Week of Prayer - ‘show mercy and compassion to one another…’

“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.’” — Zechariah 7:9–10

In Zechariah 7, God’s people approach Him with what seems like a spiritual question. They come from Bethel to the priests and prophets asking, “Should we keep fasting in the fifth month, as we have done for so many years?” For seventy years, through the long exile, they had kept up rituals of fasting, mourning and celebration. Now that they were back in the land and the temple was being rebuilt, they wanted to know if these practices were still required.

God’s answer, however, was not what they expected. Rather than giving them a simple “yes” or “no,” He exposed the heart behind their question. “When you fasted and mourned… was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?” (v 5–6). Their devotion had become routine, disconnected from His purposes. The rituals were being performed, but they lacked the love, justice, and mercy that reflected God’s heart.

This passage reminds us that prayer, fasting, and spiritual practices are not ends in themselves. They are meant to form us into the kind of people who mirror God’s compassion in the world. Prayer is more than a private spiritual habit - it is the foundation of a life of justice. As we spend time in communion with God, He shapes our hearts to reflect His, opens our ears to His priorities, and sharpens our eyes to see the world as He does. In prayer we become attuned to the suffering and injustice around us, and we are stirred to respond.

God’s call through Zechariah was clear: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion… do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.” In other words, the authenticity of their faith would be demonstrated in how they treated the most vulnerable in society. Centuries later, James echoes the same principle: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). Prayer must overflow into justice. Contemplation must lead to engagement. Devotion to God is hollow if it does not translate into mercy for others.

Jesus embodied this rhythm perfectly. He regularly withdrew to solitary places to pray, seeking the Father’s voice and guidance. But those times of prayer always propelled Him outward into action - healing the sick, feeding the hungry, lifting up the oppressed. His prayer was not static; it was active, transformative, and deeply connected to His ministry of compassion. Our own times of prayer should prepare us in the same way: to breathe God in, and then to breathe Him out into the world around us.

As we seek God through prayer and contemplation, remember Zechariah’s words: our devotion is measured not by ritual alone but by the love, mercy, and justice we extend to others. True spirituality transforms us into agents of peace, advocates for justice, and bearers of God’s shalom in a world desperately in need.

Let’s Pray.

• Pray for God to soften your heart and make you aware of the needs of the marginalised in your community.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your actions so that your prayer leads to tangible justice and mercy.

• Pray for wisdom to discern how to serve those in need and advocate for fairness in your workplaces, neighbourhoods, and wider society.

  Today’s devotional was written by Heather Pocock.