말보다 말씀! 빚보다 빛!

[Key Verse]
“O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of 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.” I was cupbearer to the king. (Nehemiah 1:11, NIV)

[Our Story]
“You got to plead with God, so that He can do what only He can do. And then you get out of the way and let Him do it.” This is a line from the movie War Room, which tells a heartwarming story about a family being restored through prayer. I watched this movie with my wife at AMC Round Rock around the time our church was being planted. It was a season when prayer felt like the only thing we could do—desperate and dependent. That film deeply changed my prayer life. Like the main character, I started using a closet as my prayer room. Over time, that space became sacred to me. In the quiet of that room, I came to a key realization: church planting is not something we do—it is something God does. And so, we must let Him do it. Since then, I’ve chosen not to say, “We planted a church,” because in truth, God planted it. Our church was not built by human hands, but was planted by God Himself. That’s why prayer always had to come before action. And I still try, every day, to keep that order intact—prayer before plans.

[Bible Story]
Nehemiah chapters 1 and 2 describe how Nehemiah prayed before he planned or acted. After hearing distressing news from Jerusalem—that the people were in great trouble and disgrace, and that the walls were broken down and the gates burned—his first response was not action, but fasting and prayer. He didn’t begin with construction plans or strategies. He began with seeking God’s mercy. His prayer centered on God's grace. Nehemiah confessed the sins of his people and pleaded for divine favor:
“O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of 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) Only after this heartfelt prayer did Nehemiah approach King Artaxerxes. Risking his life, he asked the king for permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city walls. God moved the king’s heart. Not only did he grant Nehemiah's request, but he appointed him as governor and offered full support for the rebuilding project. This marked the third return of the exiles to Jerusalem. Nehemiah wasn’t making things happen by his own strength—he was witnessing the hand of God at work after prayer.

[Your Story]
When you face decisions, what do you do first? Do you begin by drafting plans and taking action? Or do you begin with prayer? Has work recently taken precedence over prayer in your life? Whether it’s matters at home, at work, or in business, when we feel confident or competent, we often move ahead without praying. But prayer must come first. Praying first means we are seeking the hand of God. It means we’re starting from a place of grace. Today, I hope your day is marked by doing things after you’ve prayed.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7–8)

With joy,
Pastor Hyung Joong Kim

Copyrightⓒ 2025 by Hyung Joong Kim