Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Time To Pray

Encouragement, Trust

“So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭1:4‬

When do you know it’s time to pray? Is it when things in your life are falling apart? Or when there is mass chaos all around? What has to happen for you to realize it’s time to pray?

Most of the time we wait till things get out of hand before we say, “I can’t do anything but pray that God does something.” If this is the case, we’ve waited too long.

Nehemiah received some news that deeply disturbed him. The Jews had gone back into their homeland to rebuild their city and temple, but the walls around Jerusalem were still in ruins. As you can tell in our Scripture verse today, Nehemiah was troubled in his heart.

His response to this terrible news was to turn to God with fasting and prayer. He knew he couldn’t do anything about it, but He knew God could.

Are there things in your life right now that are disturbing you? Are they out of your control? If so, it’s time to pray. When something lays heavy on your heart and you can’t get it off your mind, you need to turn to the Lord in prayer.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. The moment something troubles you, seek the Lord in prayer. Spending time in prayer with God will make a difference in your life. God will reveal special things to you and give you hope that something is about to happen.

Pray

Lord, I know You hear my prayers and You know my heart. I ask that You give me the solutions to my troubles. I seek You today for guidance and understanding.

Committed To Prayer

Trust

And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22:44

Our natural tendency is to avoid pain at all cost. But what happens when God leads us to a place where pain and suffering are necessary?

God is more interested in your spiritual maturity than your comfort. Fully trusting and obeying God sometimes requires a painful experience. But in the end it is worth it all.

Jesus knew the intensity of pain that was awaiting Him to take away the sins of the world. He knew the cost that was required of Him. But He also knew it was worth it all.

Some people never experience God in deep intercessory prayer because we know what it involves. It may require you to stay up late and pray while everyone else is sleeping. Or it may involve you experiencing brokenness while others are trying to be happy.

When was the last time you were deep into prayer with God? Or when was the last time you fasted and prayed until God specifically answered your prayer? It’s in these moments that God breaks the silence and speaks.

We long for our prayers to be answered but how much suffering are you willing to endure? Jesus prayed until His sweat turned to blood. That is the agony of prayer. But He did it to keep in God’s will.

There are no shortcuts to prayer. Prayer is how we express our heart to God. Are you committed to prayer?

Pray

Lord, I seek You in earnest prayer. I will not quit praying and seeking You until I receive what You want me to have. I want to experience You and rest in Your provision.

Make A Difference

Faith, Trust

‘Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.’
I Corinthians 16:13-14

This is the only place in the New Testament where the Greek word for “be brave” is used (andrizomai). It literally means “to act like a man.”

Paul emphasized 5 military commands: Watch, continually be on guard, lest you be surprised by your enemies… Stand fast, keep in your ranks, not disorderly… Be brave, maintain your ground… Be strong, summon up all your courage.

Paul knew what it meant to be a soldier for Jesus Christ. He experienced great opposition for the cause of Christ and considered the reward as a blessing. Sometimes we sit by silently because we don’t want to offend or cause a problem. But when it comes to our convictions we must maintain our ground and be brave.

Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego didn’t coward down to governmental officials. Joseph didn’t let bad circumstances destroy his destiny. Caleb and Joshua foresaw victory when the rest of the eight spies saw defeat. The list goes on but what remains true of each of the brave men and women mentioned in the Bible is that they stood their ground and God blessed them.

Be brave today and maintain your ground with conviction. Be the one who is left standing when everyone else is gone. Anything that’s worth having is worth fighting for. Be led by the Holy Spirit in what you say and do to show love and gentleness while being brave. Be someone who makes a difference.

Pray

Lord, help me not to fear anyone or anything but You. Give me strength and boldness to be brave. Guard my heart from evil thoughts and let Your love shine through me.