The Hard Work of Becoming Spiritually, Emotionally and Physically Healthy
The Power of Prayer in Hard Work

Nehemiah 6:5-9
5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an
unsealed letter 6 in which was written:
“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are
plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports
you are about to become their king 7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation
about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so
come, let us meet together.”
8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of
your head.”
9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not
be completed.”
But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

Others will try to persuade you to stop working hard as a matter of fact they will try to get you to stop
working at all. In our text it was Sanballat and Tobiah, in your life it is ____________________. You fill
in the blank. We all have them…people who try to sabotage our health journey, people who try to
sabotage our commitments to change, and people who try to encourage us to quit especially the works
God has called us to.

The evil one will use whatever he can to take the wind out of our sails to keep us from continuing on.
What is the answer to this kind of discouragement from others and even from circumstances? Heartfelt,
sincere, transformational prayer.

Who are these saboteurs? Most of the time they are people who are close to us. Family members are
particularly a great problem for many. If this person is a member of your household, it is even a greater
roadblock. But many times it is extended family that tries to entice you to eat stuff you don’t want to eat.

What a great problem this is? So how do we respond, we respond as Nehemiah did first, he said to them,
“I am doing a good work for God, why should I stop and come down to talk to you?” He refused to go.
As they kept pressing him, he prayed.

The prayer did not change the people around him who were trying to discourage the work. Realize we
can’t change others, and it is only with the Lord’s help that we can have the strength to press on through
prayer.

Triple D: Think back to a time when others were trying to discourage you from something and you
prayed? How did God answer that prayer?