LaunchPad Prayer & Fasting

The Hand Behind the Favor Nehemiah 2:8b; Genesis 39:2-3  So far, Nehemiah is on his journey to restore Judah. He has prayed fervently, asked humbly, and sought God—first for what was on his heart, and now for what actions to take. He makes a clear ask of the king\'s forest keeper for timber for the…

Asking for What the Mission Requires  Nehemiah 2:7-8a; Philippians 4:19  I\'ve had the opportunity to travel to Indonesia a few times over the last 15 years. The people are wonderfully gracious, the landscape is beautiful, and the food is delicious. But one of the things that I loved so deeply about my visits there was…

Being Ready When the Door Opens Nehemiah 2:6; Colossians 4:2-6  When I went away to college at seventeen, I was pretty certain I knew what my life would look like. I was going to be a professional soccer goalkeeper and tour as a Christian musician in the off-season.  It seemed perfectly reasonable to seventeen-year-old me. …

The Prayer in the Pause Nehemiah 2:4-5; Philippians 4:6-7 \"Do not be anxious about anything.\" If ever there were words that fit the phrase easier said than done, these might be it.  My daughter has anxiety, and I often pray with her when she is overwhelmed. One day she said to me, \"You have anxiety…

Naming What\'s Broken Out Loud Nehemiah 2:3; Psalm 142:1-2  If you\'ve ever experienced loss or walked alongside someone who has, you may be familiar with the five stages of grief. The five stages begin with denial and end with acceptance. Acceptance isn\'t the end of grief, though. Although it may take a while to get…

Courage in the Moment of Exposure Nehemiah 2:1-2; Proverbs 21:1  There are moments when what we\'ve worked hard to keep hidden suddenly becomes visible.  For months, Nehemiah carried the burden of Jerusalem\'s brokenness in his heart. Since hearing of Jerusalem\'s ruin, he had grieved, fasted, and prayed while continuing to serve faithfully in the king\'s…

Asking Boldly, Serving Faithfully Where We Are Nehemiah 1:10-11; Esther 4:14  At the end of Nehemiah 1, we come across a sentence that almost feels like a passing detail:  \"Now I was cupbearer to the king.\"  But this is not a throwaway statement. Hold on to that thought.  Nehemiah has just spent days mourning, fasting,…

Standing on What God Has Said Nehemiah 1:8-9; 2 Chronicles 7:14  These two verses could be the single greatest development in your prayer life! I don’t say that lightly, but before we consider them I need to back up and begin with a very basic question that is rarely thought about. And that question is:  …

Owning Our Sin Nehemiah 1:6-7; Daniel 9:4-5  There is something striking about the way Nehemiah responds when he hears about Jerusalem. He has just received difficult news about the condition of his people and his city, but his first response is not to make a plan, gather a team, or figure out how quickly the…

Starting With Who God Is   Nehemiah 1:5, Exodus 34:6-7  One of our favorite rooms in our home is the living room. It features furniture from Maryanne\'s childhood home, passed down to us from her mom and dad.  But the feature in that room that I love best isn\'t a piece of furniture. It\'s the mantle…

Grief Before Strategy Nehemiah 1:4; Joel 2:12-13 Nehemiah has received terrible news about God\'s city and God\'s people. According to the Scriptures, he responds, \"As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of Heaven.\" Let\'s think together about…

The Reports That Should Break Our Heart Nehemiah 1:1-3; Luke 19:41-44 A few days ago, I got home and checked the mail. There was one thing in the mailbox that was of any consequence. Literally everything else had been sent by some organization attempting to convince me to vote for one candidate or another.  We\'re…