Nehemiah 1:1–4 ‘When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.’ (v4)
That moment when you hear tragic or disappointing news, your knees go weak and you can do nothing but sit down, weep and stare into the distance.
Whether it be exam results, financial issues, health concerns, the breakdown of a relationship or the unexpected loss of a loved one, these moments bring real pain and there is no way to immediately fix it or make it better somehow.
All you can do is sit down, weep and pray. Which is exactly where Nehemiah found himself.
Hearing news from Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant – the walls are broken down and his beloved family is in great trouble – all he can do is sit down, weep and pray.
Which he does with incredible focus and starts to pray and fast for days. And what begins as a seemingly tragic news item, becomes his Day of Destiny.
His sadness affects his spirit, which affects his prayer life. What started as disappointing street gossip, became the ignition of change. This is often the story in our lives.
The very thing that brings our greatest disappointment, can often be an instigator for change. Days of disappointment become our days of destiny.
For the arrow to fly furthest, it needs the greatest pull back in seemingly the wrong direction. The present setback is the setup for the future.
What is your day of disappointment? What is God breaking your heart over?
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord, You know the challenges I am facing. I submit these to You. I trust You and know You have a plan, even if I cannot see it. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Write down your biggest disappointments. Make a note in your diary to read them again in six months’ time and see if they have become an opportunity for destiny.
Scripture To Consider:
Prov. 3:5–6; John 16:33; Phil. 4:6–7; Jas 1:2–4; 1 Pet. 5:7
