#soap # Nehemiah 01 ## Title: How To Do Your Part As Part of Something Big ## Scripture: (Nehemiah 1:6) “may your ear be attentive and your eyes be open to hear the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you today throughout both day and night on behalf of your servants the Israelites. I am confessing the sins of the Israelites that we have committed against you—both I myself and my family have sinned.” (NET) ## Observation: Nehemiah was part of something bigger than him. He was the cupbearer of a huge kingdom. The city of Jerusalem was a long way away. The walls were bigger than something he could do by himself. He had no authority to fix it by himself. Just about everything about this situation was out of Nehemiah’s direct control. However, Nehemiah was not helpless. Nehemiah gives us a great plan on how to do our part when we feel like we are part of something bigger than ourselves. He began by praying and taking ownership of the situation. This is the greatest thing we can do. So many things come through our time of prayer with the Lord. One of the most surprising benefits of prayer is the wisdom the Lord gives us. After praying, the Lord gave him the courage and wisdom to take the next step. ## Application: Realize the greatest thing you can do is to pray, then pray for everyone around you today. ## Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for the gift of prayer. When we fellowship with You, You change things.