Tag Archives: life

December 6, 2012 · 9:11 AM

A World Changing Prayer

Have you ever prayed a prayer that changed the course of your life? I have. I was in church earlier this year. The service was closing and the guest preacher was praying for people in the altar area. I didn’t feel a need to go forward, so I prayed where I was sitting. I simply said, “God, I’m ready when you are. Use my life for your purpose. I’m tired of running. Amen.” As soon as I said “amen” the preacher spoke what God had already revealed to me and then asked for that person to come to the front.

Less than a year later, things in my life are still changing. I see every day things that are lining up to put me where He promised He would take me. It’s overwhelming sometimes when I sit and think of everything that has happened since that prayer and is happening right now. One of the first things berthed out of that prayer was this blog. More than anything, this blog is an act of obedience to God. Obedience is an act of worship to God and shows Him you are able to be faithful.

I was thinking this morning of others who have had life changing prayers. I imagine David out in a pasture watching sheep, singing psalms to God and just saying, “God, I’ll be who you want me to be and do what you want me to do. Even if it is watching these sheep for the rest of my life.” He became king. I can see Mary thrilled with her engagement to Joseph and praying, “Do with my life what you will, Lord. I am your servant.” She became the mother of Jesus.

What God looks for is a heart that is willing to obey Him whether He makes you a king in His kingdom or a caretaker. We all want to be great in His kingdom, but He said the least would be the greatest. Doing what He calls you to do is what makes you great in His eyes. Peter was told to feed His sheep. Seems menial, but He was faithful in it and became the head of the church. Greatness is not achieved by doing great things. It is achieved by doing the little things you are called to do when you’re called to do them.

Many of us want to change the world, but I’ve found is that being obedient often changes the world of one person. That one person then changes the world of someone else and the ripple effect takes over. Do you know who Albert McMakin is? He is the guy who was obedient and invited Billy Graham to a revival where he became a Christian. Since that time, Billy has lead over 3 million people to Christ and numerous other ministries have been launched where countless have been helped.

It all started with a small act of obedience and a person who said, “God, I want to do what you want me to do.” That small act of obedience for Albert has been world changing. What is it that God is asking you to be obedient to? Have you prayed and offered God a life of obedience? If not, I encourage you to do so. It will change the course of your life and be world changing.

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October 30, 2012 · 1:08 PM

God’s Questions

In my job, I not only get to teach people how to ask questions, I get to ask them. There are different ways to ask the same question in order to get a more complete response. After I have given information to a group of people, I use questions to check their knowledge of the content that I presented. I often ask open questions and pose them to the entire group. I see who is paying attention and who gets it by doing that. I also ask direct questions to individuals in order to engage them in the conversation.

I’ve noticed that God does that too. He often asks questions that are open to all of us and other times He asks us directly. In Isaiah 6:8, God asks the questions, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah was standing right there. I can see him raising his hand, bouncing on his tippy toes and wiggled his fingers saying, “Ooooh. Ooooh. Pick me! Pick me!” I wonder if he knew what he was getting into. I wonder if any of us really know what we’re getting into when we volunteer for God.

There are other times when God asks very direct questions of us. Jesus did this to Peter. He asked him, “Peter, do you love me?” I can see Peter a little stunned by the question. His eyebrows furrowed, head tilted to the side and saying, “Uh, Lord, you know I do.” Then Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep.” I’m sure you know Jesus asked him two more times if he loved him. Peter got a little upset at Jesus for His persistence in asking a question He knew the answer to over and over. When God does that, it’s for our benefit, not His.

He often asks things of us to see what our response will be. It’s not that He doesn’t know what our response will be. It’s that He wants us to be sure in our purpose. What I’ve found is that when God asks us a question, action on our part is required beyond our answer. When Isaiah answered, he had to go deliver God’s message Israel. When Peter answered that he loved Jesus, he was then given the command to feed God’s sheep.

