Gospel Patrons 2 : Week 2
Drawing from the story of Nehemiah, who prayed and prepared for four months before taking action to rebuild Jerusalem, AJ emphasizes the importance of persistent and momentary prayer in our lives. He highlights how prayer not only connects us to God but also prepares us to act in faith, using the inspiring example of St. Monica's unwavering prayers for her son, Augustine. Encouraging believers and seekers alike, the sermon calls us to embrace prayer as a vital part of our spiritual journey, reminding us that through prayer, we can partner with the gospel to bring about transformation and hope.
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All right, how about you greet the person next to you and then you can have a seat? Awesome. All right. What's up, Church? How's everybody doing tonight? Pretty good. Awesome.
Awesome. It's so great to be here with you today. If we haven't met, my name is AJ And I have the honor. Oh, thank you. That's really sweet.
Thanks.
I have the honor of teaching our middle school and high school students every week, and today I have the honor of teaching you. And so I'm grateful to be here with you to get things started for today. I want you to do me a favor to start the message, take the next 30 seconds, and talk to the person beside you about this question. It's going to be on the screens. The question is this.
What's one of the sweetest things someone could ever do for you? Here's an example. One of the sweetest things someone could do for me is to make me food, to invite me over to the crib for dinner. It's nothing like it. It's the way to my heart.
It's really sweet. And. And so you got 30 seconds. You ready? All right, go.
All right, five more seconds. Five more.
All right, let's come back. All right, so I'm curious. I actually want to know. What is the sweetest thing someone can do for you? Somebody from this section.
What'd you got? Say it again. Coffee in bed. Coffee is delicious. Sleeping is delicious.
Combining the two, a great experience. Somebody from over here. The sweetest thing someone can do for you. Yes. Oh.
Oh. Okay. All right, let's go. Let's go. Marriage.
We love marriage. Saying, and I do. It's really sweet. Somebody over here. What's the sweetest thing someone can ever do for you?
Encourage. Encourage you. Sometimes you just need encouragement. You go through life, life beats you up. You're burdened by life.
God. But a word of love is sweet. That's awesome. You got one. Riley.
Yes. Say I love you. Say I love you. It's music to the ears. I love you is great.
One more. Let's do one more. Yes. Do my chores. Do my chores.
Ain't nobody trying to do them chores. And so you just do my chores for me. It is sweet. All right. And so I thank you for talking about that and discussing with people around you.
I have a list of people I asked a couple days ago in preference for this message. Louis, a friend of mine, he's a businessman. He told me, A.J. the sweetest thing someone could do for me is to speak into my future. Brooke Sally, she works in our kids rock department, longtime staff member here.
She said, the sweetest thing someone could do for me is to remember the little things I told them. Kayla, an overseas missionary, she said, the sweetest thing someone can do for me is to spend time with me or take care of me when I don't feel good. My best friend Michael, his wife Alyssa said, at the end of the day,
A.J. i just want him to refill my Stanley cup. And then lastly, my mother said, AJ the sweetest thing someone could do for me is to be considerate enough to call right sweet.
And so with all of those answers, all of those responses, the one you talked to your neighbor about, the one that I read, they're all great answers because they matter to the person personally. It's a very personal question. What is the sweetest thing someone could do for you? What makes you feel seen? What makes you feel loved, noticed and cared for?
What's the sweetest thing someone could do for you? And if you notice, whether it's saying I do or coffee in bed or doing your chores, then they all have a degree of intentionality to them. If you want to do something sweet for someone, well, you have to be intentional. And the same is true with prayer. Prayer is a very intentional act.
And so I would argue, I would say the sweetest thing someone could do for you. The most pure form of love, the greatest display of affection, is prayer. Think about it. Someone has carved out time. They.
They press pause on life to bend their knee, to close their eyes and to mention your name to Jesus. How sweet is that? A mom praying for her son and hours away in another state, a son praying for his mama, a daughter praying for her dad. And at the exact same time that dad is praying for his daughter before bed. I remember in my childhood, my mother would always pray with us.
It's like she always instilled prayer into our brain. Like before school, in the car rider line, she would pray with us. Before bed, she would pray with us. I remember reciting the our Father's Prayer over and over. And I was just a kid.
I didn't know how significant that was. But as I got older, I'm like, man, that was powerful. That was beautiful. Before bed, she would pray with us. On the way to school, she would pray for us.
