How To Handle Bad News
Intro Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we gather to discuss Nehemiah's example of faithful prayer and service, we ask that You would open our hearts and minds to what You want to teach us today. Help us to see the areas in our lives where we need to turn to You first in prayer, just as Nehemiah did. Give us the courage to be honest about our shortcomings and the faith to believe You can use us right where we are. Guide our conversation and help us to apply these truths to our daily lives. In Jesus' name, amen.
Summary
This sermon explores Nehemiah chapter 1, focusing on how Nehemiah responded to bad news about Jerusalem. When Nehemiah learned that Jerusalem's walls were broken down and its people were in distress, he immediately turned to prayer and fasting. The sermon highlights Nehemiah's prayer as a model for believers, showing how he approached God with reverence, confessed sin, recalled God's promises, and offered himself for service.
The pastor draws ten key principles from Nehemiah's example: caring enough to inquire even when news might be bad, allowing emotional responses to devastating information, seeking God's presence through prayer and fasting, turning to Almighty God, remembering God keeps His promises, being persistent in prayer, confessing sin honestly, obeying God, having the right attitude of reverence toward God, and recognizing one's strategic position for God's purposes.
Key Verses
Nehemiah 1:4
Nehemiah 1:5-6
Nehemiah 1:11
Psalm 37:4
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Key Takeaways
When faced with bad news, our first response should be to turn to God in prayer rather than trying to solve problems on our own.
Effective prayer includes acknowledging God's greatness, confessing sin honestly, recalling God's promises, and offering ourselves for service.
God strategically places His people in positions of influence for His purposes, just as He positioned Nehemiah as the king's cupbearer.
Persistent prayer demonstrates our dependence on God and our belief that He can and will act on our behalf.
We should approach God with both reverence and confidence, recognizing both His awesome power and His faithful love.
Ending Prayer
Lord God, thank You for the powerful example of Nehemiah who turned to You first in prayer when faced with overwhelming challenges. Help us to develop the same prayer habits - acknowledging Your greatness, confessing our sins, remembering Your promises, and offering ourselves for Your service. Give us the courage to care deeply about difficult situations, the wisdom to seek You before acting, and the faith to believe You've placed us exactly where we need to be for Your purposes. May we, like Nehemiah, be people who say 'yes' to You and through whom You can work to accomplish Your will. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.