Coney Hill Baptist Church

the confidence plan - Part 2 Days 21 - 40

Day 21:

1 THESSALONIANS 5
16 Rejoice always,

Day 21 | Non-stop Prayer
Reflection

If the shortest verse in English translations of the Bible is John 11:35 (‘Jesus wept’), 1 Thessalonians 5:16 and 17 must come second and third for verse brevity.

How do we understand verse 17’s simple and short instruction to pray continually? One translation is ‘pray without any unnecessary interval (time gap)’. I find that helpful – not unnecessarily cutting off the communication with our God.

So, if we’re never supposed to end our prayers or need to begin them again, how do we begin and end our personal prayers to God?

I’ve always been inspired by one particularly well-known Christian speaker who seems to always begin their prayers with, ‘And Lord…’ This might be grammatically weak but it’s theologically strong! To begin a prayer with ‘and’ seems to acknowledge an ongoing conversation before the official prayer started. This feels very close to Paul’s instruction ‘pray continually’.

For my part, I’ve found saying ‘amen’ at the end of my personal prayers unhelpful. Hear me out here. Saying ‘amen’ is biblical and is especially helpful for public prayers. It gives a chance for others to agree and collectively respond, ‘let it be so’. But many prayers in the Bible don’t end with ‘amen’.

In my private prayers, I tended to say ‘amen’ as if signalling an end to the dialogue with God – as though I was saying ‘bye for now, Lord’. Instead, now, I like to leave the prayer in mid-flow – signifying to myself that God stays with me. Having deliberately left the praying unfinished, I try to stay tuned in to Him throughout the rest of the day – wherever I work, rest, or play. This helps me with praying continually.

If confidence grows through consistency, consistent and continual prayer will surely grow our confidence. How might you find your own way of living up to Paul’s challenge to pray continually?

Responding in prayer

Thank you for the invitation of continual communion with You; help me never forget how amazing this is.

Lord, help my whole-life discipleship to be accompanied by whole-life prayer.

Lord, help me to stay in tune with You on my frontline today.

Day 22:

DEUTERONOMY 11
18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Day 22 | Remember to Remember
Reflection

God’s people in the Bible have terrible memories, don’t they?

They seem to be forever forgetting God’s faithfulness to them and, as a result, they forget their appropriate response to Him. God, of course, knows His people suffer from forgetfulness, so He sets up regular patterns and practices to help them remember His provision in the past and His expectations for them in the future.

We could point to the psalms of ascent (Psalms 120132) or the annual festivals as examples of memory aids. In the New Testament, sharing in communion would be another example.

Many of these instructions have multiple purposes, but at least one of those purposes is surely to remind – to do this in remembrance of me. Deuteronomy 11 provides some further examples. There are things to regularly wear, stories to repeatedly tell children, and physical reminders in everyday locations.

Of course, my memory is at least as bad as God’s people’s in the Old Testament. Whilst those Deuteronomy instructions don’t apply to me in quite the same way, I also need some patterns and practices to keep me on track.

Is there a memory-jogging item you can place in an everyday location to remind you of your daily discipleship? Maybe a sticky note, a screen saver image, or a diary alert could become a consistent reminder for you?

Responding in prayer

Lord, I’m sorry for my forgetfulness – help to remember Your promises, presence, and provision.

Show me if there are any prompts that will work for me.

Help me to find some consistent patterns that, over time, help grow my faith-confidence.


Day 23:

MATTHEW 7
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Day 23 | Growing Deep Confidence
Reflection

For many of us, Jesus’ words about building on the rock conjure up a quaint song we sang at school, or maybe the more upbeat version that’s graced many an all-age service. But to those who sat around Jesus as He delivered the Sermon on the Mount, His words evoked images of exhausted workers, the jarring sound of metal clanging on stone, and a feeling of painful vibrations working their way through the hands, up the arms, and through the whole body. Back then, if you wanted a house that could stand confidently in a storm, it meant hard, slow work. No JCBs to help.

