Urgent Plea for Prayer

Zion’s leadership team recognizes that, perhaps more than at any other time in the Company’s history, we are at a crossroads. We are fully committed to forging ahead, moving forward in faith (Exodus 14:15), recognizing that God has created and sustained Zion, perhaps “for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14)

The LORD has placed it on our hearts to enter into a season of prayer and fasting to seek the LORD’s blessing and guidance, and we ask you to prayerfully consider joining us in this collective effort. The method and timing of your fasting is yours to decide and while fasting is commonly associated with food, it can also be associated with an abstinence from things such as TV or social media to focus on prayer.

Prayer and fasting are common throughout Scripture during times of intensive intercession, repentance, worship, and when seeking guidance. Nehemiah, King David, Daniel, Ezra, Anna, the Apostle Paul, and Jesus Himself gave us examples of the importance of fasting and prayer. We believe that fasting:

• Increases our humility, reminding us of our total dependence on God;
• Allows us to more intensely focus our attention on prayer;
• Allows us the privilege to surrender our time and comfort to God;
• Heightens our spiritual and mental focus/alertness on God’s presence and de-emphasizes things of this world (such as food);
• Promotes self-discipline and helps condition us for the daily battle against our sinful nature; and
• Sacrificially expresses the earnestness and urgency of our prayers.

On Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness – “Now when the tempter [Devil] came to Him, he said, ‘If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ But He answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:3-4

“Then I proclaimed a fast … that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.”
Ezra 8:21

Humbly seeking your ongoing support and prayers,

Victor G. Carrillo, CEO