PRAY - Consult With Your Creator 1

Christian, you want to move into your future with more passion and purpose, but not sure what that looks like a prayer is a powerful starting point, the royalty report of the dura mater through the series forward and choose insights from Nehemiah is aligned with God's will for achieving history is his message Friday. Consult is thank you so much for joining us this is the series forward discovering God's presence and purpose in your tomorrow. This is the second chapter in the book and the second lesson in the series. Today were going to talk about how important it is for you to play at the beginning and middle and at the end of your dream all throughout the living out of God's vision for your life and will get to that in just a few moments, but first let me tell you that I've had a wonderful opportunity to talk about the series with some of my friends. Not long ago I sat down with Sheila Walsh and we talked about the importance of prayer as we live out our visions shall remain kind of wrapped up in the word forward here for a bunch of weeks to be wrapped up in it for a few more because of this book that we have written and I know a little bit about your journey, but the things that have driven you forward in your life as you face the challenges he faces all of us do.

While I times when God help me to move forward with what it felt like really come to the end of myself. I give my life to Christ when I was 11 going up in a little town in west coast of Scotland godly mother father who committed suicide. I really wanted to serve God with my whole life. I went to seminary and then I came to America as a contemporary Christian artist, but when I was in my mid-30s my life kind of collapsed and I ended up in a psychiatric hospital diagnosed with severe clinical depression. That first night in the hospital. I was so used to be able to play great prayers and pray in faith believing in that night I felt so desperate and so alone that the only two words that I could get were simply these help me say that impressive prayer, but have to tell you I don't think it ever felt the presence of Christ so closely as I did not hospital room. I remember writing the back of my Bible. I never knew he lived so close to the floor like discovering the truth of Psalm 34 the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

It was interesting when I was released from the hospital the top of my newspapers, severe systemic disorder and then underneath that depression. I'm looking at that word and I realized if you rearrange the letters and depression you get is this I pressed on and I meant that my determination I might have it diagnosis of clinical depression because of Jesus. I could press on every single day. It's not a one time daily communication with God see that today as we open our Bibles and talk about a man who is name is familiar to us. His name is Nehemiah going to see how she pressed on, but not alone. He pressed on with God and every time he faced a problem.

It was his communication with the father that kept them going.

Let's jump in on that story as we talk about consulting our creator in 1909. Young Lenora would volunteer to go to the Appalachian mountain to teach in a one room mission school there in the impoverished town of del Rio Tennessee. She became something of a living legend, thanks to her commitment to prayer, knew how to turn dreams in the prayer prayer in the dreams, Raymond Thomas was a foster team who often stopped at Leonardo's cabin in his knee-high plot offers an talk with her as she sat on the front porch shelling peas or darning socks. Raymond's seemingly impossible dream was to go to college.

But how can I manage it. He said I haven't got any money I don't have any prospects are not saved anything Raymond Leonora replied, whatever you need.

God has the supply ready for you. The money will be there for any dream that's right for you. Every dream for what you're willing to work. Raymond asked Leonora to offer a dreamy prayer for him and her prayer went like this father you've given Raymond a fine mind. We believe that you want Raymond's potential to be used to help you lift and lighten some portion of your world.

Since all the wealth of the world is yours. Please help Raymond find everything he needs for education Raymond Thomas did make it to college and four years working 12 jobs to support himself and graduating with a bachelor of science degree, cum laude. He also served in World War II and later settled in Vienna where he earned a PhD in physics. He went on to visit 60 countries master multiple languages and network with some of the most important people in Europe through his job with the US atomic energy program. Looking back on his life. Raymond said the fact that I could dream of going to college and achieve it prove something to me very simply, any right dream can be realized.

And prayer helps you know if it's right, and gives you the power to stay with it. In other words, listen carefully. The way forward is to play forward. I think that's what Nehemiah would say to him is one of the most effective leaders in the Bible and his story unfolds in the Old Testament book that bears his name. Executives and entrepreneurs study this book endlessly because of the leadership lessons that are found in it. Nehemiah was a Jewish official serving the Persian king in the city of Susa thousand miles from Jerusalem.

The Babylonians had destroyed Israel and Jerusalem in 586 BC and several thousand Hebrew settlers had gone back to rebuild the temple and reestablish a Jewish presence there. This is a deep burning for Nehemiah. He knew God's plan of redemption dependent on the continuity of his people in their land and he understood that it was a matter of heartfelt prayer to make this happen one day.

Nehemiah's brother and a few other men arrived from Jerusalem with this grim message. 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 escapes are burned with fire.