The confidence God wants to build in you is a deep confidence. If you don’t experience this kind of confidence straight away, don’t be surprised. Don’t be disappointed. It’s important we’re always open to the possibility of God doing something big and fast because that sometimes happens. But much of the change God brings about in our lives comes through what Eugene Peterson calls ‘a long obedience in the same direction’.

So let’s approach growth in confidence in the same way we’d approach navigating across an ocean by sailboat. We’d probably like discipleship to be more like driving a speedboat: low-effort, high-speed, predictable. That would be nice. But following Jesus isn’t like that. It’s high effort, the speed varies, and we must learn to cooperate with the unpredictable wind of His Spirit.

As those building on a rock, as those sailing the ocean, let’s remain hopeful that we can – and will – grow in frontline confidence. And let’s quickly get comfortable with the idea this journey might be slow and uncomfortable.

Responding in the prayer

This day, Lord, I recalibrate my thinking.

I do not presume that everything will happen in an instant, nor do I presume nothing will happen at all. Instead, I trust in Your work  Your slow and deep work. Despite the pain, despite the boredom, despite the disappointment, I receive Your strength to keep swinging the pickaxe, to keep hoisting the sails.


Day 24:

DANIEL 6
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Day 24 | Start As You Mean To Go On
Reflection

Ripped from his homeland, and raised in a pagan society, ruled by mercurial and murderous kings, Daniel’s circumstances were seriously disorientating.

But in Daniel 6, the camera pans in through the window, revealing one of the ways Daniel kept himself orientated. Three times a day, he positioned his body to face his homeland, Jerusalem and prayed. This daily practice was both the reason he got thrown into the lion’s den, and, at least partly, the reason he went into it with confidence.

In our world, both digital and analog, there’s plenty to make our heads spin. And we’re bombarded by constant updates and alerts from our brains too! Within seconds of waking up, fear: ‘I’ve got to make that presentation today’. Or anger: ‘I can’t believe my neighbour is being so unreasonable about that tree!’ Or pride: ‘They’re going to think I’m so great’. Godly and humble confidence is a virtue into which we do not naturally drift! Like Daniel, we must be intentional. We need consistent habits that point us to God.

We can stop allowing the primary things shaping our minds to be our phones, our favourite news source, or whatever bubbles up in our brains. And instead of only worrying about our day, we can pray about it, teaching ourselves to reframe whatever lies ahead in light of the gospel, and all its glorious implications for us and those we’ll encounter. We can watch our confidence grow like Daniel’s if each morning we turn to God before we turn on our screens.

Responding in prayer

Dear God, thank you so much for the example of people like Daniel, who found ways to connect with You, even in less-than-perfect circumstances.

Help me find rhythms of meeting with You, of hearing from You.

As I meet with You and receive Your grace, build me up and encourage me, so that I might live with the confidence that comes from You.


Day 25: 

COLOSSIANS 2
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
Day 25 |Tom’s Story: Bookending the Day
Reflection

Tom’s alarm goes off at 6:15. He makes a beeline for the kettle, grabs his Bible, and kneels down by the sofa. He works through a book at a time, reading a section each morning. He engages his mind. He thinks about what the passage might mean for him and those he’s likely to see that day. He engages his heart too, opening himself up to be shaped by whatever the Spirit presses upon him.

Because Tom is a real person, sometimes his mind wanders. But that’s okay – he’s learned not to get annoyed at himself. Sometimes his ‘distracting’ thoughts need to be brought into what he’s been reading and praying about. And because Tom has real children, sometimes they emerge from their slumber before he’s finished. This is where headphones and Paw Patrol come in for 10 precious minutes.

After a day of work, when the kids are tucked up in bed, Tom finds a comfy spot on the sofa. He thanks God for loving him that day. He thinks about all the moments he’s experienced God’s goodness: the piece of work that went well, the kind word from a friend, a tasty lunch, the way his wife turned an argument back into a conversation.

He savours each, recognising them as signs of God’s love. He thinks, too, about the moments he wasn’t his best self: the judgemental thought about a fellow shopper, the envy he felt when he popped into someone’s neat and tidy house. He receives God’s grace and forgiveness for these. Then he prays for one or two people he encountered that day, praying for God to pour out His love upon them.

