5. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace. Jeremiah 29 “welfare, the universal flourishing of, universal wholeness, complete health, safety and prosperity.”

7. 406 verses in Nehemiah Prayers fill 46 verses (11%), History accounts for 146 verses (36%). Various lists 214 verses (53%)

8. Nehemiah 1 4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments.

9. Nehemiah 1 6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

10. Nehemiah 1 11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name, and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.

11. 4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” Nehemiah 2

12. God's working and our planning are not contradictory. "Prayer is where planning starts."

13. 4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! Nehemiah 4 Ch 4--The Opposition to the Workers

14. Nehemiah 5 Ch 5—Strife Among the Workers

15. "Up to this point Nehemiah's challenges as a spiritual leader focused primarily on those outside of Judah. But before the walls were finally rebuilt, he encountered the most difficult and intense kind of problem almost every spiritual leader has to face sometime—problems within.“ --Dr. Gene Getz

16. 19 Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people. Nehemiah 5 Ch 5—Strife Among the Workers The invocation of God's favor is not so much a plea for a reward as an emphatic way of claiming that he [Nehemiah] has acted in good faith and from right motives. It is a statement of confidence that God is Judge, and judges favorably those who sincerely seek to do His will.

17. Ch 6:1-4 -- The plot to distract Nehemiah

18. 9 For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.” Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. Nehemiah 6 Ch 6:5-9 -- The plot to discredit Nehemiah

19. 14 My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid. Nehemiah 6 Ch 6:10-14 -- The plot to deceive Nehemiah

20. Ch 6:15-7:4 -- The completion of the walls

21. Ch 10 – Covenant with God Ch 8 – Reading God’s Word and being convicted Ch 9 – Confession of sin 1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. 2 Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

22. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. Psalm 66:18

23. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:16-17

24. Ch 11:1-12:26 -- The residents of the land

25. Ch 12:27-47 -- The dedication of the wall

26. 14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services! Nehemiah 13 Ch 13 – Reforms instituted by Nehemiah 31 and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times. Remember me, O my God, for good!

27. God wants to rebuild and transform our cities today for Jesus Christ. God has and will continue to use the Church to transform lives and communities. A foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been laid. The Temple has been built. But, today, it seems there are no walls around our cities!

28. Just like Nehemiah in Jerusalem, we need to build a wall here in Magnolia; not a physical wall, but a spiritual wall. How do we build a spiritual wall? The answer is simple, but profound. We pray!

29. As a spiritual wall is built, a strengthening of the Christian community will form... non-Christians will be blessed by a supernatural presence of God... Christian leaders in government, in education, in the private sector, etc. will be empowered to stand strong for their faith in the name of Jesus… increased financial resources will flow towards Kingdom work... the sick, the poor and the wounded can know they have access to a "city of refuge" to heal and be transformed by God's love... the churches (united) will work together with their fellow believers in the community for true transformation!

30. And just as the people of Jerusalem were emboldened and stood up against the enemy, and stood in the gaps for one another, and stood up for the truth of God’s Word that He had given them, we too must build our spiritual wall and stand up for the Word, Jesus. If we, in fact, yearn for spiritual renewal in Magnolia we must not only “seek the shalom of the city” but we must “pray to the Lord for it” (Jer. 29:7) as well. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.

31. Pray for: Open doors for the Gospel to be mightily proclaimed in Magnolia.

32. 3 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving, meanwhile praying for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Colossians 4

33. Pray for: Open doors for the Gospel to be mightily proclaimed in Magnolia. God’s will be done (on earth as it is in Heaven) Sensible and righteous government That Christians may have influence Enemies of the Gospel will be refuted and silenced Shalom

34. It has been said that there is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him. As we pray for Magnolia, God’s heart for Magnolia will become our heart and we will grow to love the people of Magnolia more and more. We will see the people of Magnolia the way God sees them. And we will be erecting a spiritual wall built on prayer that will provide the setting for spiritual renewal and for God to use His people for His glory! 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.