/circumstances in life that has brought you to a place of limitation and crushed dreams.
In prison, Joseph made friends with a baker and a cupbearer. As the story went on, the cup bearer forgot about Joseph after his position was reinstated. Many times, we feel like we are alone and no one understands us. The prison clothes represent the situation when everybody has abandoned you as you go through life’s journey.
But God remembered Joseph!
Genesis 41:14 “So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.”
You might be forgotten by men, but God never forgets you. God will orchestrate a kairos moment for you to be brought into restoration/vindication. At that time, remember to change your clothes! Do not walk into the new thing looking like a prisoner.
God does not forget His people. WHEN THE TIME COMES, it is time to change your clothes.
3 Ruth - Widow Clothes
Ruth 3:1-3 “One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home[a] for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight, he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.”
The book of Ruth tells a story of a man named Elimelek, who made a decision to migrate to the enemy’s territory due to famine. Elimelek compromised his conviction for survival by moving to the enemy’s territory.
Do not let the motivation of survival take you out of the plan of God. Many people walked out of God’s covering due to economic/survival reasons just like Elimelek.
The Middle Eastern culture at that time, when the husband dies, it is considered that the widow has sinned, thus God removes the supply line (the husband, head of the family). This is what happened to Naomi. A widow is at the lowest economic status at that time—the bottom of the food chain. Because a widow is considered cursed, no one will give alms to the widows. No one would want to sow into something or someone who is cursed. Naomi’s two sons also died, forcing Naomi to send away her 2 daughters-in-law. Yet, Ruth decided to follow Naomi, and wore a widow’s gown. At the time, everything is differentiated by the caste system, the clothes or garments they wore represented their status, their rank, and who they are. Note Naomi’s instruction to Ruth on verse 3. Ruth cannot approach Boaz in her widow’s clothes. Ruth needed to change her garments.
The widow clothes represent the end of life; death; isolation; resignation of life and acceptance of what the enemy has taken from you.
Some of us are wearing the widow clothes. We have resigned to the fact that life will always be like that; we have accepted the fact that the enemies have taken things from us. We just resigned to the fact that this is my allotment in life, “too bad, so sad.” We come up with excuses like ‘I cannot do that’, ‘I don’t have the skills”, “I don’t have the education”, etc.
If you are wearing a widow’s garment today, get up, wash, put on perfume and change your clothes. Change your clothes to change your life.
Today is an opportune time, an opportune moment that God is ushering you to a place to SHAKE YOURSELF INTO A NEW TRAJECTORY FOR YOUR LIFE!
4 Bartimaeus - Beggar Clothes
Mark 10:46-52 “And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou, son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?’ The blind man said unto him, ‘Lord, that I might receive my sight.’ And Jesus said unto him, ‘Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.’ And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”
Joshua, the high priest, cannot change his own garment, the angel changed it for him.
Joseph had to shave himself and change his garment. There are moments when you are trapped and need a breakthrough, you need to activate your FAITH. God orchestrated Pharaoh to call Joseph to change his garments.
What about Bartimaeus? A beggar; who called him? JESUS.
Beggar clothes represent one who is despised, and exploited. A beggar is another low-life in the society. JESUS called Bartimaeus (verse 49) that caused the shift to take place in his life. The changing of the beggar’s garments caused the healing to happen to Bartimaeus. Throw off your old season so healing can take place. God has something in store for you, but you must SHIFT.
5 Lazarus - Grave Clothes
Read John 11:1-44
“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, loose him, and let him go.”
Grave clothes represent death to life, aspirations, death to dreams, death to relationships.
There needs to be the REMOVAL of the grave clothes so that the STENCH OF DEATH will be removed.
Joshua had the angel who changed his clothes.
Joseph had to shave and changed his clothes on his own.
Ruth had her mother’s instruction.
Bartimaeus had Jesus called him to change his clothes.
Lazarus had the people surrounding him change his clothes --> there is a community surrounding Lazarus who helped him take his grave clothes off and this represents the CARE cells.
Conclusion:
If you want change
If you want to move to the new level
If you want a fresh start
If you want a fresh anointing
YOU MUST REMOVE YOUR GARMENT AND CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES!
Your clothes must not represent your past. Your clothes must not represent where you are now because where you are now is not where God wants you to be. You need to change your clothes to represent WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.
Joshua changed his clothes and stepped into forgiveness and cleansing
Joseph changed his clothes and stepped into a new career; became a governor
Ruth changed her clothes and stepped into a new relationship
Bartimaeus changed hist clothes and stepped into a new way of life
Lazarus changed his clothes and stepped into a new life and freedom
Prayer Points:
Pray for Holy Spirit revelation of the importance of changing our garments to experience new things.
Which garment are you currently wearing? Filthy clothes, prisoner clothes, widow clothes, beggar clothes or grave clothes? Where do you want to be?
Identify what are the things in your life that you need to shake off/change.
Identify where you want to be.
Pray and declare for a mindset to be transformed.
Pray and declare for attitude to be adjusted.
Pray and declare for bad habits to be transformed.
Pray for a heart of obedience that as the Holy Spirit reminds you of the things that need to be changed, you will say “yes” and do it.