Whenever God asks a question of you, know that He is looking for a commitment beyond your answer. Answering is the easy part. Following through becomes something more difficult. You’ll have to make changes to your life, sacrifices to your schedule and give of yourself to someone else. God is looking for us to serve others for Him. We are to be His hands, His feet and His voice to show and to speak His love to those who need it.

I think God asks that same question to us that Jesus asked to Peter. “Do you love me? Then feed my sheep.” If we love Him, we will find ways to feed others both physically and spiritually. He also asks, “Who can I send? Who will go?” While many of us love Him, not all of us are ready to say, “Here am I, send me.” Faith requires action on our part. James 2:17 says, “Faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).”

So what is God asking you right now? What will you need to do beyond what He is asking? Are you willing to make the changes and sacrifices required? The men and women in the Bible who followed through after God asked them a question were blessed beyond measure. I believe you and I will be too if we respond in obedience with action.

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September 4, 2012 · 10:32 AM

Raise someone to life

“You are not a failure.” Those were the words my brother spoke to me at one of the lowest points in my life. When my world came crashing down and everything I had done fell like a house of cards, I felt like a failure. His words to me changed what I thought about myself. He saw beyond the temporary circumstances that I was facing and spoke to who I was.

Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. You have an opportunity each day to kill someone or to resurrect their life just by the power of your words. What you say matters. Even your off the cuff comments that seem like jokes can cut someone to their core. I know because I’m guilty of it even though I’ve made an effort in my life to speak positively of and to others.

Making that change and effort in my life has started to show its fruit through my son. One of my his favorite words is “bravo.” He learned that word before he learned the word “no.” I get excited every time I hear him say it because I know that he is learning to praise others even at an early age. Bravo is such a simple word, but it speaks volumes to the person who hears it. Bravo. You did an amazing job. Bravo. You are an exceptional person. Bravo. You deserve praise and I’m giving it to you.

Words are powerful. We don’t really grasp how powerful they are until someone speaks something to or about us. When your parents, spouse, relative or boss says something good to you or about you, it lifts your spirits and your day. They may never know how they changed your life or perspective just by saying a simple phrase that told you how amazing you are.

In the same way, you may never know the lives you’ve changed or touched by the words you’ve said. Look for the good in others. Jesus did. He looked at Peter and said, “Upon this rock, I will build my church (Matthew 16:18).” Jesus knew that Peter would soon betray Him. He could have easily said, “This guy has wasted the last three years of listening to me. He is going to deny that he even knows me.” That would have been devastating, but Jesus doesn’t do that. He speaks life to us. He sees in us what we don’t see.

When we feel like a failure or life has us down, God looks beyond that. He sees you for who you are. You are His child, His creation, His masterpiece. Yes, you are God’s masterpiece! You were created by Him in His image. You were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). When God sees you, He sees who He made you to be and calls it out in you just like He called out the rock that was in Peter.

Just as God has chosen to speak life to you, you can speak life into someone else today. People are often negative because thats what they hear from others. Maybe no one has ever spoken life into them and they are acting out the way that someone has spoken to them. People believe what others say about them. Bypass the negative in someone and see what God sees in them. Speak to that in them and tell them bravo!

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August 8, 2012 · 7:43 AM

Knocked Down, but Not Out

A few years ago, life knocked me down. It took the wind out of me when it did. It was hard to do things that were once normal. Everything took effort. An effort that I didn’t have the strength to give. Sometimes just breathing took every ounce of energy I had. It was a tough place to be. I was lying flat on my back wondering how to go on, if I should go on. The easiest thing to do was to give up and stay down.

Have you ever been there? Maybe you’re there now. Sometimes life throws some pretty hard hits. It doesn’t seem fair how, why or when things come our way to knock us down and off the path we were on. You didn’t ask for it or deserve it, but it happened anyway. You have to make some pretty tough choices when you’ve been knocked down. Life changing choices.

Here are some choices I made that helped me.

