HOW 2 PRAY 4 THE IMPOSSIBLE

PRAYER MOVES THE HAND THAT MOVES THE WORLD. We read in MATTHEW 19:26b JESUS SAID UNTO THEM,... WITH MEN THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE; BUT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. So there must be a way that WE CAN LEARN TO PRAY FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE

One of the MAJOR THEMES which emerges from the book of Nehemiah is PRAYER. The book opens and closes with prayer. There are 12 PRAYERS recorded in the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah realized THERE ARE MANY THINGS YOU CAN DO AFTER YOU PRAY, BUT THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO UNTIL YOU PRAY!

IF WE TOOK 1% OF THE ENERGY WE PUT INTO TRYING TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN AND INVESTED THAT INTO PRAYER, WE WOULD SEE AN EXPONENTIAL INCREASE IN BLESSINGS!

Nehemiah is a book about building a work for God, and BEHIND EVERY GREAT WORK OF GOD THERE IS SOMEWHERE A KNEELING FIGURE. All of heaven's power becomes focused on the work of God when the people of God are willing to WEEP, PRAY, AND FAST for that which is truly important in this life.

The Jews were being held in captivity by Artaxerxes, the Babylonian King, and their release seemed impossible. And the destruction of Jerusalem also seemed to be a situation far beyond comprehension, and rebuilding it and its walls even less likely. But GOD DOES HIS BEST WORK, IN IMPOSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES! ...we serve the God of the impossible!

Nehemiah was the cup-bearer, just an ordinary guy with a regular testimony for the Lord...and it was just your average day when he heard about the rebuilding of the temple, and of the need to do the same with the walls which once surrounded the city, which now stood in heaps. The gates were burned with fire. The people there were discouraged and devastated in poverty. It broke Nehemiah's heart. He began to weep and pray and fast over it.

Nehemiah hears about this impossible situation. He is down but not out. Depressed but not defeated. He has a faith outlook. God's people are not helpless in the face of problems. We do not have to sit idly by and just accept whatever life deals our way. A good Christian sees an opportunity in every difficulty! But every miracle God ever performed started out with a problem. Jesus didn't do miracles to make good things better. He did miracles to make bad things good. He righted wrongs and fixed broken things. Problems are opportunities for God to show Himself strong.

Nehemiah's REACTION was weeping and dejection...like any of us humans. But fasting and prayer was his COUNTERACTION. God's people have a powerful tool at our disposal. It is a most powerful counteraction. It is the mighty weapon of prayer. We read in 2 CORINTHIANS 10:4 FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL, BUT MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONG HOLDS;

THERE'S 2 TIMES TO PRAY AND GET INTO THE WORD: WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE IT AND WHEN YOU DON'T. JOSHUA 1:8 READS, THIS BOOK OF THE LAW SHALL NOT DEPART OUT OF THY MOUTH; BUT THOU SHALT MEDITATE THEREIN DAY AND NIGHT, THAT THOU MAYEST OBSERVE TO DO ACCORDING TO ALL THAT IS WRITTEN THEREIN: FOR THEN THOU SHALT MAKE THY WAY PROSPEROUS, AND THEN THOU SHALT HAVE GOOD SUCCESS.

When is the last time you prayed because you were brokenhearted and hurting? When is the last time you were burdened about someone's soul so much that you wept and prayed for them? When is the last time you bore the burden of a fellow Christian and took their request on your back so much that you helped carry that burden...and you carried it to God in prayer, believing you could 'pray it thru' for them? I'm talking about heartfelt concern.

"WE PRAY WITHOUT CRYING, WE GIVE WITHOUT SACRIFICING, WE LIVE WITHOUT FASTING...IS IT ANY WONDER THAT WE SOW WITHOUT REAPING?!" We are a dry eyed church in a hell bent world. "OUR EYES ARE DRY, OUR FAITH IS OLD, OUR HEART IS HARD, OUR PRAYERS ARE COLD."

Nehemiah never could have rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem until he wept over the ruins. THE BURDEN LED TO THE PRAYER THAT LED TO THE MIRACLE! YOU CANNOT HEAL WHAT YOU DO NOT FEEL. Tears are a language God understands. He is moved by what we are moved by. Not talking about the crocodile tears we can work up, but the genuine heartfelt burden that leads us to weep.

Nehemiah knew it was sin that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and her walls. And IT WOULD DO NO GOOD TO WEEP OVER THE RUINS IF HE WAS NOT WILLING TO REPENT OF THE SIN WHICH LED TO THOSE RUINS.

PSALM 66:18 says, IF I REGARD INIQUITY IN MY HEART, THE LORD WILL NOT HEAR ME: Is your life lying in ruins? Is sin to blame? Don't just cry over your plight. Make it right! God will give you back more for your repentance than you lost thru your sin!

If you have something impossible to pray about today and you need God to move in a BIG way. If you have a miracle need, always remember: MATTHEW 19:26b BUT JESUS ... SAID UNTO THEM, WITH MEN THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE; BUT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE