During a recent church gathering, the pastor spoke from the book of Nehemiah and I remembered the series of articles on Nehemiah that I wrote in 2018, but never published. I believe that God allowed me to remember them, and I sense that now is the appropriate time to share this one.

Lessons from Nehemiah: 1. The heart of a man – Nehemiah 1:1-4
Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes king of Persia (445/444 BC) Nehemiah received word from his brother Hanani that those who had escaped Babylonian captivity and returned to Judah were greatly disheartened because of the condition of Jerusalem: v3 “Jerusalem’s walls are broken down, and it’s gates have been burned.”

The treasure of Nehemiah’s heart is displayed in his response to the news v4, ‘he sat on the ground and cried’. This wasn’t just a pity party, he didn’t stop there. He mourned for several days, and fasted and prayed before the Lord. This is such a clear display of where Nehemiah’s treasure was, a display of what was truly valuable to him.

What you mourn for is where your heart or focus truly is. For Nehemiah it was Jerusalem, what is it for you? What burdens your heart and mind sufficient enough to cause mourning?

God in his sovereignty has placed a unique purpose within each of us. He has endowed us with different gifts and talents. We have different personalities, and view things from different perspectives. Because of this, different things affect us differently.

I encourage you to pause and make a list in your journal of those things that constantly occupy your mind: those things that weigh you down, and those things that make you overjoyed.

Is it your family situation, a dream to start a nonprofit to benefit children or refugees? Is it a passion to help students and youth thrive? Is it a burning desire to end world hunger, or a longing to see people mentally and physically healthy?

Has God given you a dream of reaching the nations with the gospel. Do you long to see God’s people living in power and authority as is described in the Bible?

Whatever it is, write it all down. Then look for the common thread, the underlying theme that seems to repeat itself. Then, pray as Nehemiah did in verses 5-11(paraphrased).

‘Almighty and merciful, promise-keeping God. Look at me and listen, for I am constantly praying for ______________ (personalize). I repent of every sin committed by me and all of my descendants. Remember today, that you promised mercy when we repent. I am your child, redeemed by your blood. I humbly honor and reverence your holy name. Please grant me favor today and answer my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!’

Nehemiah’s calling was to lead the disenfranchised Jewish exiles returning to Jerusalem. God answered his prayer and provided godly leadership to the Jews.

Whatever your calling is, when you pray: give the burden back to God, our Abba Father. Allow him to be God: to carry the load, provide the needed resources, and give you the strength, capacity and wisdom to fulfill His calling on your life.

I love this reminder from 1John 5:14 & 15, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you’ve never asked Christ to be Lord of your life, please pray this prayer. ‘Lord Jesus, I am sorry for my sin please forgive me, cleanse me, and make me your child. I commit my life to you today and ask you to be my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name, amen.’

We would love to hear about your journey, and if you just became a child of God, we have some resources to share with you. Please, like the post, leave a comment or use the Contact Us form to connect with us.

If this post blessed you, please consider sharing QC within your sphere, and check the box: “Notify me of new posts by email” to be among the first to receive new QC posts.

Click here to visit our YouTube channel, or copy and paste the link below, for QC Devotionals posted Monday – Friday https://youtube.com/@QuietConfidenceOrg