And it was such a sweet moment. When I think about my childhood, those are the only memories that come to my mind. Is My mother praying over us before bed, telling us that we had a purpose and that God loves us. A couple weeks ago, I went to my old high school to speak at an event called Fields of Faith. And this teacher, I haven't seen her since I graduated high school, she came up to me and she says, aj Every day by name, I've been praying for you.
And I haven't thought about this lady in the last five years. And so she comes up to me and she goes, I've been praying for you by name every day. And I was like, wow, that's so sweet. That's so kind. My grandmother, before she passed away, when I gave my life to Christ at 15 years old, she says, A.J.
every Monday night at midnight, me and my friends got on the phone and we prayed for you. And I was like, wow, man, that's sweet. Every Monday, she set an alarm on her phone. It woke her out of her sleep to get on the phone with her friends and to pray for people that she loves and she cares about. And I'm just like, wow, that.
That is really sweet. You see, prayer is holy. It honors the person and it honors God. It shows how much you care about that individual, and it shows how much you respect God's power, his love, his kindness, and his ability to do something, his character, to act. Prayer is holy.
And so we're in this series called Gospel Patrons, which simply means to partner with the gospel, to partner with the gospel and to advance it, for the name of Jesus, to be known, for souls to be saved. And so there's several ways. There's a variety of ways we can do that. One, I am super grateful for the people who give financially, overseas and also through the local church to advance the gospel. It's needed.
I'm also grateful for the people that get their hands dirty and they show up and they serve to advance the gospel. And so very grateful for the middle school and high school volunteers who show up every single
week with our students, with our kids, with our future, with this generation to pour into them about Jesus. Without them, man, we will be on the struggle bus. And so I'm grateful for those who contribute financially. I'm grateful for those who get their hands dirty and they show up physically, but.
But by all means, church, hear me. Don't forget to pray. It is underestimated, it's overlooked, but it is felt the most. Prayer, it matters. And so if you want to be a gospel patron, if you want to see heaven, touch earth, if you want to see miracles, it will come when you pray, when you simply bend the knee, close your eyes with a heart of faith, and you talk to the Lord God Almighty, it will come when you pray.
This is what the prophet Nehemiah does. If you're taking notes, here's what you need to know. As children of God, as gospel patrons, we must pray and prepare. We must pray and prepare. Can you say that with me?
Pray and prepare. That's pretty good. One more time. Pray and prepare. Alright, so this is what Nehemiah does when life shakes him up, when rubber hits the road, when things go sideways, he goes to his God in prayer.
Looking back to last week, Nehemiah 1, verse 4. It'll be on the screens. You can get your Bible out. It says this. As soon as I heard these words, I sat down and wept.
As soon as I heard these words, I sat down and wept. As soon as I heard these words, I sat down and wept. Heard what? What did Nehemiah hear that caused him? Well, if you remember from last week, our lead pastor, Josh, he said, man, Jerusalem has been conquered by the Babylonians.
That there has been bloodshed, there is violence, there is corruption. They have been conquered. And with that, the city is destroyed and people have been taken off into captivity, into bondage, some may say slavery. All of this happened 70 years ago and nothing has gotten better. And so Nehemiah hears that people have gone back to that land.
They have gone back to Jerusalem, and the walls are still torn down. There is still darkness, there is still a depression over that region. And so he hears this and he is broken. He is burdened. Put yourself in his shoes.
What does Nehemiah feel now? That violence and corruption has crashed into his life and to the people that he loves and to their world, and things have not getting better. Even 70 years later, he hears this and he's coping with all these emotions. He's deeply moved for the city and the people he loves. And because he loves, he prays.
Because he loves, he prays. Jesus, we always say Jesus is full of love. He's full of truth, he's full of grace. As his disciples, because we love, we should pray because prayer is sweet. Nehemiah is a man of God.
He knows how to rely on God's strength and not his own. You see, a lack of prayer shows a lack of dependence. A lack of prayer shows a lack of trust in the Lord. So Nehemiah, he simply stays connected and he makes an effort. He prays and he prepares.
And so for today, we're going to dive into chapter two. Of Nehemiah. And so let's learn from his example. Let's pray and let's prepare for my note takers. Point one.
Pray. Point one is to pray. It'll be on the screens. Nehemiah, two, verses one through two. It says this.
Early the following spring in the month of Nisan, during the 20th year. Excuse me. During the 20th year of King Artaxerxes reign, I was serving the king his wine. Earlier the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the 20th year of King Artaxerxes reign, I was serving the king his wine. Chapter two starts off with a time stamp, if you will.
