July 23, 2024

Zechariah not only prophesied, but he gave a good sermon. In chapter 7, he mentions fasting and praying and reprimands the people for fasting out of habit rather than doing it to honor God. It’s also a reminder not to say we are fasting for God when we know we are fasting to lose weight. Don’t let selfish ambition get in the way, and genuinely want to honor God with fasting and prayer. If you’re having trouble hearing God’s voice, you need to tune into his frequency, and fasting and praying are the ways to level up to that frequency.

The next portion of this sermon also deals with the heart. This one hit home with me! We know that God wants us to care for widows, orphans, and the poor and deal kindly with them, but did you know that we are not to imagine evil in our hearts towards our brothers (people you know or family)? You are not allowed to think terrible thoughts about your brother. Confession: when someone hurts me, especially when they hurt my family, my thoughts become vindictive against them. My anger causes my heart to devise a scheme to get them back. I may not act on those thoughts, but those thoughts are still sinful. Watch your thoughts, and I will work on mine.

And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. Zechariah 7:10