A Prayer of Reflection and Intent on true Fasting and Mourning
"Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?" - Zechariah 7:5
Almighty and Eternal God, the Creator of heaven and earth, we bow before You in reverence, offering our hearts and minds to Your divine presence. As we reflect on Your Word revealed to us in Zechariah 7:5, where You commanded, "Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?" we come seeking a deeper understanding of our fasting and mourning practices, for we desire our actions to align with Your will.
Lord, You know our hearts; You see our motives, and You comprehend our intentions. We bring before You our questions and doubts concerning our spiritual disciplines. When we engage in fasting, dear Lord, are we doing it merely to adhere to tradition, to fulfill our roles in society, or to appease our own desires? We confess that at times our fasting has been about ourselves, a method to showcase our piety before others or to seek our personal gain. Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have focused on the outward appearance rather than seeking an authentic relationship with You during these solemn times.
As we contemplate what it truly means to fast unto You, we acknowledge that fasting should draw us closer to Your heart. Help us, dear God, to remember that our acts of fasting should be infused with intention, humility, and sincerity. Let each time of fasting be a moment of realignment with Your purpose and a deepening of our reliance and trust in You. May we not simply seek to abstain from food or comforts but strive to embrace a hunger for righteousness, a thirst for Your presence, and a longing for Your voice in our lives.
In the spirit of mourning, Father, we recognize that grief holds a sacred place in our walk with You. Teach us that mourning is not merely a time of sorrow due to our loss, but a powerful opportunity to reflect on the weight of separation from You, or the pain that exists around us. Let our mourning produce within us a compassionate heart - one that empathizes with others’ suffering and looks for ways to bring Your comfort and healing to a broken world.
Lord, may our fasting and mourning not be devoid of purpose or merely ritualistic, but infused with a genuine desire to draw closer to You. As we engage in these disciplines, help us to search our hearts, understanding that no amount of fasting can substitute for a sincere heart yearning to know and be known by You. Inspire us to engage in fasting that brings about true repentance, leading to a transformation in our thoughts and behaviors.
Help us also to encourage one another in these practices. Teach us to come together as a community during these times, sharing insights and building mutual support, so that we may hold each other accountable in our commitment to honor You through our fasting and mourning. Allow our collective experiences to foster a culture of earnestness in seeking after You.
As we reflect further on the seventy years mentioned in Zechariah, remind us of the importance of consistency in our pursuit of holiness and devotion. Faithfulness over years, even in our fasting, is a mark of a true believer. We pray that our desire to remain steadfast in seeking You shall increase, and that we may grow ever more aware of the transformative power of Your grace during times of seeking and waiting.
Lord, may our response to Your question in Zechariah be a resounding ‘yes.’ Yes, we desire to fast unto You, to seek You with our whole hearts, to mourn for the things that grieve You, and to be agents of change in a world so desperately in need of Your light. Teach us the profound depth of fasting as an act of devotion, love, and surrender to You.
In Jesus's name, we offer this prayer, trusting in Your transformative power in and through us. Amen.
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Zechariah 7:5 - "Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?"
"Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?" - Zechariah 7:5
Zechariah 5:7 - "And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah."
1 Chronicles 5:7 - "And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, were the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,"
Zechariah 5:7 (Brenton) 7 And behold a talent of lead lifted up: and behold a woman sat in the midst of the measure.
Zechariah 5:7 (Brenton) 7 And behold a talent of lead lifted up: and behold a woman sat in the midst of the measure.
Zechariah 7:8 - "¶ And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,"
"And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah." - Zechariah 5:7
Zechariah 13:7
"¶ And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying," - Zechariah 7:8
"And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, were the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah," - 1 Chronicles 5:7
Zechariah 7:1 - "And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;"
Zechariah 1:5 - "Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?"
Zechariah 7:4 - "¶ Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,"
Zechariah 2:7 - "Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon."
Zechariah 1:7 - "¶ Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,"
Zechariah 8:5 - "And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof."
Zechariah 5:10 - "Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?"
Zechariah 5:5 - "¶ Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth."
Zechariah 7:11 - "But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear."
Zechariah 5:1 - "Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll."
Zechariah 7:8-10 - "And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’"
Zechariah 2:5 - "For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her."
Zechariah 12:5 - "And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God."
Zechariah 7:2 - "When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,"
Zechariah 5:8 - "And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof."
Zechariah 4:5 - "Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord."
Zechariah 7:6 - "And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?"
Zechariah 7:7 - "Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?"
Zechariah 5:6 - "And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth."