Petition
Words of Faith 8-10-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Nehemiah 9
[32] "Now therefore, O our God, the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes— the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings and leaders, upon our priests and prophets, upon our fathers and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. [33] In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong. [34] Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our fathers did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the warnings you gave them. [35] Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways. [36] "But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our forefathers so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. [37] Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.

The worship of God’s people under Nehemiah culminated with a cry of distress. Things were difficult. There were still enemies around, and though they were in the City of David, they were still oppressed by outsiders. They were still feeling the dire consequences of past bad decisions.

After recounting God's faithfulness through so many generations, the leaders of worship came to a frank assessment of the desperate needs they faced in Jerusalem and confessed their greatest fear— that God might see these needs as trifling. They knew that the Lord God is the great, mighty, and awesome One who keeps His covenant of love. But somehow they felt these needs might seem trifling in the eyes of God. So they confessed: We are in great distress.

Perhaps we can relate. There are times when we feel so very small in comparison to the vastness of the world, the immensity of the universe, and the enormity of God Himself. The plea here was from the heart. Hear our needs, O God, and do not see us as trifling. We know that we are facing the consequences of many bad decisions made by our leaders, but hear our prayers, O God.

The heart of such a prayer could hardly be more immediately relevant to our day. There are huge global issues over which we have no control. There are consequences around us that result from decisions we did not make. There are disasters that loom with more despair than we can bear. There are local and immediate needs, all of which have been affected by the fact that “our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers did not follow His law; they did not pay attention to His commands or the warnings He gave them.”In such times, we too cry out for we are in great distress.

The good news is that the Bible teaches consistently that God is concerned and abounding in His mercy. He has searched us and knows us. He knows what troubles our hearts. He knows when you sit and when you stand. He perceives your thoughts from afar. He discerns your going out and your lying down. He is familiar with all your ways. Before a word is on your tongue, He knows it completely. There is no place where you can go from His Spirit. You cannot flee from His presence. He created your inmost being and knit you together in your mother's womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. All the days ordained for you were written in His book before one of them came to be. When you lie awake, you are still with Him (Psalm 139).

God has numbered every hair on your head. You needn’t worry that He has forgotten you or that the matters of your life would be trifling to Him. You needn’t worry over food or drink, clothing or shelter. The God who has clothed the grass of the field with splendor will much more clothe you. You are not trifling. So seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6).

Lord God, hear my prayer and petition. I approach You with thanksgiving for every blessing and gratitude for Your abounding love toward me. Hear my requests which You have known before I uttered them. May the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Focus my thoughts upon You, O God. I choose to think about whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, and everything excellent or praiseworthy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.