121 Days of Prayer
Do Not Be Afraid, Do Not Lose Heart
The purposes of this prayer are: Fortitude, Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Holiness/Righteousness.
Merciful God, your prophet Zechariah relayed your message of forgiveness and reconciliation to the Israelites who were returning to Judah from captivity when he told them: “Thus says the Lord: Take heart, all you who today hear the promises from the words spoken by the prophets who were present when the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid for the rebuilding of the temple. Before that time, men were not paid their wages, nor was any recompense offered for the work of the animals. In addition, those who went out or came in were provided with no protection from the enemy, for I had set every man against his neighbor. However, now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in former days, says the Lord of Hosts. Now they will sow in peace. The vine will bring forth its fruit, the soil will yield its produce, and the heavens will provide their moisture. All these things I will endow to the remnant of this people. Just as you were once a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so now I will save you, and you will be regarded as a blessing. Do not be afraid. Do not lose heart. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Whereas I resolved to bring disaster upon you when your ancestors provoked me to wrath, says the Lord of hosts, and I did not relent, so now I have resolved in these days to show favor to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Do not be afraid.” Zechariah 8:9–15 (NCB). Lord God, the Israelites learned again and again, over the course of the centuries, that you may not respond immediately to their apostasy and wickedness, but you would not let their sins go unpunished indefinitely. All Christians must believe, and never forget, that we will all appear before you one day in judgement. Those of us who maintain our faith in Jesus to the end will be saved, and we will be rewarded based on the treasures that we had previously stored up in heaven. Help us to persevere in our faith, Lord. Amen.
