Esther 4:1
When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry.
Tag: Earnestness in Prayer
Here is something we don’t see in today’s modern day church: Praying in sackcloth and ashes.
Sackcloth (Hebrew שַׂק saḳ) is a term originally denoting a coarsely woven fabric, usually made of goat's hair. It later came to mean also a garment made from such cloth, which was chiefly worn as a token of mourning by the Israelites.
Sackcloth and ashes indicated that a person took very seriously the situation they were in and their time to pray was of utmost importance. Today we pray in little bits and little times of convenience. Mordecai had just learned that Haman, the king’s second in command, was plotting to kill all the Jews. Mordecai, first and foremost, begins to take the issue to God. He will get insight from God to solicit Esther into the mix to help deliver the Jews. But, he first turns to God. Daniel, also in captivity, did the same thing. When confronted with issues that were lie and death they both turned to God in prayer. They allowed the issue to move them to their knees. God is concerned about us and wants to help us. He has chosen to use prayer as the means to move. We are to pray in earnest expectations of God’s delivery. Mordecai was mourning in prayer, which is different than mourning in sorrow. He was now in sorrow. Mordecai was in earnest prayer. He would be delivered from this plot against the Jews. But, it began in earnest prayer.
No comments:
Post a Comment