And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant
and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear
be attentive and your eyes open,  to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before
you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel,
which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.” ~ Nehemiah 1:5, 6 (ESV)

READING: Nehemiah 1:5-11

God used Nehemiah to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem.

The Lord wants to use us to rebuild the broken lives of lost people through our new church.

So what does it take to be a Nehemiah?

Nehemiah was a man of prayer. At first we don’t know much about his leadership ability, but we immediately know he was a prayer warrior.

When he heard the news about Jerusalem’s disrepair, he spent days in mourning, fasting, and prayer (v. 4). Then he lifted the Lord up in praise (v. 5); he confessed sin (vv. 6, 7); and he claimed God’s promise (vv. 8 – 10).

Finally, Nehemiah prayed for success in a very specific course of action – to speak to the king and to be granted permission to go to Jerusalem (v. 11).

Nehemiah’s story is about leadership, mobilizing people, casting vision and accomplishing great things for God. But more than anything it is a story about the power of prayer.

May God grant you visionary leadership, great recruiting and equipping skills and effective soul-winning experience.

These will help you succeed as a church planter. But more than anything, may you be preeminently a man of prayer.

Make me a prayer warrior, O Lord. Teach me how to fight on my knees. And give me a constant hunger to be in Your presence. Amen.

Jim Carpenter