“I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. ” (Neh. 12:31)
Reading: Nehemiah Chapter 12.
Prayer Points:
Spend time giving thanks and praise to the Lord
Pray that God will draw Pastors and Marketplace Leaders together in prayer over our city.
Pray that the Lord will draw our attention to key issues He wants us to focus attention on in this next season.
Continue to lift up the known needs of the Church congregation in prayer.
Reflection on Nehemiah.
The importance of celebration. The completion of the walls and gates of Jerusalem was a major milestone on the journey of re-establishing the people of God in the land following the exile. They had worked hard together and endured much opposition from the enemy. Through it all they had persevered, choosing to ignor the threats and the physical hardships. Now they could enjoy the results of all their hard labour. Now it was time to celebrate.
Celebrating together is an important part of a worshipping community. The writer in Ecclesiastes says, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." - Ecc. 3:1. As the people of God called together to build a local church, there are many seasons we go through. Times of work, times of rest, times of mourning, times of prayer and fasting. Then there are times of celebration.
My Grandmother used to say, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!" Celebrating is part of sharing life together. A life of all work is a life of idolotory. God delights in our celebration and in fact commanded it of His people. "There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you." - Deut. 12:7. The heart of celebration is to give thanks to God for His blessings and provision. Celebration before the Lord is worship.
Do you take enough time to celebrate before the Lord, the milestones in your life? make a point to mark these occasions with celebration that recognized God's bounty and provision in every area of your life. As we look to finishing our 2 weeks of mourning, fasting and prayer this Sunday, give some thought to celebration.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" - Phil. 4:4.
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