Great Works of God Begin with Prayer
By Ryan Dawson
Any great work of God has prayer as its seed. When men and women pray, and really pray, God mysteriously moves in ways we could never accomplish through our own strength, wisdom or effort. Prayer is not simply something we add to the work of God; prayer is where the work begins.
We see this so clearly in the story of Nehemiah. When Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down and the gates destroyed by fire, his first response was not to develop a plan, gather resources or rally a team. He fell on his knees and prayed. He carried the burden for his people and the City of David into the presence of God, and he continued to pray through the long winter months.
For four long months, God must have seemed slow and silent to Nehemiah, but God was not absent. He was at work in ways Nehemiah could not yet see. Then, at just the right time, a door opened. Nehemiah was given great favour with the Persian king, and he received permission, protection and the resources he needed to begin the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
The renewal of the city began with prayer.
I believe this is an important word for us as a church. We have a great work of God before us, but we must remember that whatever fruit comes from our efforts will ultimately come not because we are strong enough, strategic enough or deserving enough, but because God is a God of grace, and He delights to pour out His Spirit on His people.
As we come to our Heavenly Father in personal and corporate prayer, we can come with confidence that He hears us. We may not always understand His timing, and we may not always see immediate answers, but we can trust His character and continue to seek Him faithfully.
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” — Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)
This is true for Sequoia, and it is true for the Church throughout our city. The work God wants to do among us will ultimately be accomplished by His Spirit. That is why I want to invite you to join us this Sunday, September 27, from 7–9pm for our All Church Prayer Summit. These evenings are always an encouraging opportunity to gather as brothers and sisters and simply seek our Heavenly Father in prayer and worship. There is something powerful about putting aside our schedules, our agendas and our distractions and coming together to say, “God, we need You. We want You. We are asking You to move.”
One of the great promises that calls us to this kind of prayer is found in 2 Chronicles: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” — 2 Chronicles 7:14 This is a powerful promise, and it is contingent on us humbling ourselves in the presence of God. So, let’s respond to God’s invitation to seek Him in prayer!
Here are some things we can be praying about as individuals and corporately in the days ahead:
• Praise God for His ongoing grace and love.
• Thank God for the cross and the forgiveness we have in Jesus Christ.
• Ask God for a hunger for His Word and the faith to stand on His promises.
• Pray for God to bring working through our new Fall sermon series Practicing Prayer & Scripture, starting Sept. 27.
• Ask God to break your heart with the things that break His.
• Confess your indifference and independence and ask God to “renew a right Spirit in you.” Psalm 51
• Pray for a spirit of joy, freedom, renewal and revival at Sequoia and all the churches in our City.
• Pray for God to open doors and reveal His plans for our land and building vision.
• Ask for opportunities to share the love of Christ this week with people in your life.
• Ask God to bless our city and draw people to Himself in great numbers.
• Pray for students, teachers, seniors and those who support them.
• Pray for first responders and our health care workers.
• Pray for our City leaders that God would grant them great wisdom.
I want to encourage you to join us Sunday at our Prayer Summit. Please also spend some time in your Impact Community or Ministry Groups lifting these requests, and anything else the Lord puts on your heart. God responds to His people when we pray so let’s believe that God will move in powerful ways as we seek Him.
Praying for you and with you,
Grace & Peace, Ryan
Any great work of God has prayer as its seed. When men and women pray, and really pray, God mysteriously moves in ways we could never accomplish through our own strength, wisdom or effort. Prayer is not simply something we add to the work of God; prayer is where the work begins.
We see this so clearly in the story of Nehemiah. When Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down and the gates destroyed by fire, his first response was not to develop a plan, gather resources or rally a team. He fell on his knees and prayed. He carried the burden for his people and the City of David into the presence of God, and he continued to pray through the long winter months.
For four long months, God must have seemed slow and silent to Nehemiah, but God was not absent. He was at work in ways Nehemiah could not yet see. Then, at just the right time, a door opened. Nehemiah was given great favour with the Persian king, and he received permission, protection and the resources he needed to begin the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
The renewal of the city began with prayer.
I believe this is an important word for us as a church. We have a great work of God before us, but we must remember that whatever fruit comes from our efforts will ultimately come not because we are strong enough, strategic enough or deserving enough, but because God is a God of grace, and He delights to pour out His Spirit on His people.
As we come to our Heavenly Father in personal and corporate prayer, we can come with confidence that He hears us. We may not always understand His timing, and we may not always see immediate answers, but we can trust His character and continue to seek Him faithfully.
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” — Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)
This is true for Sequoia, and it is true for the Church throughout our city. The work God wants to do among us will ultimately be accomplished by His Spirit. That is why I want to invite you to join us this Sunday, September 27, from 7–9pm for our All Church Prayer Summit. These evenings are always an encouraging opportunity to gather as brothers and sisters and simply seek our Heavenly Father in prayer and worship. There is something powerful about putting aside our schedules, our agendas and our distractions and coming together to say, “God, we need You. We want You. We are asking You to move.”
One of the great promises that calls us to this kind of prayer is found in 2 Chronicles: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” — 2 Chronicles 7:14 This is a powerful promise, and it is contingent on us humbling ourselves in the presence of God. So, let’s respond to God’s invitation to seek Him in prayer!
Here are some things we can be praying about as individuals and corporately in the days ahead:
• Praise God for His ongoing grace and love.
• Thank God for the cross and the forgiveness we have in Jesus Christ.
• Ask God for a hunger for His Word and the faith to stand on His promises.
• Pray for God to bring working through our new Fall sermon series Practicing Prayer & Scripture, starting Sept. 27.
• Ask God to break your heart with the things that break His.
• Confess your indifference and independence and ask God to “renew a right Spirit in you.” Psalm 51
• Pray for a spirit of joy, freedom, renewal and revival at Sequoia and all the churches in our City.
• Pray for God to open doors and reveal His plans for our land and building vision.
• Ask for opportunities to share the love of Christ this week with people in your life.
• Ask God to bless our city and draw people to Himself in great numbers.
• Pray for students, teachers, seniors and those who support them.
• Pray for first responders and our health care workers.
• Pray for our City leaders that God would grant them great wisdom.
I want to encourage you to join us Sunday at our Prayer Summit. Please also spend some time in your Impact Community or Ministry Groups lifting these requests, and anything else the Lord puts on your heart. God responds to His people when we pray so let’s believe that God will move in powerful ways as we seek Him.
Praying for you and with you,
Grace & Peace, Ryan