“In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time.”
‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭2:1-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/neh.2.1-6.esv

All,

This stands out because Nehemiah says, “So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king”.  Do you pray while in conversation with someone?  Nehemiah already prayed for wisdom before this meeting, but continues to pray DURING the conversation also. I often put the pressure on me in the moment, whereas it seems God would rather us be dependent on Him in the moment and abide in Him(Psalms 127). Please pray that we and our friends pray continuously today. Please pray if you should be a Mentor to younger men through our “Elbow to Elbow” study for 46 weeks. 

“The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” 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.”
‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭1:1-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/neh.1.1-4.esv

All,

This stands out because Hanani says, “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”  Walls were the main means to defend the city from harm. Do you have any friends whose walls of discipline are in need of repair? Are they being attacked and rendered helpless? Do they have their hope in the only God worth hoping in?  Please pray that we and our friends keep our walls repaired as to avoid the attacks of evil. Please pray for Wes and David’s group. 

“Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?”
‭‭Job‬ ‭38:33-36‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/job.38.33-36.esv

All,

This stands out because the Lord says, “Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?”  Of all the questions God asks Job, this seems to be the most compelling. It seems the people who don’t believe God created us think they have answers for most of the questions, but not this one. Please pray the we and our friends are thankful that we worship the true God who has given us answers to all these questions. Please pray for Phil and Gary’s group. 

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.” And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭33:1-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/2ch.33.1-6.esv

All,

This stands out because the writer of 2 Chronicles says, “and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.”  People laugh off future tellers, sorcery(drugs) and mediums in today’s society as harmless, but they all symbolize God not being first in one’s life. We have a God that actually does know the future, knows what’s in man’s hearts and also loves us very much. We can spend time with Him and get true wisdom in His purpose for our lives. Please pray that we and our friends appreciate that we get to abide in Christ all day today. Please pray for the co-facilitator breakfast this morning. 

“After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria, who was besieging Lachish with all his forces, sent his servants to Jerusalem to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting, that you endure the siege in Jerusalem? Is not Hezekiah misleading you, that he may give you over to die by famine and by thirst, when he tells you, “The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, “Before one altar you shall worship, and on it you shall burn your sacrifices”? Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their lands out of my hand? Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers devoted to destruction was able to deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!'””
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭32:9-15‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/2ch.32.9-15.esv

All,

This stands out because Sennacherib king of Assyria says, ‘On what are you trusting, that you endure the siege in Jerusalem? Is not Hezekiah misleading you, that he may give you over to die by famine and by thirst, when he tells you, “The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, “Before one altar you shall worship, and on it you shall burn your sacrifices”?  Evil always tries to win by sowing doubt in believers’ minds. Jesus says that Satan’s language is deceit and it only gets stronger as he knows he is being defeated. Are you at the point of giving in?  Please pray that we and our friends look to Jesus during the toughest part and know He has a plan of ultimate defeat. Please pray for Connor and Knox’s group. 

“Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession. And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, division by division, each according to his service, the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to minister in the gates of the camp of the Lord and to give thanks and praise.

Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭31:1-2, 20-21‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/2ch.31.1-2,20-21.esv

All,

This stands out because the writer of 2 Chronicles says, “ all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all.” Some Kings of the OT would worship God, but they didn’t tear down the worship places of pagan gods. As we remember from “My Heart, Christ’s home”, we have a closet that is full of things we need to get rid of and Christ wants to clean it for us. Are you keeping things that are against God around?  Please pray that we and our friends destroy the things in our lives that lead us to sin. Please pray for Brad and Jeff’s group. 

“So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭30:10-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/2ch.30.10-12.esv

All,

This stands out because the writer of 2 Chronicles says, “The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord.”  Have you ever been a part of a group with “one heart”?  I like it the most when a group is gathered and there is great appreciation for what God has done in their lives through actions or insights. There is a desire to be about God’s purpose and put self aside. Please pray that we and our friends have one heart today towards God’s purpose. Please pray for Doug and Ransom’s group. 

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭57:1-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/psa.57.1-3.esv

All,

This stands out because David says, “to God who fulfills his purpose for me.”  What’s God’s purpose for you?  Is anything else more important today than that?  Will He empower you to do His purpose?  Have you asked Him and waited for His response?  Please pray that we and our friends are about our Father’s purpose today. Please pray for Wes and David’s group. 

“In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭26:15-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/2ch.26.15-20.esv

All,

This stands out because the writer of 2 Chronicles says, “And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.”  How tempting is it to become proud when everything is working out?  Instead of being more thankful, most of us pat ourselves on the back to our destruction. And so the pendulum swings the other way. Please pray that we and our friends are even more grateful to God during times of strength. Please pray for Chuck and Darren’s group. 

“After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them. Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?” But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.””
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭25:14-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/2ch.25.14-16.esv

All,

This stands out because the writer of 2 Chronicles says, “After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them”. It’s tempting to worship worldly things after a big accomplishment for which you give yourself credit. What do we have that God didn’t provide?  Did we create our abilities?  Please pray that we and our friends worship God and ask him to identify any gods in your life. Please pray for Jon and Teddy’s group.