1. Don’t lose heart

The first thing you want to do is to give up. That’s because that’s the easiest choice, but it’s not the right choice. When the wind is knocked out of you, it gets hard to breathe. Life comes crashing down on you and you’re left wondering if you have anything left. You do. It’s in these times that you have to reach down inside you and find who you really are.

In John 14:1, Jesus told the disciples not to lose heart. He told them to believe in and to rely on Him. When we get knocked down, it is a chance for our faith to grow. When you can’t rely on anyone else, rely on God. He’s the one who is there with you even when you can’t see Him. He’s there to give you heart and strength to move on from where you think you will be forever.

2. Stand back up

One of the hardest things to do when you’ve been knocked down is to stand back up. You may not feel like you have the strength to do it, but you do. It’s inside you. You just have to dig deep to find it. Standing back up is an act of courage. It tells life that it may knock you down, but you will not be counted out. You are here to fight. You are here o win.

Proverbs 24:16 says even if you are knocked down 7 times, the godly get back up. No matter how many times you get knocked down, get up one more time. You are able to do it and each time you get up, you are stronger for it. I kept telling myself, ” What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. If I can survive this, I can survive anything.” You can survive this, but you gotta get back up!

3. Move forward

It’s not enough just to stand back up though. You have to take a step forward even if you don’t know what way “forward” is. Staying still can’t be an option. Where you were is where you were knocked down. You have to move past that area of your life o you can recover. There is hope, there is help and there is healing; but you must move forward to get it.

Philippians 3:14 and 4:13 are your new best friends. Read them, repeat them and cling to them. They say, “I press on toward the goal” and “I can do all things through Christ.” Your goal right now is to press on (forward). You can do it by the power and strength of Jesus. Your faith is what will carry you on. Find someone who can help along the way. You are not supposed to do this alone. They may not understand what you’ve been through, but that’s ok. They have the strength you need to move forward.

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July 3, 2012 · 5:40 PM

Denying Your Flesh

If you are like me, there is a constant struggle to do what I know God wants me to do instead of what I want to do. This battle rages on every day. It is a constant struggle that we all fight. Some days my spirit wins and others my flesh. I don’t think I’ll ever get to the point where my spirit will win every time, but that doesn’t mean I should give up.

Galatians 5:16 gives us a few ways we can stop gratifying the cravings and desires of the flesh.

1. Walk and live in the Holy Spirit

I like how the Amplified version puts it. It says we are to walk and live habitually in the Spirit. That means that I have to do it consistently. It needs to be an every day practice of doing what the Spirit wants instead of what the flesh wants.

One of the ways we can do this is to fast. Fasting is a great way to deny your flesh and to give in to the desires of the Spirit. Use the time that you would normally eat to pray, read scripture or to help someone in need. By doing that, you weaken the strength your flesh has and strengthen your spirit man.

2. Be responsive to the Holy Spirit

All day long the Holy Spirit speaks to us to do something for someone in our path. We often ignore His voice or we choose not to do whatever it is. Either way, that is a lack of responsiveness to His voice and we are not only robbing ourselves of blessings, but also the person we are choosing not to help.

Being responsive means we need to purposefully decide each day to be open to hearing His voice and to doing what He asks. Each morning, I pray and ask God to open my eyes so that I can see others in need and to give me the courage to step out and obey when I hear His voice.

3. Be controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit

Being controlled is against everything in us. We are independent and want to stay that way. God says that if we want true freedom, we should give up our independence to Him. That means we need to give Him control of our lives and allow Him to guide us.

When we are guided by the Spirit, we will do the things the spirit wants us to do. We will be able to overcome the desires of the flesh that keep us from doing what He wants. We will see others like never before and make a difference in other’s lives like never before.

