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The King Is in the Field: Preparing Builders for Elul and 5786

We are entering Elul (25 August – 22 September 2025), the twelfth and final month of the Hebraic year. This season is more than a turn of the calendar. Elul is an invitation, a sacred countdown into the new year 5786, a time when heaven draws near and builders are summoned to pause, abide, and receive.


What Makes Elul Unique?


Elul carries a distinct prophetic atmosphere. In Jewish tradition, it is known as the month when “the King is in the field.” Unlike other times when the King is seated in His palace, distant and formal, Elul is the season when He comes close to His people, accessible, merciful, and near.


The very name Elul has been read as an acronym for the Hebrew phrase:“Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li” , “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” (Song of Songs 6:3)This is bridal language. Elul is about intimacy, return, and covenant alignment.



A Season of Teshuvah and Preparation


Traditionally, Elul is marked by:

  • The daily sounding of the shofar, awakening the spirit.

  • The recitation of Psalm 27, declaring confidence in God’s light and salvation.

  • Selichot prayers - petitions for mercy and forgiveness, preparing hearts for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.


For builders, this translates into a prophetic charge:

  • To return: releasing old cycles and consecrating foundations.

  • To abide: remaining close to the King as He walks among His people. The King id in the field.

  • To receive: tucking away to hear clearly, writing the blueprints and marching orders for the year ahead.


Why Elul Matters for Builders

Elul is not just about reflection, it is a divine advantage window. The way you posture yourself in Elul determines how you step into the year ahead.


God is preparing His people for what 5786 will bring:

  • Ecclesiastes 11:2 - a season of pouring oil into many vessels, of multiple streams and ventures.

  • Oil and Lamps - a year to carry extra oil, to keep your lamps burning (Matthew 25; Luke 12:35).

  • Marketplace Light - influence rising in business, governance, and innovation (Isaiah 60).

  • New Wineskins for Latter Wine - the preparation of the Bride, new structures for new outpouring (John 2, Luke 5).

  • Hidden Treasures Revealed - divine resources unlocked (Isaiah 45:3).

  • Davids Emerging from Adullam - hidden leaders stepping into authority (1 Samuel 22).

  • Rolling Away of Stones - resurrection pathways opened (John 11; Matthew 28).

  • Rehoboth Wells - entering into enlargement and fruitfulness (Genesis 26:22).


5785 was a year of pruning, consecration, and hiddenness. 5786 will be a year of oil, light, vessels, and emergence.



How to Walk Through Elul Intentionally

  • Take time to retreat: Set aside intentional space to hear God, a day, a weekend, or moments each day.

  • Pray Psalm 27 daily: Anchor your courage in His presence.

  • Journal weekly: Ask the Lord what to release, what blueprint to carry, and what oil He is pouring out.

  • Pray Selichot-style prayers: Returning, repenting, and realigning with mercy.



Builder’s Selichot - Adapted Penitential Prayers for Elul

Opening Invocation (Psalm 27:1)“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”


1. Confession & Return (Teshuvah)

Prayer:“Father, we confess where we have built out of our own strength, ambition, or fear.We repent of misplaced priorities, neglect of Your presence, and compromise in our walk.Forgive us, Lord, and return us to the foundation of Christ.”


Declaration:We declare: We return to the Lord, the true Master Builder. He is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:6 -7).


2. Appeal to Mercy

Prayer:“Lord, not by our merit but by Your mercy we stand.Have compassion on us as individuals, as families, and as a community of builders.Release us from the weight of cycles that held us back.”


Declaration:We declare: With You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared (Psalm 130:4).


3. Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King) – Adapted for Builders

  • Our Father, our King, we have sinned before You.

  • Our Father, our King, align our blueprints with Your original design.

  • Our Father, our King, inscribe us in the Book of Builders who establish Your Kingdom.

  • Our Father, our King, grant us fresh oil, new assignments, and divine connections.

  • Our Father, our King, release wisdom, understanding, and stewardship for 5786.


4. Petition for Fresh Oil & New Season

Prayer:“Anoint us afresh, Lord, for the works ahead.Where we have run dry, pour out new oil.Where blueprints were unclear, make them plain.Where vision was delayed, accelerate us in Your timing.”


Declaration:We declare: I have been anointed with fresh oil, my eyes will see the fulfillment of God’s promises (Psalm 92:10 -11).


5. Closing Consecration

Prayer:“Father, consecrate us as we close this year.Seal every gate behind us, and open the gates of 5786 before us.Let us enter this new year with clean hands, pure hearts, and ready blueprints.”


Declaration:We declare: It is finished. We step into a new year, secured in His mercy, order, and faithfulness (Revelation 21:6; Lamentations 3:22-23).


This simplified Selichot can be prayed each night of Elul, as a rhythm of return, mercy, and preparation.



Final Word

Elul is the bridge into the new year. It is the time to let the King meet you in the field, to be near, to abide, and to receive.


Your devotion in Elul is the oil that will sustain your lamp in 5786.

“Father, as the King walks into the field of my life, I return to You. I consecrate myself, align with Your voice, and receive new blueprints for 5786. Fill me with fresh oil and set my lamp burning. Amen.”



If this resonated with you, don’t keep it to yourself.


Take a moment to like, comment, or share this with someone who may need this reminder today.


Bukola Olumofin (Founder, Transformative Co)
Bukola Olumofin (Founder, Transformative Co)

 
 
 

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