It starts off with the date. Here's what that means. Four months has gone by since chapter one. Since his initial prayer. Four.
Four months has gone by. Nehemiah has been waking up every day going to work with this heavy on his heart. He's been going to work every day with this burden on his chest. He's been wrestling with God in prayer. He's been dealing with all these emotions in prayer.
His prayer was not answered immediately. And so four months has gone by. He's praying, he's waiting, he's hoping, he's trusting God. And perhaps he's looking for an opportunity. He is searching for an opportunity.
Jesus, where are you? I need your help. He's waiting, he's praying, and he's looking for an opportunity. Nehemiah has been very consistent in his prayer life. All right.
Months has gone by and if you're anything like me, the more time goes on, the more your hope kind of fades, your hope kind of dwindles. Alright, Jesus, if it ain't gonna happen, it ain't gonna happen. I don't know if I'm gonna spend months and months praying about one thing. If it's not gonna happen, Jesus, I don't. I don't know.
But Nehemiah, that's not his heart. He continues to pray. He is sitting in the waiting room with God and he still has his face. What about US Church? When God doesn't immediately give you what you want, do you have the faith to trust his goodness, his kindness to be in the waiting room like Nehemiah?
They call this integral prayer, where the consistency, the passion, the intensity matches the desire and the hope, the desire and the hope for the outcome. And so, men, I'll ask again. Do you want Jesus to move in your life? Do you want it to be on earth as it is in heaven? It will come when you pray, it will happen when you pray.
There's this lady oh, yeah, yeah. It will happen when we pray. Like, praise God. Prayer is great. Yeah. There's this lady. Her name is St. Monica. Can you say that with me? Monica?
And so Monica, she lived in the fourth century. She's the mother of the Catholic St. Augustine. And so we know Augustine to be this great saint who did a lot of amazing things in the name of Jesus, a lot of great works for the glory of God. But before Augustine was a saint, before he did anything of spiritual importance, he was a rebel.
He was promiscuous. He lived a life of sin. He lived a life of darkness. And so he. His mom, though, on the other hand, loved Jesus.
She loved Jesus dearly. She loved Jesus so much, she would yell at her son and try to convince him, hey, your way of life is stupid. You need to follow Jesus. You need to pull up your pants, and you need to follow the Lord. And that didn't work, needless to say.
Did not have any good effect at all. And so one day she decided to change her approach. And she has this famous quote. She says, I stopped talking to my son about God, and I started talking to God about my son. She goes, yeah, give it up for St.
Monica. Shout out. She goes, I stopped talking to my son about God, and I started talking to God about my son. And so 17 years go by, and she is still praying. She's at this church.
She's on her knees. She is crying with all of this passion and this intensity, but praying for her, dear Augustine. And this priest walks up to her and he goes, hey, you should go home. He goes, no one who's
been prayed for with this much tears and this intensity can stay far away from God for much longer. And so you should go home.
And so, as 17 years passes, Augustine actually gives his life to Jesus. He gets saved. He does all these amazing things, and we know him as the great St. Augustine. But his mother calls him the son of my tears.
So here at the rock, we have this phrase called the one more, which is one more person for Jesus reaching one more person. Those chips in the hallway, they represent a person who's taken the step to accept the Lord or to be baptized or to even come to church. One more. Is the one more the person of your tears? Is there one more?
The person you've been bringing to God day and night, like St. Monica Church, it's extremely easy to give up in prayer. Extremely easy to give up in prayer. What would it be like to stay there a little longer? To stay there a little longer, to linger with The Lord to speak to him, to really duke it out, to talk to the Lord and to stay there a little longer.
I don't say this as a perfect Christian or a great pastor. I would confess in my own life, dude, I need to pray more. I need to pray more. But what if we were more like St. Monica?
What if we were more like Nehemiah, who, though it did not happen immediately, he continued to pray. Though it didn't happen immediately in the way he wanted to, he continued to have his faith. It says in 1st Thessalonians 5:17, to pray without ceasing. Consistent prayer shows faith. Consistent prayer shows faith.
Let's keep reading. This is Nehemiah, chapter two, finishing verse one, going on to verse two. It says, I had never before appeared sad in his presence. So the king asked me, why are you looking so sad? You don't look sick to me.
You, you must be deeply troubled. Then. I was terrified. But I replied, long live the king. How can I not be sad?
For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins and the gates have been destroyed by fire. This isn't normal in the Bible. This isn't normal. This is actually kind of shocking for a few reasons. One, kings do not care about the people beneath them.
That's not the way the pyramid works. You're not supposed to care about Nehemiah who's below you. It's kind of off. It's shocking to the reader. Nehemiah is the cup bearer.
He has the most access to the king. You come up in here all sad faced, all tore up. Nehemiah. That's the way to get fired, brother. You, you come in here like this, that's a way to get killed.
Nehemiah. Nehemiah. You're killing the vibe, Nehemiah. You're dampening the mood. But we see in the king's response, he cares for Nehemiah.
Nehemiah is close to him. Nehemiah has served him well. Verse 4. The king asked. The king asked, well, how can I help you with the prayer to the God of heaven?
Catch that with the prayer to the God of heaven. I replied, if it pleases the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried. Nehemiah is asking a very dangerous question to a very dangerous man. This is a Persian king. Why does he care about any city that's not in his providence?
Why does he care about any city or town that he's not directly impacted by? He's a Persian king. The only reason I could think about is one, he cares for Nehemiah and the second, he want them to pay some taxes. And so he says, Verse 4, the king acts, well, how can I help you, Nehemiah? With a prayer to the God of heaven.
I reply with the prayer to the God of heaven. I reply with the prayer to the God of heaven. I replay. Do you see that? Before he responds, he prays.
Before Nehemiah responds to this king, he prays. He prays in the moment. Church, we should be people of prayer who pray in the moment. His prayer is so quick, the Bible doesn't even tell us what he said. With a prayer to the God of heaven, he replies, this isn't a bow your head, take the next 20 minutes to shout a hallelujah and give some praise.
And then reply, he says a quick prayer in a moment. What would it be like, Church, if we prayed in a moment? You know, before the appointment, before the doctor's appointment? You prayed in a moment before you picked your kid up for school. You prayed in the moment, before the thing that was giving you a lot of worry, a lot of stress, man.
You prayed in the moment. You prayed on the, the drive, on your way home. You prayed in the moment. What would it be like if your day was scattered with a hundred prayers to the Lord God Almighty? Maybe waiting in that chick fil a drive thru line is an opportunity to invite God into the day.
Maybe the things we see as negative is actually a positive in a spiritual way because it gives us an opportunity to rely on his strength and to see a miracle, to trust him. It gives us an opportunity to invite him in through prayer to be sweet to those around us, to ourselves and to the Lord. And I'm thinking about this idea of praying in a moment. And I'm also thinking about all these moments in scripture where we see this Peter, he's walking on the water with Jesus. He's in this amazing situation.
He starts to drown because he starts to doubt, because he takes his eyes off of the Lord and he says a prayer in a moment. He says, lord, Lord, save me. And the Lord saves him. I'm thinking about the thief on the cross. When our Savior is dying for all of our shame and our sin.
There's a man beside him that says, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And the Lord says, today you're going to be with me in paradise. The greatest buzzer beater of all time. And so we should pray in the moment. There's a man who his Son was demon possessed.
It's a story in the Bible. His son had a demon possession. And he goes up to Jesus and he says, lord, I believe, but help my unbelief. He prays in the moment, he gives it to the Lord in the same way Nehemiah is giving it to the Lord. And so, for all my note takers, point number two, prepare.
We should pray. Prayer should be a first response, not a last resort. We should pray, but also as believers, as gospel patrons, as Christians, as children of God, we should prepare. Not only does Nehemiah praise, he prepares. He has an answer for the king.
If you keep reading chapter two, there's this exhaustive list of what he's going to do to accomplish the mission God has given him. He says, yo, King, I need you to give me. I need you to go talk to the surrounding governors and let them know I'm coming through because I need to walk through here safely. I need you to go send a letter to all these governors. He goes, yo, King, I also need you to reach out to the manager of the forest because, yo, I'm about to rebuild this wall.
I need some tools, I need some wood, I need some metal. I need all these things. And so reach out to him for me. And lastly, he says, yo, I need a gang of soldiers, I need some horsemen so I can be safe in these streets. And so he tells the king, this is what I need.
It's almost as if that four months gave him time to think about it, to prepare. Not just throwing a Hail Mary prayer, but actually, God, I'm gonna honor you. I'm gonna pray and I'm gonna look for this opportunity. I'm gonna wait on you, but I'm also gonna work out the details. I'm gonna wait on you, God, but I'm also gonna show you I really want this integral prayer.
Just like St. Monica over and over praying for her son, Nehemiah prays, and he's also prepared. He leveraged his position to do the mission that God was leading him to do. And in the same way, we should be prepared, in the same way we should pray. As a young man, I've always wrestled with this concept.
The Bible would say to lean not on your understanding, but to acknowledge God, and he will show you which path to take. The Bible would say that those who wait on him, he shall renew your strength. The Bible would say, some trust in horses, some trust in chariots, but we take pride in the name of our God.
The Bible would cause call all Christians to trust God to have radical faith. But in the same, at the same time, the Bible would say to work hard.
Whether eating and drinking do it all to the glory of God. The Bible would say, work hard. The disciples say, jesus, we have an issue here with the feeding of the 5,000. You know, it's getting late. They name all these issues.
Jesus says, you do something, you give them something to eat. The Bible would tell us to not just pray, but to do something that our faith would be active. And so I would wrestle and I would think, God, you say to have faith in the weight. And you also say to work hard. But is there a contradiction in the Bible?
God, what do you mean? And over my few years of knowing the Lord, having a relationship with Jesus, I've come to know he wants us to do both. He wants us to do both. He wants us to pray, but he also wants us to prepare. He wants us to pray, and he also wants us to prepare.
Two things can be true at the same time. Pray, spend time with Jesus. Of course, read the word, spend time in worship, in prayer, but also prepare. Also seek out an opportunity. Also apply for the job.
My middle schoolers would say, also shoot your shot. And so we should pray and we should prepare. Contrary to popular belief, we do not need all the answers. We just need to walk with Jesus day by day. We just need to walk with Jesus moment by moment and pray and prepare.
We all know what it's like to wait for something or to. We all know what it's like to feel as if your prayer has not been answered. What if we were more like Nehemiah, St. Monica, and we prayed and we prepared. But what does it mean to prepare?
What does it mean to prepare while you're waiting? To prepare while you're painting, while you're praying, while you're in the waiting room? Let's say you say, A.J. i want to be wealthy, I want to be successful. I have ambition.
I want to give God glory. I want. I want life to be different. I want more for myself. That's amazing.
That's amazing. Is your character and your habits ready for the complications that wealth will bring? Is your character and your habits, are they ready? Are they prepared for those blessings? Jesus says, where your heart is, your treasure will be.
Also it's your heart on Jesus. Where your heart is, your treasure will be also. Say you say, A.J. i want true, lasting love. I want to be married.
Amazing thing. But if we cannot wake up every day and choose the Lord, how can we? If we cannot wake up every day and Choose God who is perfect. How can we wake up every day and choose a person who is imperfect? We must pray and be prepared.
Lord, here's my heart. God, make me more like you. Prepare me for what is next. David. It's so ironic.
King David. We always talk about King David, his Psalms, Psalms 23, all these amazing things. King David was told he's going to be king. He did not become king. I hope I'm not mistaken here.
But he became king 10 years later. What was he doing in those 10 years? Well, God was molding his heart and preparing him for what he had planned. We have to have faith, church. We have to pray and prepare.
I spent a lot of time praying for my family. A lot of my family, they don't know Jesus. They believe in the concept of a God, but their hearts haven't surrendered to the idea of the gospel of who Jesus is. And so I pray for my family a lot. And last week, I had an opportunity to share the gospel with my brother.
My brother calls me. He's like, yo, how do I get closer to God? And so we're having this conversation, we're having this dialogue. And I go, hey, do you know why Jesus had to die for us in the first place? And he goes, yeah, I know.
And I go, tell me why. He goes, I forgot. And I'm like, all right. Jesus had to die for us because sin is a big issue to God. He cannot overlook it.
He is holy. He is just. He would be wrong to overlook wrongdoing. It's a big issue to God. Say we got into a car accident and you hit my vehicle.
We don't have to call insurance, we don't have to call the authorities, but there's still damages to my car. Sin damages our relationship with God. Either I'm going to pay for my car to get fixed, or you're going to pay for it. Jesus, he takes all of God's anger, all of God's wrath, all of the sin and the shame, and he places it on his own shoulders so we don't have to. This is why Jesus had to die.
He dies, and he rises from the grave in victory, giving us hope, given us a future, giving us strength to follow him, giving us the Holy Spirit. That's going to remind us of everything he ever promised. Hebrews 4:16. It says this. It will be on the screens.
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. We will find grace to help us when we need it most. So we can boldly go to the Lord because of all he has done for us. He loves us.