These practices bookend Tom’s day. The morning time gives him confidence and direction for the day ahead, and the evening an opportunity to reflect.

What practices are shaping you as a disciple? What is helping you cultivate character and confidence? Is there something God is prompting you to start?

Responding in prayer

Heavenly Father, You know my heart, You know my life. You know what I need in order to grow.

Guide me into life-giving rhythms. May the times I intentionally spend with You be rich, soaked in your grace.

 

Day 26:

1 PETER 3
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
Day 26 | Be Prepared!
Reflection

It feels contradictory to pre-plan for spontaneous questions, doesn’t it?

But when Peter calls us to be prepared to give the reason for our hope in Jesus – I’m going to need some pre-planning time for this sort of readiness. And I find I particularly need to pray for boldness if my anxiety or nerves aren’t far below the surface.

Throughout this series, we’ve considered our need for greater faith-confidence on our frontlines. If we prepare for those spontaneous conversations, our competence grows. As we gain competence so, too, confidence increases.

We can sometimes fall into the trap of thinking of ‘being prepared’ as a reluctant willingness to play our part. We think ‘if I really must’ or ‘if someone else isn’t available’.

Peter’s challenge in 1 Peter 3:15 is much more positive. To be prepared here implies ‘standing by’ or being ‘ready, wanting, and willing’, having made the necessary preparations.

And Peter’s words suggest ordinary, everyday conversations. He is calling them to be ready for those informal, spontaneous conversations that can happen anywhere.

The passage here and the 1 Peter letter as a whole give us some characteristics of the answers we should be prepared to give. We should prepare and pray for answers that are reasonable, that include the reasons for the hope we have. They should be personal, describing our own personal faith and its impact on us. In giving these answers we should be calm and kind, so our words are conveyed with gentleness. And we should be reverent, and respectful of others and our God.

How can you prepare to give answers like this?

Responding in prayer

Lord, please forgive me when I only have a reluctant willingness. Please help me to be ready, wanting, and willing to speak of You.

Lord, help my confidence to grow through preparation for questions my friends and colleagues might ask. And when I don’t yet have answers, help me to be honest and still represent You well.


Day 27:

MATTHEW 16
5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread.

Day 27 | Having a Student Mentality
Reflection

One danger with naming competence as a way to be more confident is that it could appear to be about ‘doing our best’ – and leaving no room for mistakes. But nothing could be further from the truth.

A disciple is a learner – a pupil – working out how to follow the way of Jesus in their place and at this time. Learners learn from what goes wrong as well as what goes right.

We see that the first disciples make and learn from their own mistakes. For example, here they misunderstand Jesus’ words – they think a metaphor using yeast is about the actual bread they forgot to bring. On other occasions, they misrepresent His agenda – like turning little children away when He wants to bless them.

They let Him down in multiple ways, including in His hour of need. In fact, part of our confidence in the accuracy of the gospels is based on how unusual it is, in historic documents, for writers to present themselves so negatively. But along the way they learn, and through learning, competence grows.

So too, our confidence isn’t based on how reliable we have become for Jesus, but rather on our whole journey as a disciple. Our mishaps as well as successes all contribute to our discipleship journey. Amazingly, through the grace of God, we can gain competence from it all.

Responding in Prayer

Lord, don’t let me set the benchmark for competence in a way that leaves no room for failing.

Thank you that I can learn competence lessons from things going well and things going badly.

Thank you that You are always in the forgiveness-and-new-start business.


Day 28:

2 TIMOTHY 3
16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

Day 28 | Equipped for our Everyday
Reflection

Our confidence grows as our competence grows. We experience this link when cooking a recipe over and over, learning to drive a car, or playing a sport. So how does my competence as a disciple of Jesus grow?

Well, in similar ways: practice and experience, guidance from God through His Spirit and through prayer, having a go and learning from mistakes, and teaching and support from others. Linked to these is the Bible as the reference of expertise – which, as Timothy reminds us, is useful for teaching, rebuking, and training in righteousness.

But it is the slightly less-quoted verse 17 that stands out to me: ‘so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’

That phrase, ‘thoroughly equipped’ and its different English translations – ‘proficient’, or ‘capable’ – sound like competence to me. In fact, ‘competent’ is the word the New American Bible plumps for. And this competence is for every kind of good deed and good work, including actions on my frontlines today.

If I am confident in the Bible, I read it regularly, carefully, and expectantly. In doing so, my competence and confidence in every kind of good work grows.

Responding in prayer

Lord, thank you for the Bible, for its relevance and trustworthiness, and that it is Your living word that helps me grow.

 
 

Day 29:

ROMANS 12
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Day 29 | An Antidote to Arrogance
Reflection

Imagine if Paul had written the following: ‘Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself as completely useless with nothing to offer.’

If we thought of ourselves like that, what would life be like? Well, we’d be pretty miserable for a start. We wouldn’t serve people effectively, and what’s more, we’d be insulting the God who made us and gifted us.

This passage calls us away from arrogance. But it doesn’t call us toward shame or cowardice. Instead, we’re invited to think of ourselves ‘with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.’ This means recognising there might be some things we aren’t necessarily wired for, but there will be some things we are good at or can get good at. We all have a contribution to make.

It’s interesting how Paul calls us to think about ourselves ‘with sober judgement.’ If you have a conversation with a drunk person towards the end of a party, they’re more likely to talk about how amazing they are or to talk about how terrible they are at everything and how they’ve messed life up. We are called to avoid these extremes, and to think of ourselves with ‘sober’ minds.

As we recognise who we are in the sight of God, and the tools he’s put in our hands, we can set to work, serving both the church and the wider world with joyful confidence. We learn to live with true humility, which CS Lewis so helpfully described as ‘not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less’.

So, go confidently into this day, glorifying God and blessing others, for you have been given the grace to do so.

Responding in prayer

Lord, I am Your servant. You have called me and You have gifted me.

I thank You for making me who I am: with the heart I have, with the gifts I have, with the opportunities I have.

Help me today to serve You and others freely.

Day 30:

1 SAMUEL 17
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,

Day 30 | Haven’t You Grown!
Reflection

Over the course of your life, you have acquired many skills. There was a time when you couldn’t feed yourself, dress yourself, or even play Scrabble. And now look at you!

Beyond the basics of self-care, you’ve learned so much. The fact you’re reading this proves that you have decent reading skills. You’ve also learned how to read people and negotiate complex social environments. You’ve probably developed work-related skills too. The more competent you’ve become at these things, the more confident you’ve become at them.

This passage is from the familiar story of David and Goliath. 3,000 years ago, young David was delivering supplies to his brothers who were in Israel’s army, which was going to battle against the neighbouring Philistines. The giant Philistine warrior Goliath mocked Israel’s army and challenged any of them to fight him. David was furious, so he went to the king to offer to fight him himself – with no battle experience.

In his conversation with King Saul, David explains why he’s confident that he’s the right man (or boy) for the job. The skills he learned working as a shepherd make him competent to prevail against the towering hulk on the other side of the valley. He recognised that where God had placed him, God had prepared him.

And note how his confidence is still God-focused. Yes, David has been successful fighting wild animals, but ultimately, he sees this success as coming from the Lord: ‘The Lord who delivered me….’

What has God taught you from what you’ve learned throughout your life, the work you’ve done, and the battles you’ve fought? How might all of that equip you for the challenges God has for you today?

Responding in prayer

Wise and loving God, thank you so much for all that You have taught me throughout my life. Thank you for the people, the experiences, and even the adversities that have made me who I am today. Please take all I’ve learned and help me to use it, with humility and confidence, to do the work You have for me to do this day.

 
 

Day 31:

PHILIPPIANS 1
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

Day 31 | Emma’s Story: Competence is Not an Accident
Reflection

Emma heads up an alternative provision trust: a network of schools for those excluded from mainstream education. Her days and weeks vary. She might be helping one of the head teachers work through a particularly complex problem, campaigning for schools to receive more government funding, or dealing with a 15-year-old who’s barged through the door and refuses to put his hood down.

