Fasting & Prayer (Personal)
Steven Ackley, Associate Pastor | College & Young AdultsNehemiah 1: 1-11
It was a great reunion. Nehemiah had reunited with one of his brothers yet showed that his concern went far beyond family. When Nehemiah asks about the condition of the people of God who continue to reside in Jerusalem after the exile, his heart is stirred deeply.
The tragic reality of the situation shook Nehemiah to his core: the people of God were suffering and the Kingdom of God was under siege. What then is his response? Deep emotional pain coupled with the disciplines of prayer and fasting. Nehemiah’s great passion, the Kingdom of God, was under attack and he knew only to fast and pray.
Imagine for a moment how you would respond if the people of God were outnumbered in our community; the Church was struggling to gain traction among the influencers of our day; the spiritual climate around us was fading. Would you be reactionary and go to war against a culture that knows no better? Or instead pause, painstakingly recalling the fate of those without Christ, then fast and pray, seeking to hear from God about how to display and describe His great and compassionate love?
Oh that we would pause in our pain to fast and pray firmly believing that our God keeps His covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him!
Prayer/Challenge
In the coming days, I challenge you to three things. Observe your culture, observe your response, fast and pray. If what you see doesn’t break your heart, ask God for spiritual eyes to see spiritual needs as you fast and pray. If what you see breaks your heart, fast and pray that God would lead you to address the great need of Christ in your community.
