Book of the Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3

Book of Small Prophets 

Zephaniah 

Chapter 

3

 

¹ Ah soiled, defiled, oppressing city ² It has listened to no voice; it has accepted no correction. It has not trusted in the LORD; it has not drawn near to its God.

 

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verses 1 to 2)

 

Oh God, my beloved Father when we do not obey Your voice we end up in a state of exile, so much that we bring judgment onto our own selves. I pray that such bitter experiences of life act as stepping stones to draw us near to You instead of away from You Amen.


³The officials within it are roaring lions; its judges are evening wolves that leave nothing until the morning.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 3)

Oh God, my beloved Father, I pray that You tame the lion and educate the judge in me, for they are both still immature and lacking in self-control. I pray that You make me a better person Amen.


⁴ Its prophets are reckless faithless persons; its priests have profaned what is scared, they have done violence to the law.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 4)

Oh God my Father as Christians we are all prophets because You can give us by giving us words of knowledge and insights for ourselves and even for others at any given time. I pray that You always find me available for You as a worthy tool to help others and also to receive help and support from You and others, for even the helper at times needs help Amen.


⁵ The LORD within it is righteous; he does no wrong. Every morning he renders his judgment, each dawn without fail; but the unjust knows no shame.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 5)

Oh God my Father the world is like an apple that is beautiful from the inside because You are that which makes it beautiful, however from the outside it is bad sinful and corrupt Amen.


⁶ I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without people, without inhabitants.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 6)

Oh God my beloved Father, You have the power and authority to raise a nation to reach its glory, and You have the same power to bring it down to earth. You have full power over my life, therefore may Your will be done and not mine Amen.


⁷ I said, "Surely the city will fear me it will accept correction: it will not lose sight of all that I have brought upon it." But they were the more eager to make all their deeds corrupt.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 7)

Oh God, my Father, You intervene in my life because You love me, and You want me to change my life and not because You hate me. I pray that You help me to overcome the temptation of the evil one that weakens my defences like a virus in the immune system and causes me to become sinful Amen.


⁸ Therefore wait for me, says the LORD, for the day when I arise as a witness. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all the heat of my anger; for in the fire of my passion all the earth shall be consumed. 

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 8)

Oh brothers and sisters of all nations, let us wait and hope on God, before taking serious or trivial decisions in life. Let us feel assured that He always gives us a reply in some way or another Amen. 


⁹ At that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 9)

Oh God my Father in the readings of today You have spoken of a positive time in my life, where people who may have spoken negatively about me, will finally experience the truth which will clear me of all negative false accusations. You have also given me messages of unity among the nations, I pray for such time, my God and Father Amen.


¹⁰ From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, my scattered ones, shall bring my offering.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 10)

Oh God, my Father, the day will surely come when all Your people scattered around the world, will unite as sheep under one shepherd and there will be one flock. What a day that would be my God and Father Amen.


¹¹ On that day you shall not be put to shame because of all the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 11)

 

Oh God, my beloved Father blessed be this day of our final deliverance from the forces of evil of this world so that we can be reunited with You. I thank You for Your forgiveness for we have greatly sinned against You and each other and we cannot do without Your forgiveness Amen.

 

¹² For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD- ¹³ the remnant of Israel; they shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths. Then they will pasture and lie down and no one shall make them afraid.

 

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verses 12 to 13)

 

Oh God, my Father, I pray that I will be one of that remnant my God and Father that I will be worthy to seek comfort in Your presence Amen.

 

 ¹⁴ Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!

 

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verses 14)

 

Rejoice brothers and sisters of all nations for the Lord our God is with us, even though our situations may not be that positive, let us rejoice for we are not alone. Let us sing and give praise and worship to God who is able to deliver us out of any situation any sin any problem any family crisis, any financial crisis! Amen.

I invite you all to click on this link and join me in this song credited to us by Kari Jobe. Amen

¹⁵ The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the LORD is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verses 15)

Oh brothers and sisters throughout the world, in the name of God, the highest, I pray that you experience the forgiveness of God our father. We are no longer slaves to sin, we are free of the clutches of sin and can live freely, we can now worship God our father without no restraints whatsoever. I also pray that now that we have been forgiven our sins, we be more than ready to forgive those who sinned against us. We are free to apologize to whom we sinned against. God is giving us the strength to go against our rebellious nature and say sorry and plead for forgiveness Amen.

¹⁶ On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion: do not let your hands grow weak. ¹⁷The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival. ¹⁸ I will remove disaster from you so that you will not bear reproach for it.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verses 16 to 18)

Trust in God my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ and You will never feel depressed abandoned or alone, for with Him on our side we are always victorious. Therefore let us pray to change the F of fear into the F of faith Amen.

¹⁹ I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 19)

God is our champion, He will fight our battles He will overcome our greatest enemies, He will conquer our addictions and immoral behaviour. God will put to shame our weaknesses and turn them into strengths Amen.

²⁰ At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your eyes says the LORD.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 19)

Oh God my blessed Father that day will be the greatest of days, when we are reunited together for ever if this is Your will. I do not wish for fame or popularity, but to be a signpost on this earth that leads others to You Amen.

Oh God, my blessed Father, I wish to end this meditation on the last chapter of the book of the prophet Zephaniah with the following prayer. I invite you to click on the following link which takes you to the Book of the Prophet Haggai

The Book of Small Prophet Haggai

Brothers and sisters this is the day of repentance, humble yourselves and turn to Jesus, open your hearts to Him and share Your misgivings by means of the priests that he consecrated for this very purpose. Pray and read the Word of God and do not judge it but let it transform you.