In all these situations, she needs confidence. And Emma is confident. One of the reasons Emma is confident is that over many years, she has developed competence.

Emma knows how easily senior leaders can become detached from reality on the ground. So, as much as possible, she bases herself in the school so that she gets regular interaction with students and teachers. Twice a year, she goes away on residentials with young people so she doesn’t forget what they’re like – the issues they’re facing, and what does and doesn’t work when it comes to helping them.

She’s also reflected over time on what is going on ‘upstream’ that leads to the problems she sees ‘downstream’. She’s taken the time to listen to young people’s stories and to hear what experts have to say about the effects of trauma on the brain. Likewise, from her own experience and others’, she’s learned that young people’s brains can be rewired through loving and healthy environments and relationships. She is competent in knowing where young people are coming from, and what is required to help them flourish.

The competence Emma developed over the years has not resulted in an ‘I have all the answers’ mindset, though – she remains a humble learner. As we embrace opportunities to grow – through our own experiences, as well as through receiving wisdom from others – we become more competent. And that competence builds confidence.

What opportunities is God giving you to grow your competence?

Responding in Prayer

Dear God, help me have a mindset like Emma’s: learning from You, from life, and from those around us.

As I grow more competent as a labourer in the field You’ve put me in, help me have a healthy confidence to better serve others.

Day 32:

1 CORINTHIANS 16
13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

Day 32 | Deep Breath – Go For It!
Reflection

You only need to give the instruction to be courageous if you know either, things aren’t going to be easy, or people are in danger of being the opposite.

In this devotional, we’ve already considered five helpful contributors to faith confidence. We have thought about how confidence grows through being convinced, having a supportive community, cultivating compassion, keeping daily consistency in time with God, and developing competence.

But here’s the thing. On any given day, I might just need to take a big breath and go for it! It is so often the case that confidence grows through us stepping up and making a move. The Bible often calls these ‘gulp-go-for-it’ moments, being courageous.

Sometimes, we can’t wait for faith-confidence to come. We need to prayerfully make the first move. And as we do so, our God meets us more than halfway, and our confidence grows on the move through resolved courage. Our confidence to speak truth, lovingly, and to act in ways that represent our faith well often only grows when our faith is being used.

When Paul writes the words in the passage to the church in Corinth, he knows what he’s talking about. He’s already confessed to them earlier in the letter that he went to their city with weakness, fear, and trembling (1 Corinthians 2:3). Yet Paul overcame this weakness, fear, and trembling to go to Corinth. He had resolved courage.

Responding in Prayer

Lord, help me to have enough resolved courage to represent You well on my frontlines today.

Thank you that You meet me there and my confidence grows when I step up in Your power.

 

Day 33:

LAMENTATIONS 3
20 I well remember them and my soul is downcast within me.

Day 33 | Courage is a Decision
Reflection

The writer of Lamentations has more than enough reasons to be downhearted. The preceding verses in chapter 3 list his many troubles, but verse 21 contains the most remarkable resolve and courage.

He is down but not out. Without denying his troubles, he makes the choice to call to mind his reasons for hope. The troubles in his life are still real – this is not denial – but he is not consumed by them.

Having made this courageous resolution, in the next two verses he reminds himself of the Lord’s love, compassion, and faithfulness ­– and how they change everything. Though we change, God does not. Contemplating the unchanging character of God can change a downcast heart.

Sometimes, courage is choosing to dwell on God’s eternal promises in the face of temporary trials. Sometimes, our confidence grows through this endurance in the midst of painful times, rather than in joyful ones. And when we show this kind of firmness and boldness on our frontlines, it is counter-cultural enough to get attention.

Responding in Prayer

Lord, thank you for examples like this of confidence in the midst of trials.

I’m not looking for more difficulty, Lord, but I don’t want to waste opportunities for growth when they come.

I resolve today to focus on the many reasons I have for the hope I have in You. Please help me with this resolve.