If you are not satisfied with your ability to do what God asks you or to deny your flesh, then there is room for growth. All of us have an opportunity to grow, but not all of us look for those opportunities where we can. If you truly want to beat your flesh then learn to live and walk habitually in the Spirit, be responsive to Him and then be controlled and guided by Him. In doing this, you will no longer give into the desires of the flesh that keep you from doing what God wants.

Here is a prayer provided by Michael Moak that you can pray to help you.

Dear Lord,

Today I face new challenges and move one step closer towards Your will for my future. And because I’m not You, I know that I have the ability to destroy everything that is good in my life and to allow the weights and pressures of this world to control my actions and emotions. So, I need You today more than yesterday. Jesus. I need Your peace and your presence to sustain me as I endeavor to follow and obey your direction for my life. Show me the path in life that you have constructed and designed for my gifts and talents. And when things get tough, and I know they will often, help me to realize that my own strength and abilities are far too small and ineffective to make the difference that Your single hand can work on my behalf in a fraction of the time. I lean on you today, Lord, for the love and power that only You can give to man. Help me to also rest in the assurance that I don’t have to come up with all the right answers or make every decision perfect. I can trust in the undeserved grace of Your favor to carry me through this day with the happiness, joy, and peace that comes from my relationship with You. Today I face new challenges but You have the already gone before me and are turning them into opportunities for Your glory to work wonders through my life. Thank you Lord for loving me enough to trust me with today! I pray all this in the mighty name of Your son, Jesus Christ. Amen

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July 2, 2012 · 10:03 AM

God’s help and perspective for you

As a parent, I am always looking for that line between telling my son how to do things and allowing him to learn on his own. I point out dangers, but he doesn’t always listen when I point them out. From my perspective, I can see things he can’t and can predict things that might happen should he continue on a path.

I think God does that too. He looks from His perspective and tries to warn us of things ahead. Sometimes he gives us the ability to learn something by watching others. At other times, we are the ones who make mistakes so that not only we can learn, but others who are watching too.

Isaiah 48:17 gives us 3 things that God says He will do for us.

1. Teach us to live right and well

As our Heavenly Father, His goal is not to give us a bunch of do’s and don’ts as most people think. His goal is that we will be able to live and to make good choices. While He has set up boundaries for us to live within, He has also given us freedom to live within those boundaries.

We learn those boundaries by knowing His Word. Joshua 1:8 says that if we will meditate on God’s Word day and night as well as obey it, we will find success in all you do. He teaches us through His Word not only how to live right, but how to live well.

2. Show us what to do

I thought for a long time this meant that He would show me my vocation. Since He is my provider and my job is the tool with which He uses to provide my resources, He is more concerned what we do for Him while we are at work. Most of us spend more hours a day with our co-workers than our families. We have the ability to forge relationships that would otherwise be impossible.

Sharing the love of Christ is more impactful and easier to do with people we have built relationships than with total strangers. I’m not saying we shouldn’t show His love to strangers because we are. We just need to be listening to Him to look for others to share His love with and to do things for. He will show you what to do.

3. Show us where to go

Many people wander this world aimlessly. Some take the path of least resistance while others seems to travel a long, difficult road. Psalm 37:23 tells us that the Lord directs the steps of the righteous. He delights in the details of their lives. He wants to show us where to go so we can be His feet to carry the Gospel to others.

In going where He wants us to go and in following the paths He has laid out for us, we will find true happiness. When we do what we want, we have a long, uphill road to travel. We don’t know the way or what lies in our path. Only God has the perspective needed to guide us on the road of life.

Are you one who is wandering aimlessly and without hope? Are you wanting to learn how to live life better? Where ever you are in that spectrum, God has the answers for you in His Word. He wants to show you how to live well, what to do and where to go. Are you listening?

Here is a prayer to help you with this today. It is provided by Michael Moak. You can follow him on Twitter @Moakster.

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for your patience with me as I fumble and falter in my constant struggle to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow You! Thank you for giving me health, strength, mental stability and the ability to be productive and to make a difference in this world.

