Nehemiah 1:3-4 “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire. When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before God of heaven.”

Nehemiah is often regarded as a biblical model of lay ministry and leadership:
*A MAN OF …..
PRAYER AND ACTION,
VISION AND MISSION,
HIGH PRINCIPLES AND SENSE OF JUSTICE,
EXCELLENT LEADER AND
BRILLIANT PLANNER,
ORGANIZER AND STRATEGIST,
TEAM PLAYER AND MOTIVATOR,
COURAGEOUS AND PERSEVERING…………………

Nehemiah was an unusual layman.
Nehemiah’s life story provides key principles for effective lay ministry such as being a person of constant prayer, derive power and wisdom from God, have a clear purpose in the light of God’s will, be a motivator and live above reproach.

Children of Israel were captives to Babylon and later to Medo -Persian empire for almost 300 years.

When Nehemiah heard about the conditions in Jerusalem, he broke down and wept.
He was deeply grieved.
After his initial grief, he prayed, pouring his heart out to God.

HERE WE CAN SEE THE ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE PRAYER: ……………..
PRAISE,
THANKSGIVING,
REPENTANCE,
SPECIFIC REQUEST, AND
COMMITMENT.
Nehemiah’s heart was burdened about the desperate condition of the Jerusalem.

God used Nehemiah’s burdened heart to uplift Jerusalem.
So… remember dear friends….
………. *Whenever the Lord puts a burden in our heart, He will open a door for us to accomplish His will.

How do we respond when we sense the Lord is calling us to a task that seems beyond our abilities?

Do we list all the reasons why we can’t possibly do it?
God already knows everything about us and the situation.

He’s not asking our permission to proceed; rather, He is calling us to move forward with faith in Him.

We can refuse, but we risk missing out on the blessings of a life lived in obedience to Him.

But ……… there is *no success without risk of failure,
…………….. no reward without hard work,
……………………… no opportunity without criticism,
and …………… no leadership without trust in God.

The father of the modern missionary movement, William Carey declared:

“Expect great things of God; attempt great things for God.”
That is spiritual boldness.

Jooley Mathew Z
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