What breaks your heart? This is more than a bad day, or a break-up with your last date. What are those things that you are passionate about? Is it your family, your job, your hobbies, people in your community, your faith? Do you get angry at injustice? Does your heart and spirit break and get stirred up at the evil in this world? Mine do! If your heart isn’t moved- you may want to consider some drastic surgery today.
We dislike thinking about those things that pull us to strong feelings of any kind. We’d rather have hassle-free days, green lights, good food, sunny weather, close parking spots and well-behaved children. We often think, I’m a Christian, I love Jesus and I go to church and help sometimes- so God should make my life easy! We don’t want to be inconvenienced, or interrupted, or have any trouble at all! Instead of safe- God’s plan is to challenge us and grow our faith deeper. He wants to see and hear passion in our prayers. He wants to know what we care about and if we care about the things that He cares about. Nehemiah had a broken heart. The city of Jerusalem lay in ruins and needed help. Nehemiah prayed! Nehemiah’s heart broke for those things that break God’s heart. We too need to be to the point that we pray- ‘Break my heart Lord.” Break it, crush it, strip me of all comfort, ease and apathy. When we pray that way you will need Courage!
When you truly pray that prayer you will be burdened and grieved. You will lose sleep, burn with righteous anger and do things others don’t understand. Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1) was going through all of these feelings as he heard what his brother shared about the city of Jerusalem and the sad state of the temple.
The wall was not repaired, and the gates were gone. They had no defense against the enemy. They had no way to protect themselves or to protect the temple of God either. Nehemiah took this news hard- he loved his home city- he understood how disgraceful this was to the Jews. The enemy would have a field day with this as well. Nehemiah’s response was a lot like Jesus’ response as he looked over Jerusalem many years later: “I sat down and wept.” Nehemiah sat down and wept. His heart was broken for his beloved city and for his people. This was a big deal! This was God’s city, God’s temple- and no one is rebuilding it or protecting it. But Nehemiah didn’t just sit and cry- he did something about it. For days, he mourned, he fasted, and he prayed!
We need the Courage to pray, “God, Break My Heart” We need to humbly bow down before our God and Savior. When we pray like this, we’re asking God to break our heart, to strip us of all comfort, ease, and apathy. We are seeking His heart, His passion, His will. In the Lord’s prayer we pray, “not my will by thine be done- not my will but yours Lord.”
I’m warning you now, when you pray for God to break your heart for what breaks His- God will answer! You will have a deep sense of justice for people around you. You will be burdened for those that face an eternity in hell. You will be burdened by the pain of people around you. You will be grieved, lose sleep, and you will probably get angry- your heart will burn with righteous anger when those that can’t do for themselves are being hurt, and treated unfairly. This prayer will make you more sensitive to the people around you and their cares and concerns. Praying this prayer will have you doing things that no one else will understand.
Linda and Pastor Colleen’s heart broke for those fighting addiction. South Troy Celebrate Recovery was born out of that passion- hearts that are broken for others. Celebrate Recovery meets every Sunday night at South Troy. This chapter of Celebrate Recover is almost a year old and oh, the stories of recovery, of healing, of lives changed!!! It took a few years- but God has it up and running now.
When you pray for your heart to break you will face opposition, criticism and possibly persecution. But through all your pain, agony and discomfort you will also be blessed. You will be blessed as your heart breaks over something that breaks the heart of God. Nehemiah cried out against the injustice; he cried out against the actions of his people and gave them the message that God had given him. They were to confess their sins, turn to God and rebuild Jerusalem. Nehemiah spent time fasting, praying and planning. It wasn’t just a lunchtime fast, but a whole-hearted, down in the dirt- down in front of the altar time of fasting and prayer! His heart was broken for what was going on in Jerusalem. They cried out to God- their burden seemed almost too great to bear.
When the problem is bigger than you- than anything you can do- turn to God in heartfelt prayer. As you pray, and fast you will discover that our God’s greatest blessings come from God’s greatest breakings. What if God breaks your heart for what breaks His? You’ll discover his blessings. You will discover a holy hurt in your spirit- that will propel you forward into action!
• Comfort never moved me to action!
• More luxury life- never made me consider those that are suffering.
• Pain free days never made me more like Jesus.
Pain purifies, and suffering strengthens. It is the trials that we have been through that teach us to depend on God. I dare you to pray: BREAK MY HEART! When you sincerely pray that prayer it will shake you out of your continual pursuit of comfort. It will stir you with a divine burden you simply can’t ignore.
Questions to ask yourself this week:
1. What truly breaks your heart on behalf of God?
2. What are you going to do about what breaks your heart?