Thank you for being my provider and for always giving me more than I deserve. So, today, I ask you to help me share my blessings with someone else. Help me to be sensitive to the voice of your Holy Spirit within my heart that is looking for the opportunity to use me to be your hands and feet to just one person that is at the edge of their rope! Show me something about your character that I need to adopt into my life today and grant me the grace to mess up a few times before I get it right.

I ask you to use my life for Your glory today, Jesus. Push me beyond my comfort zone that I might see your love in a special, new way for the first time. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

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June 29, 2012 · 7:59 AM

Daily challenges

Have you every stopped at the end of a day and wondered where it went? You look back on it and weren’t able to accomplish what you wanted to, but at the same time, can’t explain what you did that kept you from doing it. Those days happen to each of us (some of us more than others). It can be the result of a lack of planning or a lack of execution of our tasks.

Each day only has 1440 minutes in it. That’s the amount of opportunity we have to make a difference in someone else’s life every day. There are plenty of opportunities in each of our lives to be that difference to someone else, but often we are too busy to stop and help them. We may not want to get tied down or slowed down, so we tell ourselves someone else will stop and help them.

In Romans 12:9, Paul gives us 3 things we can do daily as Christians.

1. Love others

People all around you need love. They don’t just need to be told you love them, they need to be shown love. There is no greater expression of that love than giving them some of your 1440 minutes. When you part from the path you planned for that day to help someone in need or to show them you love them, it makes a huge difference to them.

I love how the New Living Translation puts it. It says, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.” People can tell the difference between fake and real love. Jesus showed real love. He often stopped what He was doing to spend time with people the church leaders would stay away from. Why? Because He knew they needed His love. Not a fake love, but real love. What He gave them was His time and His ear. In turn, their lives changed.

2. Hate what is wrong

Every day we are exposed to the evil of this world, but what do we do about it? On June 5, 2008, a man in New York was hit by a car while he was crossing the road. Cars slowed down to look at him as he lie there, but no one stopped and got out. People on the sidewalk watched, walked to the edge of the sidewalk, looked at him and then kept walking.

It’s easy to be angry at that, but would you or I have moved on just like the others? Every day, we see people laying in the road of life who have been hit by circumstances. Do we stop to offer help or pass by on the other side of the road. In the story of the Good Samaritan, the same thing happened. A priest and a temple assistant passed by without helping. Do not get so caught up in doing God’s work that you don’t help others because that is His work.

3. Hold on to good

Let go of the negative things in your life that weigh you down. Bad things have happened to each one of us. Those who choose to be victims, dwell on the negative experiences and allow them to dictate their future. They need someone to not look down on them because of what has happened (their fault or not). They need someone to help them back up and to encourage them. Give them something good to hold onto so they can let go of the bad.

Find the good things in life that are around you and keep your mind on them. Don’t focus on the negative. It’s easier to think negatively than positively. It is a practice that each of us can do better at. We can’t be too quick to see that bad in others. Find the good in them and build on that. If we are to win the lost, we can’t simply point out their mistakes. They will never hear the message if we do that.

Today, take time to look around you. In everything you have to do, there are others who need your help. They need you to show them the love of Christ. They need you to not only hate evil, but to do some thing about it. Then look for what is good and hold on to it. This will help you release the negativity in your life.

Here is a prayer you can pray today to help you. It is provided by Michael Moak (@Moakster on twitter) to help you accomplish these things today.

“Lord, as I begin this day let me have the wisdom to BE STILL in your presence for just five minutes so that the other 1435 minutes will have the aroma of your presence lingering over them. Allow me to have Your wisdom to make decisions that honor You and to maintain a standard of integrity, purity, and truth in all that I do. Help me to give away the love that you first gave me to someone that is desperate for it and doesn’t realize their love bank is empty. And finally, grant me favor before Your throne so that I may represent your name with excellence as well as favor before men so that I may have a platform to proclaim your glory! I ask these things in the name most powerful name of your son, Jesus Christ.” Amen.

