| Nehemiah 1
Before a single stone was laid to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, Nehemiah began to humble himself before God. After fasting and mourning over his people’s vulnerability, He offered up a three-part prayer—confessing Israel’s sin, proclaiming the Lord’s promises, and requesting success for his plans.
Like Nehemiah, we should be committed to protecting our people. His response to Israel’s situation is a good template for us to follow. Perhaps you’ve never considered fasting over a local or national crisis, or interceding for your community’s disobedience to God. But taking action to protect and serve others is a believer’s responsibility (Matt. 25:35-40).
There are those who doubt that one person’s prayers or actions can make a dent in a nation’s future, but Nehemiah proved otherwise. God used him to gather supplies and organize the Jewish people to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls in just 52 days (Neh. 6:15).
The impact of your intercession may not look like Nehemiah’s, or it may be unknown until you reach heaven. But if we’re to build communities where the vulnerable are protected and justice prevails, we must commit to small steps of change every day. And we should begin as Nehemiah did—with prayer.
Bible in One Year: James 1-5 |
