Nehemiah hears an update from back in the old country that breaks his heart. He stops what he is doing to pray a bold and heartfelt prayer for his people and city. He models a posture of following the Spirit’s prompting around prayer, and praying boldly.
When God steps into Abram’s life he has a big ask and promise for him. God promises to make a great nation out of his family. The ask: leave his lucrative life, pack up what he can travel with and head out that way. No clear sense of his final destination, just pack up, and start moving. Take the next faithful step, trusting that God will reveal the next step on the way to the first one.
Throughout the old testament the Israelites were instructed to set up cities of sanctuary for those fleeing from unjust punishment. Joshua 20 can teach us what it means to care for others and what it means to build our lives for the purpose of serving others.
I have heard it too many times, I guess all we can do is pray, as if prayer is a small thing. But we know in scripture prayer can do BIG things, and can answer prayers in ways that are more than we could ever imagine.