He loves you. Would you please stand up with me? As we go into a time of response, know that we have direct access to God 24:7. We should take advantage of that. There's this.
There's this old hymn that I really love. It's called Because He Lives. And the lyrics are, because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Because he lives, all fear is gone. Because I know.
I know who holds the future and life is worth living. All because he lives. Because he lives. The Bible says he does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. Because he lives, all things are possible.
Why would we not go to him in prayer with boldness, asking anything we want according to his character and his authority, all things are possible. Possible because he lives. We can walk with our head, our heads held high. Because we have a hope. We have a future.
We have confidence. Because he lives. Would you pray with me, Lord? God, we thank you. We thank you for this day.
We thank you for who you are. Lord gives us patience, Give us faith. Because you live. We love you. Lord, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Lead your people to prayer in Jesus name, Amen.
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You might be wondering, "Why is prayer such a big deal?" Well, think about the most thoughtful thing someone has ever done for you. Maybe it was a friend who brought you coffee when you were having a rough day, or someone who took the time to really listen when you needed to talk. These acts of kindness make us feel seen, loved, and valued. Prayer is like that, but on a spiritual level. It's an intentional act of love that connects us to God and to each other.
The Example of Nehemiah
Let's take a look at Nehemiah, a guy from the Bible who knew a thing or two about prayer. When Nehemiah heard that his hometown, Jerusalem, was in ruins, he was heartbroken. But instead of just wallowing in despair, he turned to prayer. For four months, he prayed consistently, waiting for the right moment to act. And when that moment came, he was ready. He didn't just pray; he prepared.
Nehemiah's story teaches us that prayer isn't just about asking for things. It's about aligning our hearts with God's will and preparing ourselves to act when the time is right. It's about trusting that God hears us, even when we don't see immediate results.
Persistent Prayer: The Story of St. Monica
If you're feeling discouraged because your prayers seem unanswered, take heart from the story of St. Monica. She prayed for her son, Augustine, for 17 years before he turned his life around and became one of the most influential figures in Christian history. Her story reminds us that persistent prayer can lead to incredible transformation, even if it takes time.
Praying in the Moment
One of the coolest things about prayer is that it doesn't have to be a long, drawn-out process. Nehemiah prayed a quick, silent prayer before speaking to the king, and it made all the difference. What if we did the same? What if, before a big meeting, a tough conversation, or even just a regular day, we took a moment to pray? It could be as simple as, "God, give me strength," or "Help me see what you see."
Preparing while you pray
Prayer isn’t just sitting and waiting. While we pray we should also prepare for when God answers your prayer. Expect God to do work but also be willing to do the work God expects out of you as well. Nehemiah was dreaming and working behind the scenes as he was praying and when the King gave him an opportunity he was prepared to act.
Whether you're a believer or just exploring faith, prayer is a powerful way to connect with God and with others. It's an act of love that can transform your life and the lives of those around you. So why not give it a try? You might just find that it's the sweetest thing you can do.
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Small Group Curriculum:Gospel Patrons pray and prepare
Connect:
1. Icebreaker Question:
- Share with the group one of the sweetest or nicest things someone has ever done for you. How did it make you feel?
- How does prayer classify as something sweat or nice you can do for someone? Discover: Breaking Down the Sermon*
1. Nehemiah’s Example:
- Read Nehemiah 1:4 and Nehemiah 2:1-4. Discuss how Nehemiah’s response to the news about Jerusalem demonstrates both prayer and preparation.
2. The Power of Persistent Prayer:
- Why do you think Nehemiah’s prayer life was so consistent, even when he didn’t see immediate results?
- Discuss the story of St. Monica and her persistent prayers for her son, Augustine. How does this story encourage you in your own prayer life?
3. Praying in the Moment:
- Reflect on the idea of praying in the moment, as Nehemiah did before responding to the king. How can this practice be incorporated into your daily life?
4. - Choose one goal or challenge you are currently facing. Discuss with the group how you can both pray and prepare for this situation. What practical steps can you take alongside your prayers?
Respond: Practical Steps to Live Out the Sermon
1. Personal Prayer Plan:
- Identify one area of your life where you need to be more intentional in prayer. Write down a plan for how you will pray for this area consistently over the next month.
2. Incorporate Prayer Moments:
- Set reminders on your phone or place sticky notes in visible areas to remind you to pray in the moment throughout your day. Share with the group one specific time or situation where you will commit to praying in the moment this week.
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coming soon