The decisions you make today will determine the story you tell tomorrow.

First steps towards a purposeful, meaningful, and significant life.

Be moved with concern and compassion for a people.

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. —Nehemiah 1:4

Bring your burdens to God in prayer.

Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” —Nehemiah 1:11

Pray throughout the process

The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” —Nehemiah 2:4-5

Plan as you pray.

“Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy? And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.” —Nehemiah‬ ‭2:6-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬

God is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever think or imagine.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. —Ephesians 3:20

Discipleship Guide

Let’s Connect

What is more difficult for you, starting something from scratch or taking something that’s already made and repurposing it? Please share why

Let’s Talk About It
We all want to experience a purposeful, meaningful, and significant life. Take the first steps in that direction by being moved with concern and compassion for a people. Then bring your burdens to God, pray through the process, then plan as you pray. As you take these steps, you’ll discover and experience a life worth living. A life filled with hope that moves us with compassion to help bring hope and healing to a world that desperately needs it.

Nehemiah 1-2; Ephesians 3:20

• What is something you’ve been thinking about starting but haven’t yet?

• Why do you think being moved with concern and compassion for a people is an important first step to finding purpose, meaning, and significance in life?

• Please share a time you brought your burdens to God in prayer, and you felt God gave you wisdom and clear next steps for you to take? What happened and how did you step out in faith.

• Read Ephesians 3:20. How does knowing this truth about God change the way you pray to your Heavenly Father? If you believe this truth about God, what prayers are you believing God to fulfill in your life and in the lives of others?

Take a Step

• Take uninterrupted and unrushed time with God this week to reflect and be moved with concern and compassion for a people. Bring that into prayer and ask God what next steps He would have you take.
• SOAP reading: Download the Grace Honolulu app to view this week’s SOAP reading. It’s in the “Bible” section at the bottom banner of the app.

Here’s My Prayer

Lord, I want to experience a purposeful, meaningful, and significant life. I know that I cannot truly experience that apart from You. Holy Spirit, may you move me with concern and compassion for a people. May you give me next steps that I may be part of the solution. Empower me by your Spirit to take these first steps. I trust you with my life. In Jesus name, amen.