Challenged to Pray First

God is working on my heart right now to stop and to pray first; before worry, before stressing out, before acting out, before rushing to resolve the issue. Just this morning, it begins. The internet is down. Of course that has to happen on the morning I have an "online" appointment with the database company to resolve another issue. I need to be on the internet to connect with them to resolve the problem in the next 15 minutes. I check the server, call the phone company to check our service. I reboot the server. The internet comes back up. I log in to the session with database company, doesn't login right away, need to download software that is compatible with theirs first, internet goes back down JUST as I am getting connected to the database company, I reboot server again, calls coming in from database company asking what's going on, internet comes back up, etc. It gets better and better and so I am going to save you the details. 

 

Instead of being patient. Instead of stopping for a few seconds to step outside myself to see how I am reacting, sadly I get frustrated, stressed out, impatient with people around me, not "reacting" under control, not stopping to pray for just a few seconds or a minute for patience, direction, wisdom, discernment. 

 

Now maybe that's understandable, considering people waiting on me to fix what's going on right now, or to get back to them right away, but what if, I asked God to help me to get better at handling these types of situations? To learn how to STOP first and communicate with Him through prayer? What if, I started to attack a crisis or problem by pausing first to pray about it? Seems like "Captain Obvious for a Pastor RIGHT??? Just thinking about this for myself, a problem solver, who is doing this kind of stuff all day long, seems almost impossible. Yet, I know that nothing is impossible for God. SO, I am being challenged to STOP and pray more often, throughout my day, in times like these mentioned above and I am reminded of and inspired by Nehemiah. A Godly man,who accomplished an amazing task, under all kinds of attacks and worked with many different people, with many different tasks to complete. When Nehemiah heard about the Israelites who were left in Jerusalem, with the walls around them destroyed and the people open to attack, his heart was burdened for his people. But how could he help them? What did he do?

 

Nehemiah’s Prayer

⁴ When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. ⁵ I said, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands, ⁶ let Your eyes be open and Your ears be attentive to hear Your servant’s prayer that I now pray to You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. ⁷ We have acted corruptly toward You and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances You gave Your servant Moses. ⁸ Please remember what You commanded Your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. ⁹ But if you return to Me and carefully observe My commands, even though your exiles were banished to the ends of the earth, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have My name dwell.” ¹⁰ They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and strong hand. ¹¹ Please, Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to that of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success today, and have compassion on him in the presence of this man


Lord, forgive me for rushing to resolve things under my own power. Help me to seek you first. Help me to "see" problems and concerns with your eyes, with your heart, with your wisdom, with your patience. Help me to be a prayerful pastor and leader like Nehemiah.

In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.