SCRIPTURE: Nehemiah 1:4
“As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
OBSERVATION
Have you touched your hand to a hot stove? You can’t help but respond to that kind of pain and shock. Most people will scream or cry. There is a response to our experience. With God, it is no different. When you begin to experience the heart of God for people, there will be a response. Let’s look at how Nehemiah responds in the text.
As Nehemiah gets a God-given burden, that burden drives him to prayer. Nehemiah’s passion to make a difference first led him to prayer before action. The Bible tells us that he continued in fasting and prayer. If we desire for God to lead us, we must engage in the act of prayer. Prayer is the engine room of faith, and faith is what moves heaven. Nehemiah understood, if he was going to do something great, he must first pray. As a church, God calls us to great things. He has given us a burden to see Souls Saved, Lives Changed, and Leaders released to Lead. That burden must lead us to pray, just as it did Nehemiah. Praying through this journey is how we should respond as a church.
APPLICATION
Before you make a commitment to The Story Initiative, take time to pray. Pray that God stretches our faith and leads us to great things. Take time today to begin to prayerfully consider your commitment of faith to see Souls Saved, Lives Changed and Leaders Released to Lead.
PRAYER
“Jesus, I want to do something great for your kingdom. Today I choose to seek you and to be open to your leadership in my life. Give me faith to believe for great things as you move in me and through me.”