Friday, January 22: Scripture – Jonah 3:6-8
6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8 Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands.
Prayer Focus: When he heard the news, the king of Nineveh rose from this throne, removed his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. The people proclaimed the fast – not the king. The people put on sackcloth – the king followed their lead and extended it to sit in ashes. He proclaims that the entire city, including the animals would fast and be covered in sackcloth. They shall all cry mightily to God and turn from evil ways and violence. Hear this call to repentance. Cry out to the Lord for mercy. May our voices be joined with others so that today we may turn from our evil ways and the violence that is in our hands.