Amen.

Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2

Book of Small Prophets 

Zephaniah 

Chapter 

2

¹ Gather together, gather O shameless nation, ² before you are driven away like the drifting chaff, before there comes upon you the fierce anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the LORD's wrath.

(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 verses 1 to 2)

Oh people of the earth, let us repent of our ways, let us gather as one nation and pray for the mercy of God' our  Father, for we have gone against His ways many times and we are entitled, for the penalty of hell. Mercy oh God even though we deserve all we get in consequences of our sins amen.



³ Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his commands; seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the LORD's wrath.


(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 verse 3)



Oh God what a great gift it is to be humble and to be obedient and ready to obey instruction than to be proud and always in control or as we think we are. I pray that I always aim for humility and never seek to dominate others Amen.



⁴ For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted.


(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 verse 4) 



Oh God my Father, when You want something to happen, You will make all things possible, You are able to remove people who are of trouble and opposition to the reaching of the goals that You planned for us and give rise to those people who will be of opportunity to us Amen. 


⁵ All inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.



(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 verse 5)

Oh God my Father, the last thing I need right now id that You be against me.  I am willing to take on the yoke of the sacrifice, however, I  pray on You to speak to me like You once did Amen. 


⁶And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks. ⁷ The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall pasture, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes.   


(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 verses 6 to 7)



Oh God, my beloved Father, I thank You for being so caring and sensitive to my needs and that of my family. I know that I am always on Your mind because You genuinely love me. Even before I declare a need, wish or want, You are already aware of it, and if it's for my own good, You will make it possible to be Amen. Thank You, God my Father. When I needed the assistance of an interpreter, You not only sent me one, but also a person with a background in psychiatry whom You sent at the right moment, and whom I am proud to call a friend. Although he is of another religion by means of this person You showed me who the real Christian is and I felt really ashamed on one hand and grateful to You on the other Amen.


⁸ I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made boasts against their territory.



(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 Verse 8)



Oh God my beloved Father, You are more than aware of the persecution that Christians are experiencing during the present times. People are being killed simply for being Christians. On the one hand may Your will be done, because You had made us aware that we would be persecuted because of Your Name, but on the other hand innocent blood is being shed. I pray that You have mercy on this targeted group of Christians Amen.


⁹ Therefore as I live, says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall become like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.


(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 Verse 9)



Oh God my beloved Father, this is an issue that is really on my mind. You took the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, so seriously so much that You mention it in different chapters of the Bible, however the Roman Catholic Church is changing its attitude toward people with homosexual tendencies, people who were not accepted by You. When You destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah You did not discriminate the sin from the sinner, because both were present and therefore both were given the same penalty Amen.  


¹⁰ This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they scoffed and boasted against the people of the Lord of hosts.


(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 Verse 10)



Oh God my beloved Father, at times I do not understand the Roman Catholic Church of which I am a member. You strongly emphasize the penalty of being like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and their ways and our Church has a completely opposite attitude towards such a social group. please have mercy on us oh God my Father Amen.



¹¹ The LORD will be terrible against them; he will shrivel all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the coasts and islands of the nations.


(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 Verse 11)



Oh sisters and brothers, we all in some way or another may have personal 'gods' and ambitions, may we not be controlled by our careers, plans, families, jobs and even by the same technology that has become so advanced. May we including myself, place our Lord God and Father in the centre of our lives and give Him full control Amen because none of these 'gods' can withstand the power of God Amen. He deserves the centre place of our lives. He is the rock of our salvation. 



¹² You also, Ethiopians, shall be killed by my sword.


(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 Verse 12)



Oh God my Father, The Good News is really like a sharp sword, because when I reflect on it it's message penetrates my soul and makes me aware of both Your love, and even the issues that are still pending in my spiritual and psychological self Amen. I pray that You not only raise my awareness but even continue the healing process Amen.



 ¹³ And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert.



(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 verse 13)



Ohy God my Father, You are able to stretch Your mighty hand and raise us out of our pit of misery and You are also able to keep us in a state of humility and submission until You consider as proper the days of our deliverence. Either or Oh God my Father, I respect Your decision Amen. 
 

¹⁴ Herds shall lie down in it, every wild animal; the desert owl and the screech owl shall lodge on its capitals; the owl shall hoot at the window, the raven croak on the threshold; for its cedar work will be laid bare. ¹⁵ Is this the exultant city that lived secure, that said to itself, "I am, and there is no one else"? What a desolation it has become, a lair for wild animals! Everyone who passes by it hisses and shakes the fist. 



(Book of Small Prophets Zephaniah Chapter 2 verses 14 to 15)



Oh God my Father I also feel like a barren field that is dry full of weeds and a dwelling place for wild animals. Going back in time I was really happy so much that happy was one of my passwords but now I have lost my happiness. I feel abandoned and betrayed by the world and at times even by You. People will look at me, and say "Look at him he who always placed his trust in God he is no better than us who live  according to the ways of the world, and I tend to agree with them.


Oh God my beloved Father, I would like to end this second chapter of the book of the prphet Zephaniah with the following prayer:





Oh God my beloved Father, I thank You for this time of tribulation and desolation. All hell is breaking lose around me. My marriage is in a desperate crisis, my work is in a desperate crisis and moreover I am on treatment for depression. I pray that you have mercy on me my God and Father, because I  do not know how much more I can take. Gradually You are stripping me off my securities one by one until I am totally dependent on You which is ok for me but please help me before I loose my mind. Amen. Thank You God my Father.