The Word: Nehemiah 1: 4 – 5 (KJV)

⁴ And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, ⁵ And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

Dig Deeper:

⁶ Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.

Think about it

PRAYER AND NEXT LEVEL
Still on Vision, Planning, Strategies, Goals, Timing

I encourage everyone to read the book of Nehemiah personally. It is one of the books that hopefully we shall study together during the course of the year at our midweek services. It is a story of sacrificial leadership (leading by example), It is the story of intense passion for God, It is the story of restoration, It is the story of strategic prayers in obtaining favour and achieving goals, It is the story of the NEXT LEVEL.

In the 1st chapter of the book, news came to Nehemiah who was in captivity that the walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed. Nehemiah was as an exile – living abroad. He was in diaspora. He served in the palace of Artaxerxes the king where he lived. He was comfortable, well taken care of. There was no reason for him to be concerned about Jerusalem. But instead he took the case of Jerusalem personally, He made it his goal that the walls of Jerusalem needed to be rebuilt. He desired that Jerusalem steps into her NEXT LEVEL. What did he do? He started to pray. Friends, when we don’t know what to do, what do we do? We start to pray. 

I had always personally known that prayers was important but perhaps in the last 6 months – 1 year, I have further realised that prayer is extra important. I am not talking of prayers of asking for things: shoes, houses, cars etc. NO! I am talking of prayer of fellowship, prayer of consecration, prayers of intercession, praying the agenda of God into manifestation. Ladies and Gent’s please listen to this: The NEXT LEVEL starts with prayers, intermediates with prayers, ends with prayers…..

Why is praying so important?
It is important because our human power is limited and cannot achieve the plans that God has for us. In the place of prayers, we exchange our limitation for his limitless power, we exchange our weaknesses for his strength, we exchange our inability for his ability. Prayer would need to become 2nd nature to us, we pray in the morning, noon, and at night…..Ah! Prayer is important ladies n gents, in fulfilling Divine purpose. There is what you call the spirit of prayers or the oil of prayers. I pray that as you read this, you be baptised in that grace of prayers, whereby you are constantly drawn into the place of prayers. The anointing for prayers can be infectious. It can be intoxicating. I pray you will become infected with the AIDS syndrome of prayers never to be cured again…. That your whole life will become a living sacrifice of prayers, that prayers become what you live for, that every thing else becomes secondary.

I just feel like praying…. I don’t know about you. Let’s be frank, honest and not deceive ourselves, some of the next level goals that we desire this year, we don’t have the natural capability to do or achieve it, we may not qualify for it. Some others may be more qualified and smarter. But thank God because weaknesses are not barriers with God. Actually weaknesses brings dependability and dependability invokes the power of God because he wants us to depend on him anyway. When prayers is in place, the NEXT LEVEL becomes cheap. 

What do we pray?
We pray in tongues according to the mind of the father. When we pray in tongues: God’s Spirit inside us communes with God on the throne on our behalf. We don’t even need to know the details of what is being discussed but I can assure you what is being discussed between the Godhead is how you will step from where you are presently into what God has for you.

Today, In the name of Yeshua, the one who sacrificed himself for us, receive the spirit of prayers, become infected with the incurable bug of supplication, Be overwhelmed with the wind of intercession. Let your prayer life never be thesame from this day on AMEN!
 

Nuggets:
NEXT LEVEL goes hand in hand with the spirit of prayers….. 

Our memory verse for January 2018
Habakkuk 2: 2

² And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Let’s take a few moment to learn our memory verse for this month by heart. It can be memorised in 2 lines:
Line 1:  And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision,
Line 2: and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Once you say it a few times it will stick.

Prayer focus: Our prayers for the next level project: 
We are praying for speedy completion in every area….. We pray for speedy completion of the auditorium at the RCCG Camp 
On Grace: 
Masterlife Workbook: The Church is embarking on weeks of discipleship workbook study: Masterlife now on the 2nd workbook: The Disciple’s personality