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The Prayer and the Chain Saw Read: Nehemiah 1 Bible in a Year: Isaiah 50–52; 1 Thessalonians 5 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant. Nehemiah 1:11 I respect my Aunt Gladys’s intrepid spirit, even if that very spirit concerns me sometimes. The source of my concern came in the form of news she shared in an email: “I cut down a walnut tree yesterday.” You must understand that my chainsaw-wielding aunt is seventy-six years old! The tree had grown up behind her garage. When the roots threatened to burst through the concrete, she knew it had to go. But she did tell us, “I always pray before I tackle a job like that.” While serving as butler to the king of Persia during the time of Israel’s exile, Nehemiah heard news concerning the people who had returned to Jerusalem. Some work needed to be done. “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire” (Nehemiah 1:3). The broken walls left them vulnerable to attack by enemies. Nehemiah had compassion for his people and wanted to get involved. But prayer came first, especially since a new king had written a letter to stop the building efforts in Jerusalem (see Ezra 4). Nehemiah prayed for his people (Nehemiah 1:5–10), and then asked God for help before requesting permission from the king to leave (v. 11). Is prayer your response? It’s always the best way to face any task or trial in life. Father, Your Holy Spirit reminds us to pray first. Today, we commit to doing so as Your Spirit prompts us. Make prayer a first priority, instead of a last resort. 
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But sometimes, I don't pray about something until I have already messed up the situation. Case in point, while packing for a trip yesterday, I spent a couple of hours searching for Joe's car key. I didn't want to travel with only one. After about an hour, I thought about quitting and just buying a new one. But I kept on searching. Finally, I was exasperated at the lost time and getting tired and cranky. I sat down to rest, and quietly prayed for peace and strength, and once again, the thought came to stop searching and get packed. A short time later, I opened a suitcase that I had just bought a couple weeks ago, and there was Joe's key! How in the world? I don't know, but I do know that I would have found it a lot sooner if I had just prayed and followed through on the leading to stop searching and pack.  Be a prism, spreading God's light and love, not a mirror reflecting the world's hatred.
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God always there.......wow
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