Day 8

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When Burden and Passion Collide

SCRIPTURE

Nehemiah 1:4
As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

OBSERVATION

Have you ever been desperate to find the answer to a problem? Most people have been there a time or two. Maybe it was a job transition that you needed God to speak to you about. Whatever the situation, you had a burden that you needed an answer from God about. This is the place where Nehemiah found himself. He needed God to do for him what he could not do for himself. When his passion and his burden collided, it led him to not only pray but to fast.

There is something powerful about fasting that can bring clarity and favor to a situation. Fasting is simply giving up something to gain more of God. It may be food, television or social media. Whatever it is, the idea is to clear out things that have your attention and refocus on God. Maybe God will lead you in this time to sacrifice some personal comfort to hear from Him. As believers, many times we must give up something to go up in God. Nehemiah understood this. He was going to put all his passion into hearing from God, so he could make a real difference in people’s lives.

APPLICATION

Consider giving up something in order to spend more time with God to hear from Him. Maybe you could watch less television to spend time praying. Write down your fasting commitment next to the four names you started to pray over on Day 2. Over the next week take time to sacrifice your regular routine to hear from God about your role in the New Wave Faith Journey.

Prayer

Jesus, I need to hear from you and be led by you. I purposefully set aside some time to hear from you and to pray about what you are asking me to do. Jesus, I want to be led by your spirit, so speak to me today. I love you, Jesus!