Your Breaking News

What Happens When We Receive Breaking News?

The Reason for a Thirty Thousand Foot Prayer – Part 3

You ever have such bad news that it knocks you off your feet? At that moment nothing else in the world seems to matter. This news has stopped everything in your world. What’s the impact of such bad news? You ask why me Lord? These are all emotions and feelings that come when the news breaks of a thirty-thousand-foot prayer problem. It’s bigger than life itself.

What are you facing that’s impacting your world? What has been brought to your attention that seems someone else should be responsible for handling? This is the making of a bad situation which has your name on it. The only question remains is this. Will you treat it like a “normal” 30-thousand-foot prayer, pray, and hope that it goes away? At least goes away for you? Or will you do something else?

What is this “something else” I mentioned? What is it that I can do that normal people don’t in a situation like this? What can I do when the situation seems out of my hands and out of control?

At some point in your life you will get that call or that message or that alert, or that report indicating that you’ve received bad news. At that point your day is no longer a good day. Would you believe that normal people experience more of these bad days than the uncommon? Am I saying that there’s a difference between the common and the uncommon? I sure am. Isn’t that why you’re here? Although both groups receive bad news at times, the uncommon aren’t impacted in the same way. And you need to know the difference.

Now for the Blow – The News Report
“When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.” – bible.com/116/neh.1.4.nlt

You ever have such bad news that it knocks you off your feet? At that moment nothing else in the world seems to matter. This news has stopped everything in your world. This was Nehemiah. This is our normal reaction. What was this bad news that Nehemiah heard?

“They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”” – bible.com/116/neh.1.3.nlt

They gave Nehemiah the status of the city. At this point I have questions. Why Nehemiah? Why did they bring this report to him? I’m really not interested in his history or relationship to the problem. I’m more interested in what it means for you. Why is this problem coming to you (me)? Why Nehemiah? This is a question you must always ask yourself and the answer is simple. It’s your problem. You may not want it to be, you might not think there’s anything you can do about it, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a problem for you. Whether you take action or just wish it away, it’s still your problem.

Have you ever been brought in on an issue and asked why me? Why am I handed this bad news? Nehemiah’s news traveled from Judah to the Fortress of Susa-just know this is somewhere other than Judah. It reached him in a distant land, but it reached him nonetheless. It could have stopped at his brothers, but it didn’t. Some problems just have our names on them, but why? The answer to why will get you to thinking about our problems differently. They’ll get us to see beyond the problem, but see the opportunity it’s bringing our way.

The Bible says in all things give thanks. That means when the problem shows up give thanks and when the problem goes away give thanks. It’s all thanks-worthy.

How I’m Impacted By Bad News
Now that I (Nehemiah) have this news and am impacted by it, what does this do for me (him)? Nehemiah wept, cried and mourned. Will his tears resolve the problem? Will this attitude of sorrow and mourning resolve the problem? No. What will your tears do to bring resolve or comfort? Not a thing. So then, how do we get beyond our weeping, the shock of this bad blow?

What’s the impact of this bad news? Why me Lord? These are all emotions and feelings that come when the news breaks of a thirty-thousand-foot prayer problem. It’s bigger than life itself. By the way, weeping, crying, and mourning is the normal response. It’s the response we have when we get overwhelmed. Let me say this while I’m here, the uncommon, have no reason to be overwhelmed. We have someone who has taken our burden and is carrying our load for us. This is what it means to be uncommon. Nehemiah’s first response is a normal response and produced normal results. His crying and weeping didn’t change a thing.

So let me say it this way. There is a time to cry, no doubt, but more importantly that’s just an emotion. When you get finished crying, you will still come face-to-fact with your bad situation. So why not wipe your tears away and begin asking this question instead. If crying and mourning is the normal response to a bad situation, what then is an alternation response?

I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave you hanging right there until next week. I know you want to know the answer, but you’ll have to come back next week for it. Until then, let me leave you with a question I’d like to hear your responses on…

What bad news have you recently received that has knocked you off of your feet?

Thanks for your response and visiting NoLongerCommon.com. Share this message with someone you know has received news that has knocked them off their feet.

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