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June 25, 2012 · 7:43 AM

Stepping out of your boat

Have you been in that place where you felt like God wanted you to do something, but were unsure? Maybe you felt the timing was off or the conditions weren’t right. God often calls us to do things in His timing, not ours. If we wait for things to be just right, we will never get them done. He is looking for obedience.

In my life, when I’ve felt that tug, I have stepped out in faith at times and done what was asked. There were other times where I missed the mark and immediately felt the regret of not doing it. I let that opportunity pass me by without acting.

In Matthew 14, Peter had an opportunity to step out in faith. His opportunity shows us three things that we can do when we are asked to step out.

1. Make sure it’s God asking

In the middle of a storm, Jesus came walking to the disciples on the water to comfort them. When they saw him coming, it scared them. Peter said, “Lord, if it’s you, ask me to join you.” When the Lord told him to come, Peter did as he was told.

Life often presents opportunities for us to step out in faith. Many of us recognize them, but won’t act without checking with God first. I’m a firm believer that it is scriptural to ask God to show you if something is His will. Gideon set mats outside his tent to test if he was hearing God. If you are unsure if God is asking you to do something, ask Him to prove it.

2. He stepped out of the boat

If we wait for the right time to step out of the boat, we will never move. When Peter got out of the boat, the waves were crashing against the boat and it was raining hard. Conditions were not ideal for him to step out. God doesn’t wait for things to be perfect to ask us to step out. It’s when we are in a storm or someone else is that we are asked to step out of the familiar and into the unknown.

A minute before Peter stepped out, he wasn’t even sure that it was Jesus who was asking. As a seasoned fisherman, he knew that his survival rate was minimal if he wasn’t able to walk on water. He took the step anyway. If your faith doesn’t defeat your logic, you will never get out of the boat. There were 11 others in the boat who listened to fear and logic. They will never know what it’s like to walk on water.

3. Stepping out doesn’t mean things will go perfectly

After getting completely out of the boat, Peter began to sink. Even in our greatest acts of faith, we still run the risk of failure. It is not one step Jesus asked Peter to make. It was multiple. Getting out of the boat was step one. We have to understand that while taking that first step is important, it’s not the last step of faith you are to make.

When Peter began to sink, he knew what to do. He called out for Jesus to help him. Jesus reached down and lifted him up. If you are sinking on step two wondering what is going on, call out for help. Jesus is there waiting to help you accomplish what He asked you to do.

What is it that God is asking you to do? If you can accomplish it on your own will and strength, it is not an act of faith. What is keeping you in the boat? Don’t let fear and logic keep you in the boat. First, make sure it is what God has asked you to do, then step out in faith.

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June 22, 2012 · 8:10 AM

Moving forward

Are you in that place where you would rather stay and rest where you are because it’s the easiest thing to do? I know I’ve been there. I didn’t have the strength (mentally, physically or spiritually) to move from where I was. I just wanted to give up and let the world pass me by. I didn’t care what happened. I just didn’t want to move.

That is not God’s purpose for us. Proverbs 24:16 says even though the righteous man falls seven times, he gets back up. We are not to stay down when life knocks us down. We are to get back up through His strength. We are to move forward, not backwards or in the same place.

Hebrews 11 speaks of Moses and the choice he had to make by faith to leave Egypt. It mentions 3 things he did to help him move forward.

1. He left Egypt behind

When the circumstances of your life knock you down, you carry those scars with you for the rest of your journey. They are a reminder of where you have been. You need them so you can see how far you’ve come. Don’t be afraid of the scars from your past. By allowing others to see them, it lets them know they can survive what they are enduring.

While we carry the scars with us, we need to leave the pain behind. If you continue to carry the pain with you, the wound will never heal. I don’t know that the pain fully goes away, but we have to choose not to dwell on it so we can move forward. Moses had to leave the life he lived in Egypt behind to move forward, but he used what he learned from that life to lead others.

