Day 14 – Lord, Strengthen Me
While Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he became the target of a malicious rumor.
Calmly he denied these false accusations. “These are things you have come up with in your head, and they are not true.” He refused to bow to pressure. Outwardly, Nehemiah was unwavering and steadfast.
Inwardly, however, he realized that his leadership had been hammered a heavy blow. This verbal attack hurt. It doesn’t matter how strong you are or how thick your skin, cutting remarks hurt.
Nehemiah’s ultimate recourse was to pray – simply, definitely, sufficiently – “Now strengthen my hands” (Nehemiah 6:9).
By taking his problems to the Lord in prayer and leaving everything in God’s hands, he preserved his own emotional and spiritual stability. He was then able to continue with his construction project and let the Lord exonerate him.
When facing mounting pressures, you can pray, “Lord, strengthen me!” When you don’t know which way to turn, you can pray, “Lord, strengthen me!” When your physical and emotional and spiritual resources are exhausted, you can pray, “Lord, strengthen me!”
I have often prayed for God’s strengthening.
A few years ago, I put together a list of about 70 Scriptures throughout the Old and New Testaments that I entitled “Being Strong in the Lord Throughout the Bible.” I even created my own “Top Ten List for Being Strong in the Lord.” Experiencing God’s strength has been a significant theme in my life.
This pandemic has worn us all out. We all have Zoom fatigue. We just want life to get back to normal. Some recent Scriptures that have kept me going:
• Isaiah 40:29 – He gives strength to the weary.
• Jeremiah 31:25 – I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.
• Zechariah 10:12 – I will strengthen them in the LORD.
• Colossians 1:11 – Being strengthened with all power.
I pray again, “Lord, strengthen me!”
“Lord, fortify my spiritual energy. Reinforce my mental resolve. Bolster my emotional stability. Toughen my moral courage. Deepen my social relationships. Quicken my physical ability. Lord, strengthen me.”
Prayer: “LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress” (Isaiah 33:2).
~ Pastor Dave