This news hit Nehemiah like a blast slumping into his chair.

He started sobbing, but out of his deep tears came earnest prayers and out of his prayers, came a fervent dream with God's help. Nehemiah would return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of the ancient city of his God. It seemed an impossible feat because Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer and a trusted advisor, the likelihood of King Artaxerxes releasing him let alone financing the trip seemed very far-fetched. God, he'd already planted the dream and Nehemiah's heart just as he is pledging fresh dreams in your heart today so you have to prepare your heart for God's plan. God's desires flourish and prepared hearts just like seeds in a fertile ground in the last message I urge you to imagine your future if you're saying yeah I want to do that, which are not certain what you dream is or what the next step forward is then prayer is where you should start Nehemiah so I need that burden.

His heart and he started to pray about it. I've studied the book of Nehemiah many times, and there are two verses that tell us something about dreams not the kind you have at night, but the kind that guide you forward noticed these two telling phrases. Nehemiah claimed that God put it in my heart to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Later he said my God put it in my heart to organize the people. Nehemiah didn't come up with his dream for Jerusalem's wall by himself. His heart was receptive to the impressions God sent him let me tell you what I've learned a prayerful heart is fertile ground for divine ideas. How can you be sure the dream in your heart is God's will and not yours. While you must humbly and specifically ask God to place his ideas for your life into your heart and mind. Psalm 25 Forces Show Me Your Way, Lord, teach me your paths.

Fred Lunceford was one of the soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in 1944 after the war he became a pastor in the mountains of North Carolina very devoted 70 years to preaching the gospel to use ago when Lunceford was 93 he became very sick and he thought it was going to die. He told the Lord he wanted to go to heaven and God said not yet sitting on the per garden behind his house. Lunceford asked the Lord why are you leaving me here in the Lord seem to answer by saying that he had some unfinished business for Lunceford to do to pray for a spiritual awakening in this country. So from that moment forward. Lunceford has been earnestly praying for an awakening in America and around the world and he's recruited others to do the same.

Recently, Fox News carried a story about him reporting that somehow don't ask me how Lunceford has well over 1/4 million people playing with him every day for a great outpouring of revival. This is truly a revival of prayer. He said, and from this day forward. God's going to do wonders what it is I don't know but I want to be a part of it. So when you prepare your heart for God's plan.

You getting ready to receive what he wants you to do you do that through prayer. You praying you asked the Lord to help you. Be sensitive to what he's telling you to do the menu. Pray about the plans that he gives you day and night.

No matter the hour of circumstances, pray as God begins to give you impressions and thoughts about your future. Continue to pray, commit them to him and serious ongoing prayer and as soon as Nehemiah. Since the need for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem listen. He sat down and he wept anymore, and for many days and he was fasting and praying before the God of heaven as his thoughts clarified and he better understood what needed to happen. He wrote out an earnest prayer is preserved for us in the book that bears his name. Is I pray Lord God of heaven. All great and awesome God, you keep your covenant and mercy with those who love you and observe your commandments. Please let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, that you may hear the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you now. Day and night. Nehemiah went on to confess his sins and those of his people. He reminded God of the biblical promises involving the children of Israel, and he ended by saying all Lord I pray, let your be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who desire to fear your name and let your servant prosper this day I pray and grant him mercy in the sight of this man who was this man was King Artaxerxes the most powerful man on the earth. And even though Nehemiah was his cupbearer. He couldn't approach the king without risking his life.

Only God could arrange the right moment so Nehemiah pray EM bounds was 1/19 century pastor who wrote a powerful book on the subject of prayer read many of his books.

Every page is kind of convicting so I can only read them in small doses, but bounds called prayer, spiritual energy is what he wrote. What great things are accomplished by this divinely appointed means of grace. It lays its hand on Almighty God and moves him to do what he would not otherwise do if prayer were not offered and brings things to pass which would never otherwise occur.

Bounds said that the story of prayer is the story of great achievements. Prayer is a wonderful power placed by Almighty God in the hands of his people, which may be used to accomplish great purposes and achieve unusual results. Bible says it this way, the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Prayer is the divine energy that brings the power of God into the plans that he's giving you.

I don't know any shortcut for this God guides his children as they learn the joy of praying to him night and day. So prepare your heart for God's plan and pray about your plans day and night, and then learn to practice spontaneous prayer. Wonderful to have a leisurely hour on the patio for Bible study and prayer or to engage in a special extended time in prayer with friends at church asking God for his favors but sometimes you have to pray instantly.

