Happy New Year God’s people!
I must confess I must say the Lord has surprised me. Back in October, the Lord spoke to my heart about His plans for me personally and for His people. This is the reason I felt the Lord leading me to share the word titled “Its Time to Build (read it here).
On 31st December, guess the word that the Lord has released over 2024, at the church I fellowship at and guess what the year 2024 is titled….
In 2 Corinthians 13:1, the bible says that, “This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. The Lord has indeed confirmed this word. It is interesting that in Kenya, there are two other churches that have given the same word. This tells me the Lord is doing something in the body of Christ.
The anchor scripture for my home church is Nehemiah 2:17:
Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” Nehemiah 2:17
I have been undertaking an in-depth study of the book of Nehemiah just to try to understand what the Lord expects of us in the year of 2024 . I am excited to share with you my findings.
Let’s cover the 1st two chapters of Nehemiah:
Chapter 1 & 2
The book of Nehemiah is interesting because it gives us Biblical insights on how to approach the matter of rebuilding. I recommend everyone spend time studying this book.
In Chapter 1 we are introduced to Nehemiah who receives news that Jerusalem lay in ruins as Israel fell into the hands of Babylon and the Israelites were carried into captivity. (Vs. 1- 3) When Nehemiah heard what was happening in to his people and the city, he fasted and prayed. Nehemiah 1: 4 says, “So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
Allow me to share some notes based on my study of the book:
- Before commencing any project, begin by laying down a foundation of prayer. Chapter 1 is all about Nehemiah praying and fasting seeking God. Do not ever begin anything before asking the Lord to be a part of it.
- This foundation will ensure you receive favour with the people who you will need to assist you as you begin to build. The people are usually referred to as destiny helpers. We see this in Chapter 2 when Nehemiah approaches the King and is offered support.
- Nehemiah receives divine favour from the King. Then the king said to me, “What do you request?”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, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” (Nehemiah 2:4-5 )
- Not only does he receive access to the supply of timber, but he also is given a royal letter allowing him access to the governors for safe passage as he embarks on his travel. He is also offered protection by sending Nehemiah security reinforcements. I believe this was only made possible as a result of Nehemiah’s prayers.Nehemiah 2: 6-9
- Even though the King did not know God, God touched his heart to support His (God’s) cause. This proves that God is able to use the unbeliever for His purposes and plans to be established.
Importance of Fasting
Something I found interesting during my study time is the length of time that Nehemiah spent seeking the Lord before He presented his requests to the King.
In Chapter 1 verse 1, we are told Nehemiah learnt of the plight of the Jews in the month of Kislev. He soon thereafter went to a season of mourning, prayer and fasting. In the month of Nisan, he presented his plight and requests before the King. I took time to check the Jewish calendar and compare it to the Gregorian calendar and discovered that the month of Kislev is around November to December and the month of. Nisan falls between March to April. This means that Nehemiah spent between 4 to 5 months in the place of prayer and fasting seeking the Lord. I honestly believe during this time, the Lord gave him strategy on what to do, and who to approach.
As we begin 2024, it is important we all retreat to the place of prayer and fasting to ask the Lord, these questions:
“How do you want me to partner with you to build and “What do you want me to build with you in 2024
It’s not too late if you have not already begun your time of fasting. If possible take a break from social media, TV and any other distractions to hear God clearly. God wants to speak to each of us as we start the year.
In my next post, we will cover Nehemiah chapter 3 & 4
