Dear beloved: When Nehemiah fasted and prayed to the Lord in Chapter 1:11, he prayed for success in his mission to bring his petition before the king,.. and make Thy servant successful today, and grant him compassion before this man. Four months later in the month Nisan, his prayer was answered as God opened up the heart of the king to hear the petition of Nehemiah. Neh 2:4 Then the king said to me, "What would you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. v5 And I said to the king, "If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my father's tombs, that I may rebuild it."
Isn't it amazing that when we are preparing to do God's kingdom work that He has already prepared the way before us? Proverbs 16:7 When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Psalms 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. And isn't it also amazing how God can use anyone and anything to further His kindom plan, even including pagans and non believers? Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes. And so God prepared the heart of King Artaxerxes to not only hear Nehemiah's petiton, but also to provide everything that he asked for: time off to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls, letters to provide safe passage through enemy territory to get there, and also letters to secure timber to make the beams for the gates of the wall.
Beloved, do not shrink back in fear when you need something from the Lord to do your kingdom building. Step out in faith, ask and go into detail with the Lord what it is you need, and believe that you will receive it. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, that without faith it is impossible to please God, for those who come to Him must know(believe)that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. And in Mark 11:22-23 And Jesus answered them saying, " Have faith in God. v23 Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. v24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you. And so beloved, speak to the mountains in your life, to the broken walls and burned out gates, ask in faith and go boldly before the Lord, and do not doubt in your heart that God will provide it if it is truly kingdom work. Pray beleiving that you have already received. As you can see in Nehemiah's case, he was diligent and faithful, and his prayers were answered four months after he first began to petition the Lord regarding the walls, and God provided for him every request in every detail. Now that's a faithbuilder! Step out today and ask for the mountains to be moved in your life and believe that you have already received them, then stand back and watch the Lord move! He will do it. God bless you this day as you rebuild the ancient walls, in Christ, Jim
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