Sometimes you have to pray urgently on the spur of the moment and it's good to know that the Lord hears those prayers as well. I urge you to learn to pray quickly, silently and instantly. No one in the Bible, mastered that skill. Nehemiah's book is peppered with short little prayers that were injected into his narrative.

He knew how to pray spontaneously. For example, one day the king wanted a glass of wine so Nehemiah prepared and here is Nehemiah 2 wanted to.

I took the line and I gave it to the king.

Now, I have never been sad in the presence of the king before and so the king said to me, why is your face sad since you are not sick. This is nothing but sorrow of heart know a little interpretation here. Nehemiah knew these words could have reflected genuine concern or they could have been his death sentence. Believe it or not it that day. It was a capital offense to be sad in the presence of the king. So watch carefully what Nehemiah did he senses the urgency of the moment versus two through five. So I became dreadfully afraid and I said to the king.

Good move. May the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my father's terms lies waste and its gates are burned with fire, and then the king said to me, what do you request.

Now watch this.

So I pray to the God of heaven and I said to the king, if it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight.

I ask that you send me to Judah to the city of my father's that I may rebuild it. I'm sure you noticed, here's the phrase I pray to the God of heaven and I answered the king in the twinkling of an eye. Nehemiah had his opportunity but he had to say exactly the right thing in the right way to move the kingdom was caused, his life was on the line, not to mention the desires of his heart. It was critical for him to speak wisely and for the king to react positively so Nehemiah shut up an arrow to heaven. Maybe it was just help Lord help. Most of us know that prayer we played it on occasion, the Lord answered and soon Nehemiah was on his way to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. When you know how to earnestly pray day and night. Then you will find out there's great power in spontaneous prayer as well.

One fateful day back in 2001 10 Col. Dan who was working on the first floor and the ceiling of the Pentagon. That's sort of in the middle of the building he was preparing for a 10 o'clock meeting when a coworker came into his office with news that the World Trade Center was on fire. New York went to his bosses office where the television was on watch the events unfold, then had a feeling down deep that he should get up and return to his own office. Along the way. He stopped to talk to someone in a nearby cubicle and suddenly the whole room burst into flames and who was thrown 20 feet forward. His left leg was pinned to the floor beneath rubble and the walls were on fire. He yelled for his coworker, but heard no response.

He recalls that moment I said a short prayer asking God to show me the way out.

He tried his leg loosen Saul some light in the distance and crawling through an opening he found he was trapped again in the room was full of smoke and so were his lungs. He said the room was like an oven, and at that moment, I thought I was going to die of smoke inhalation declined over more rubble saw him reaching out to him and that once he was on the helicopter pad outside the Pentagon. He began helping others, not realizing he was bleeding from multiple shrapnel wounds when he shares a story now.

He credits his survival to God answering simple words, God show me a way out. Did you know that God answers prayers like that when you're in the midst of following your dream.

God is giving you a plan and you're on your way to the gold.

Sometimes there are problems. It doesn't just get you there is no such thing as life without any challenges.

There's the old statement that says if there's no friction there's no traction. Every major dream I have ever had everything God is ever done in my life has been fraught with trouble and often in the midst of it, you have to pray Lord help me, help me to know what to do. I don't know what to do. But my eyes are on you.

So prepare your heart for God's plan through prayer.

Pray about your plans day and night practice spontaneous momentary prayer in here's number four.

Prepare for God to do things his way, as God drops his seeds of aspiration in your mind and you pray with them, whether in quiet extended prayer or quick in the moment prayer you have to learn to trust him for his own brand of success. You have to expect him to do things his way. Proverbs 16 three says commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The word commitments to trust God can be trusted with your dreams to divulge them, develop them sometimes delay them and always drenched them with his blessing.

So you have to understand God opens doors and he closes doors. He arranges circumstances and sometimes he creates trajectories you didn't even expect to have more about, pray, consult your creator tomorrow as we get together again to pursue what it means to be going forward tell you how excited I am that you are joining us on this teaching tour. We are going to have a great time together as we learn how to live our lives. Looking forward, I pray that your journey is that direction and that together we can find their way into the future David Jeremiah and Elsie right here tomorrow for more information on the Jeremiah's current teaching series forward, please visit our website.

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The English standard version. The new international version and the new King James version are available in a variety of handsome Jeremiah.old/regular 50 from Gary who join us tomorrow as we continue the series to Turning Point with the Jeremiah thanks for taking time to listen to trim trees and Christian