Hello Everyone,

The best prayers are the ones that God hears. And He has promised that He doesn’t hear the prayers of those who willfully aren’t right with him.
Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Nehemiah knew it was sin that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and her walls. And it would do no good to weep over the ruins if he was not willing to repent of the sin which led to those ruins.

Is your life lying in ruins? Is sin to blame? Don’t just cry over your mess. Make it right!

It has been my personal experience that many times God will give you back more for your repentance than you lost thru your sin!

"I’ve blown it, and I’ve lost so much, and it can never be regained!"
No! We serve a great God, and He’s not finished with you.

There’s a difference between being sorry for your sin and just being sorry you were caught. Some people only weep over their sin once they are experiencing painful consequences.

Nehemiah did weep over the consequences, but above all he wept over the sin that put them there.

Nehemiah included himself in the prayer of repentance? He wasn’t even alive for those sins. He was born and raised a thousand miles away from it all.

He is identifying with the sins of his people.
Ezra 9:5-6 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God,
6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.
Things we used to blush over in America we are now proud of and flaunt!

Ezra 9:7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

Nehemiah recognized the true fact that when a nation turns against God there is a sense in which we ALL bear some responsibility.

Even if it is not our personal sin it is our apathy and indifference that has allowed it right under our noses. It’s not just your vote, it’s your influence, your stand, your testimony!

So, we need a national confession, but also a personal confession. It’s much easier to point out sin in others lives than in our own. The beam in your own eye keeps you from seeing clearly the speck in someone else’s eye.

If you have something that looks IMPOSSIBLE in your life it is time to pray. Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Oh How HE Loves Us!

Pastor Phil