trbccoffeebreak

“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(NIV)

When Nehemiah heard about problems in his hometown, the first thing he did was fast and pray. It wasn’t a quick “heaven help me” kind of prayer instead it lasted for days. Nehemiah didn’t just ask for a solution from God, he offered up repentance for the sins that led to the destruction of the walls in Jerusalem and exile of the Israelites.

How many times do we run into problems and instead of admitting our part in creating some of them, we just want quick relief? Even better, we come up with our own plan to “fix” them. A recent sermon by a dear former pastor brought this warning/reminder: “Many times we come up with a plan and then ask God to bless it. Then we wonder why it failed.” Without confession of any sin that may have led to our problems, we are apt to repeat the same thing. It’s a cycle that can only be broken when we are truly repentant and ready to give everything over to God. Like Nehemiah we need to keep praying, waiting for God to reveal the next steps and then act upon it without wavering.

“Father, Help us to get the action plan of identifying the problem, praying for YOUR solution, and then acting upon what you tell us when problems arise. Thank you for giving us the wisdom to get through any situation.”

For His Glory,

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break