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LaunchPad: Day 22 · Equipped: A Podcast Platform for the Equip Ministry of Cuyahoga Valley Church

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah 4 verses 7 to 9.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Opposition.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: That is what Nehemiah and God's people encountered as they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Their enemies initially mocked and ridiculed the Jews.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: When that didn't stop the rebuilding, they plotted to fight against Jerusalem and create fear among the Jews.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: They eventually tried to intimidate Nehemiah with false accusations and by planning a surprise attack.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: A key point is that the opposition increased as the work progressed.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: In human terms, this building project did not point to a successful ending.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: What was God's people response to this opposition from God's enemies?
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah and the Jews responded by first praying to their God, and then by stationing guards around Jerusalem to watch day and night for an enemy attack.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah understood that trusting God did not mean failing to take wise, practical precautions.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: He prayed first and then acted.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: These events occurred about 2,500 years ago.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Fast forwarding to today, how do we, as individual Christ followers, and corporately as a Bible-based church, respond to spiritual opposition in today's culture?
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: For example, what happens if we take a biblical stand that exposes us to ridicule or causes us to be spoken of as fanatics, mocked as hypocrites, or despised as fools?
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: I pray that our first response, and not our last resort, would always be to pray.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: In Luke 18, verse 1, Jesus said that we ought always to pray and not lose heart.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Paul instructs us to devote ourselves to prayer.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: These passages invite us to always pray first before doing anything else, even before planning or strategizing.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: When we learn to pray without ceasing, our natural inclination will be to seek the Lord first, before acting on what we may think is a great idea or plan.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: We read this back in Nehemiah 2, verse 4b, when the king asked Nehemiah what he needed after Nehemiah told him the walls of his hometown Jerusalem were burned down.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah's response was, So I prayed to the God of heaven.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah's pattern of praying before acting is a pattern worth holding onto as our church moves forward.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: If we know how to pray in faith, we as followers of Jesus have the potential to move heaven and earth.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: What God has laid before us as a church is not for the fainthearted.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's a huge ask, one only He can accomplish, especially as we come to Him in our weakness and dependence.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: So a question to consider.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: As we grow in our walk with Jesus, will we look for opportunities to invite, encourage, mentor, and serve others?
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: And a prompt to pray.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: Pray for courage, to draw near to Jesus when spiritual opposition comes your way.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: He promises to draw near to you in return.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: That is James 4, verse 8.