Always Mix Prayer With Humility...Repentance...And Friends

Zephaniah 2:2-3 -  Gather together and pray, you shameless nation,  while there still is time—before judgment begins and your opportunity is blown away like chaff; before the fierce anger of the Lord falls and the terrible day of his wrath begins. Beg him to save you, all who are humble—all who have tried to obey. Walk humbly and do what is right; perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you from his wrath in that day of doom.

 

Zephaniah had just delivered the harsh words of judgment to Judah…but he tempered them with these words of hope for change. He told them to gather….to pray…to repent….and to humble themselves before God.  He told them that these things might just change God’s mind before it was too late.

 

God wanted desperately to keep his promise to Jacob.  God wanted to leap a remnant of those who believed in him alone to continue to work his master plan of salvation for all. God knew that most of the people were too far into the culture of the day to change and repent…but he could feel the prayers of the few that never wanted to live that way in the first place. 

 

The Bible teaches in Matthew 18:20 that gathering together with three or more people to ask God for anything gets his attention. And in other places God changed his mind with just one powerful prayer warrior…like Moses….or David….or Paul. Zephaniah just added two other important keys to answered prayer….repentance….and humility.

 

One last thought.  Zephaniah did not tell them that the doom would be completely stopped.  He said that God would protect them from it.  We are stuck with evil for just a while longer.  God allows it in our world for reasons beyond our understanding.  But if we gather together…and pray for his guidance and will…he will protect us from the evil that messes with his will for our walk with him.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you will always answer the prayers of those that seek you in gathered groups. Forgive me for the times I have offered meaningless prayers on my own…or failed to repent and be completely humble before I prayed. Help me to seek out your will…and always pray like Jesus….asking you for what I want...but always realizing it may not be within your will. Amen.