After arriving early for a workshop I was presenting this past Saturday, I drove to the
nearest drive-thru, picked up a coffee, and drove back to the parking lot for some quiet
reading time in the early morning sun. Opening my Bible to Nehemiah, I was reminded
again why it's one of my favorite portions.
There are many lessons we can draw from Nehemiah and his journey as a leader. One
that strikes me is Nehemiah's reaction when he learns that the Jewish remnant are in
trouble and the walls of Jerusalem are in ruins.
"When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days,
I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven." Nehemiah 1:4
How many times do we hear about a need and jump into making plans to "fix" it before
bringing it to the Lord? Nehemiah's first step as a leader was to fast and pray.
Here are four reasons why prayer is just as important to us today as it was to Nehemiah.
1. Makes us wait - forcing us to leave the situation to God
2. Clears our vision - so we see through God's eyes
3. Quiets our heart - making us more open to hear from God
4. Activates our faith - to obey God's plan for our role in meeting the need.
Bringing it home - What need have I recently become aware of? What difference could
prayer make to how I respond?
Have a great week with God and each other.
Ann Griffiths