2. He held to his purpose

God has a purpose for your life no matter what you have endured. When I lost everything in my life, I felt like I had lost my purpose. I allowed my circumstances to cloud my view of who God made me to be. I couldn’t see how God could use someone who was as broken as I was. It added to the grief that I was going through.

Moses could have lost his purpose as he left the life he knew, but he didn’t. He held to his purpose and led the Israelites out of bondage. It’s only when we’ve endured pain and suffering that we can help free those who are still bound to their pain. God uses the broken to help heal the broken. God still has a purpose for your life even if you can’t see it now.

3. He crossed the Red Sea

At a time when his back was against the wall, the Egyptian armies came to attack. There was no where for him to turn and no where to go. He prayed and asked God for help. At that moment, God parted the sea and allowed him to cross on dry land. When his enemies pursued, it sea swallowed them up.

You may feel there is no way out of your situation. You are surrounded by circumstances and problems in your life with no where to turn. Don’t give up. Ask God to do the impossible for you. He will make a way where there seems to be no way out. When you step out in faith and move forward, the sea will swallow those things that pursue you.

If you are in that place where you’ve been knocked down and don’t know what to do, don’t give up. By faith move forward and leave that place behind, know that God still has a purpose for your life and then pray that God will do the impossible in your life. He will show you which direction is forward.

What can you do today to start the process of moving forward?

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June 21, 2012 · 8:03 AM

Rebuilding your life

Are you in a season of rebuilding? Are you having to piece your life back together? I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to have to look at the ruins of what was your life (physical or spiritual), to pick up the pieces and to rebuild. It is a difficult task to do no matter how old you are when it happens.

When our life is destroyed by an event or series of circumstances, the easiest thing to do is to live in the ruins. Rebuilding is difficult and requires energy that we don’t have. God’s desire for you is to rebuild your life, not to give up and live in the ruins of what was your life.

Nehemiah was a man of God in the Bible who saw that Jerusalem was in ruins. There were people who were living in the ruins. Their life was difficult and they were without protection. He knew that the city needed to be rebuilt so the people could survive. Our lives are no different.

He did three things to make that happen.

1. He confessed sin

The first thing Nehemiah did in rebuilding Jerusalem was to go to God. He prayed and confessed his sins as well as those of his people. Sin in our lives separates us from God and removes us from the blessing of protection. We become an open target for those that wish to destroy us.

Sin is not the cause of a destroyed life every time (See the life of Job), but when it is, our first rule is to confess our sins to God and to change our ways. Without this step, we will end up right back where we are. I can testify in my own life that this is true.

2. He knew God’s promises

The next thing that he did was to remind God of the promises He made to His people. To know these promises, you will have to study Gods word. It is full of promises that He will keep when we do what He asks. God is faithful to his promises and will do what He said He would do.

There are books that you can buy that tell you what God’s promises are. If you are not good at research or struggle to know where to look in the Bible to find God’s promises, go out and buy one of these books. To claim a promise from God, you need to know what he said.

3. He got help

The next thing he did was to get help. When he looked at the ruins of Jerusalem, he was overwhelmed and knew he needed help. He called together a group of elders and told them what was going on and asked for there help. As they began to help him, so did more people. In time, what was in ruins was rebuilt better than before.

You didn’t build your life on your own and you cannot rebuild it on your own. You will need to be honest with people you can trust. Get wisdom from them to help you rebuild. Allow them to pray over you and to provide friendship and encouragement during the rebuilding. It won’t happen over night. It can take years, but it starts with picking up the first piece.

If your life or spiritual life is in ruins, step back and take an honest look. Are there sins that need to be confessed to God? If so, confess them and seek His help to turn from them. Do you know what God has promised you? If not, go buy a book or search the Internet for God’s promises. You will find He made a lot. Finally, find people you can trust to help you rebuild. Let them provide a covering for you while you pick up the pieces and rebuild.

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