Calvary Baptist Church

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Prayer in Time of Inadequacy, God Works Within Us

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After Nehemiah heard about the desperate condition of the Jews who had returned from exile to Jerusalem, his heart was burdened. And by getting his attention in this way, the Lord could reveal what He wanted Nehemiah to do. Scripture doesn’t spell out the man’s reaction on realizing that he was part of the solution, but we can imagine a sense of inadequacy probably engulfed him. How could he possibly help? He wasn’t even near Jerusalem at this time and as a servant of the king, he didn’t have the freedom to pack up and leave.

But whenever God puts a burden on our hearts, He will open the door to accomplish His will. In this case, the Lord used Nehemiah’s sad expression and desperate prayer to prepare a pagan king to send him on his mission.

How do you respond when you sense the Lord calling you to a task that seems beyond your abilities? Do you list the reasons you can’t possibly do it? God already knows everything about you and the situation. He’s not asking your permission to proceed; rather, He is calling you to move forward with faith and obedience. He didn’t make an error in choosing you for the task, but YOU will make a HUGE mistake if you refuse to do it.

God will equip you for whatever He calls you to do. Because the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer, we have all we need to fulfill the Lord’s mission. Instead of letting inadequacy hinder you from obeying, let it drive you to your knees so you can arise with a renewed insight and power.

Ephesians 3: 20 & 21 says:

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. A-men.”

Let these words slowly sink into your understanding “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” What an amazing description of God’s ability to work within us.

Yet so often our focus is mainly on what we want Him to do around us: If he would change this situation or fix that problem, then my life would be better. But He invites us to think and ask bigger – He wants to change us!

The Holy Spirit has more than enough power to transform lives from the inside out, but working change within is usually a slow process. Spiritual fruit takes time to grow and mature. That’s why we need patience and faith to believe He is working even when we don’t see the results right away. God is never in a hurry and will never give up on us.

The Lord has a purpose in your life, and He is constantly working to achieve it. Although He has an individualized plan for each of His children, He also has an overarching goal – to conform every believer to the image of His Son Jesus Christ. But, in order to accomplish this, He may have to bring us through some struggles and heartaches. It might make no sense to us, but God knows exactly what He’s doing.

What would you like to see the Lord do within you? As you read the Scriptures, look for qualities that God considers precious, and ask Him to work them out in your life. Pray about your qualities. Then rely on His wonderful promises to do even more than you have asked or imagined.