Nehemiah 1

Neh 1:3 And they said to me, "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire."

Nehemiah is a fantastic Old Testament view of how to conduct ministry. The story is simple. The Jews have returned to Jerusalem, however, all the walls of Jerusalem are torn down. In those days, the only thing that kept you safe in your home from the things and people outside were the four walls that surrounded your city. This is what made Jericho such a formiddable foe. Therefore, the children of Israel were distressed. Surely somebody would attack them and without walls, they would have no safety.

As we go through the book of Nehemiah we will identify different ministry trials and different ministry "musts." The first ministry must is that we must find a need and respond to it. How do we respond? We respond in prayer, just like Nehemiah. Notice, he hears the news, he is touched by the news, and he then prays to God fervently. This is a must should we find ourselves involved in any ministry. Find a need and pray.

Think about some opportunities the Lord may have placed in your life. Start to pray about them just like Nehemiah. See where the Lord may take you.