Fresh StartSample

Pray Bigger, Literally

Have you ever felt second-hand embarrassment watching an awkward situation online or shame when your loved ones acted ridiculously? Or perhaps joy from others’ successes? But do you ever feel guilt over the sins of others when they rebel against God, or feel heartbroken when you see the brokenness in this world? Does your heart ache alongside God’s, whose heart breaks when His people live against His will and suffer the consequences?

Sometimes, we are conditioned to think that our sins affect only us. However, Scripture is clear that the body of believers is one in Christ; when one part suffers, the whole body suffers (1 Corinthians 12:26). When one person sins, the entire body is impacted.

Nehemiah understood this deeply. Upon receiving bad news about Jerusalem’s destruction, he felt profound grief. He recognised this as a wake-up call in response to his people’s unfaithfulness to the covenant God made with them. In light of this, he prayed a confession on behalf of himself and his people, grieving their lack of faithfulness. He truly understood the interconnectedness of their sins and took responsibility by interceding for them and calling for repentance.

How have you been blind to the ways your sin affects others and how the brokenness of this world impacts individuals? Today, pray bigger to include not just yourself, but also others and the world. How can you intercede for broken people, relationships, and systems? What is one thing you can do to build a habit of interceding for your city, your field of work, your country, and the world? How can you continually align your heart with God’s heart?