9/9/2025 Daily Devotion: Prayer For Impact

Nehemiah 1:3-6 & 2:2-5 NASB - They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.” When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, “I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servant” … So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?” Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 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 fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

Raise your hand if you feel like your prayer life could be more impactful… 🙋🏻‍♂️

I love the example that Nehemiah sets for us.

In Chapter 1, Nehemiah models for us CONSISTENT & PASSIONATE PRAYERS for the desires of our hearts.

• Nehemiah’s heart was broken for his people & their city … he wept & mourned FOR DAYS … But he also prayed to God throughout his time of mourning.

• Nehemiah took his passionate grief TO GOD day after day … where do we go with our grief?

• Many of us bottle up our grief and tuck it away deep inside … never to speak of it to anyone.

• Many of us take our grief to our friends & family … complaining & blaming with willing supporters.

• How many of us take our grief directly to God as passionate prayers of our hearts?!

In chapter 2, Nehemiah exhibits for us INTERACTIVE PRAYER for Wisdom & Strength within the active circumstances of our days.

• Nehemiah prayed to God IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS CONVERSATION with the King!

• This is an example of what Paul means in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 when he commands us to PRAY WITHOUT CEASING … living our life with continuous awareness of God & in continuous communication with God!

• Nehemiah recognized this conversation as an answer to his consistent & passionate pleas to God from Chapter 1 and knew that he NEEDED GOD’s STRENGTH & WISDOM to execute his role in God’s answer of his prayer.

God uses our daily interactions to bring about the desires of our hearts in our own lives, too … just as Nehemiah models for us!

• What absolutely breaks your heart when you look at the world around you? Take your broken heart to God in prayer! …

• … then be on the look out for how He plans to USE YOU in the answer to that prayer!!

• When you recognize His specific call to action for you, PRAY AGAIN for His Strength & Wisdom to execute in that moment.

Impactful prayers lead to impactful lives!

Care. Pray. Seek. Pray. Do. Pray.