Day 34:

2 KINGS 5
1 The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.

Day 34 | Confidence and Kindness: A Winning Combination
Reflection

So, imagine you’re a young Jewish girl who’s been taken captive by the Syrians in one of their terrifying raids into your land. You’re taken from your family and your home, you now live in their country, and you’re made to serve their army commander’s wife – perhaps for the rest of your days. I’m wondering how much sympathy you’d feel for this commander – your captor and enemy.

But in 2 Kings 5, this amazing, unnamed young girl does feel sympathy. Her words show genuine warmth and concern. They also show courageous confidence. She has confidence that her God will cure Naaman. And she is courageous enough to stick her neck out and say so.

Naaman and his wife might have been relatively kind to her – the passage doesn’t tell us, but the girl’s warmth might imply it. Even if so, this girl is enslaved in a foreign land yet still manages to combine confidence with kindness.

Her three-verse cameo says so much about the attributes of confidence we should aspire to. It isn’t self-confidence she has, but rather confidence in God and what He can do, even though she has experienced disappointment in her own life.

There’s nothing arrogant in her words, only compassionate kindness. We could even say her words are delivered with competence, to the right person in the right way. And there is a courageous resolve to step up and speak up, pointing to God as the one true source of hope and help.

Responding in Prayer

Lord, let my confidence be ultimately in You, rather than self-confidence.

Let my confident words always be accompanied by kindness.

Help me to have the courage to step up, to speak up, and to point up to You.

Day 35:

DANIEL 3
16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.

Day 35 | Drawing our Red Lines
Reflection

The pressure must have been immense. An unhinged king sets up a stunning 90-foot golden statue, adds a splash of the most beautiful music ever heard, and says everyone has to worship it. Everyone who is someone is there at the grand unveiling, and they will all be watching you. And just in case you decide to say ‘No thanks’, any non-compliers will be thrown into a blazing furnace.

Predictably, most people worship the statue.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, however, do not. They get busted and find themselves before the king and his entourage. He’s furious but gives them a choice: ‘Worship the statue and we’ll forget this ever happened. Don’t worship it, and the fire will consume you like kindling’.

The heat was on, yet their response was as cool as the other side of your pillow. They’re polite, but they’re clear. There’s a lot they had gone along with, like serving within an oppressive regime and having their own ethnic names replaced with pagan ones. But they drew the line at this. They would rather burn than worship anyone other than the one true God. They made a decision and nothing would dissuade them.

Perhaps your factory, classroom, or street is a bit like that kingdom. And like those three young men, you need to draw some red lines. Maybe you already have? ‘I won’t allow defective goods onto the lorry.’ ‘I won’t look at that porn clip everyone has gathered around.’ ‘I’m not going to slag off that neighbour… even though their parking is terrible.’

Making the decision to be faithful in the coolness of the barracks makes it easier to remain faithful in the heat of the frontline.

Responding in Prayer

Holy God, life is a gift from You. But living in a world that is amazing, yet fallen, is complex. We need Your help – help us know where to draw lines, and the courage to hold our nerve in the heat of the moment. Help us to make good decisions. Grant us Your courage to do the right thing when it counts.

Day 36:

NEHEMIAH 2
1 Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence.

Day 36 | Praying on Your Knees… and Your Feet
Reflection

The news hit him like a train. For days, he was crushed. His collar soaked from tears; his knees calloused from prayer. Nehemiah had heard about the state of Jerusalem: ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire’ (Nehemiah 1:3).

Jerusalem — the city supposed to be the white-hot centre of God’s missional flame — resembled nothing more than scattered embers, lying in the dust.

Nehemiah knew something had to happen. He spent days in prayer and confession. And then, his moment came. He’s before King Artaxerxes – the one who might just say yes to Nehemiah’s request or perhaps just kill him.

‘What is it you want?’, the king asks Nehemiah.

‘Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king’. In the build-up, to this make-or-break moment, Nehemiah had been praying on his knees. Now, in the presence of the king, he prays on his feet. He’s afraid, but he turns his fears into instant, silent prayers.

We can pray to God for ages as we kneel by a bed, sit on a sofa, or walk by a river. In these times we gain clarity and courage. Then when the moment comes – the phone rings, the door knocks, and people take their seats – God is still there. We can fire up a quick ‘Help!’, ‘Be with me’, or ‘Thank you’.

As people who long to be confident and courageous, let’s commit to praying on our knees beforehand, then praying on our feet in the moment.

Responding in prayer

Thank you so much, God, that You are always there, always listening.

Thank you that You hear us as we cry out to You in the secret place. Thank you that You hear us when we call out to You on our frontlines. Thank you that You neither slumber nor sleep. Thank you that You are an ever-present help in time of need.

Day 37:

1 THESSALONIANS 5
17 Never stop praying.
Day 37 | Dembe’s Resolved Courage
Reflection

When you meet Dembe, she strikes you as someone who’s a deep thinker, who’s intensely interested in you as a person – but, at the same time, quite quiet.

A little while ago, Dembe landed a job leading a small team. She knew it wasn’t going to be an easy gig from the questions the interview panel asked. ‘Tell us, what are you like under pressure?’ and, ‘What experience do you have with managing strong characters?’

Minutes into the job, Dembe realised just what she was up against. She found out this team had chewed through four managers in under two years! The team was totally dysfunctional. They weren’t helping customers, they were abusing the flexitime system, and there were constant squabbles. In her first meeting, one of them made a grand entrance, declaring they did not need a manager.

Very early on, Dembe was determined to get this team functioning. They would start helping their customers. She was going to see changes in their lives, and she herself was not going to quit. Every evening, she would pray. ‘I cannot manage this. Whatever needs to happen to change things, please help me. I don’t know how to deal with them. I want them to work, I want them to achieve’.

About a week in, her line manager called her in, telling her who she had to ‘get rid of’. But Dembe had resolved not to let anyone go, and she courageously laid out an alternative plan that gave each person an opportunity to change.

After some time, her team went from being the worst in their local branch to being one of the best in the country. The turnaround was remarkable: they were happy and helpful, and customer satisfaction levels soared. None of this would have happened had Dembe not courageously trusted that God would see her through – and prayed continually.

Responding in prayer

Faithful God, we thank you for the example of people like Dembe – people who have the heart to see things change, to do the right thing, who bring their fear to You in prayer, and who take courageous steps for the good of others. In the places we are, help us to do the same. Amen.


Day 38:

LUKE 22
15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.

Day 38 | Maundy Thursday
Reflection

Let’s be clear – we’re not just adding Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday onto the end of our confidence devotional to fit the church calendar. It’s the other way around – confidence is present throughout Jesus’ journey to the cross.

Think of Jesus presiding over the Passover meal with his disciples. There’s astonishing confidence in everything He does, including in the shocking phrase, ‘eagerly desired’.

Eagerly desired here implies a deep passionate longing or setting your heart on something. Eagerly desired is a shocking phrase when we consider the suffering which is imminent for Jesus! He is confident in what He is about to do.

Surely Jesus wants to instil confidence in His followers through the Passover meal and its deep meaning. We can see the six themes from this devotional series right in the story of the Passover meal (Luke 22:7–38), which has become our communion ritual:

  1. Being convinced as a route to confidence, is there for the disciples. Jesus provided communion as a powerful way to remember Him and be reassured of His victory on the cross.
  2. Communion is to be shared with fellow believers – strengthening our community.
  3. Around the table, Jesus shows His compassion in love, words, and service.
  4. Jesus instructs us to consistently share communion together in remembrance of Him.
  5. Jesus competently combines clear teaching with humble service for His disciples.
  6. Jesus courageously continues to take the brave steps He knows lead to the cross.
Responding in prayer

Lord, next time I share in communion with others, may it grow my confidence as I remember Your death for us.

Thank you that You demonstrated courageous confidence at every painful step towards the cross.

Day 39:

LUKE 9
51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

DAY 39 | Good Friday
Reflection

Jesus headed resolutely towards all that He would face in Jerusalem, including the cross. Resolutely here implies setting your face toward something and determinedly heading in the right direction.

We can learn so much about confidence through the events of Good Friday and Jesus’ path to the cross. He shows us by example that confidence doesn’t always get appreciated by the majority. It can be misunderstood and it can be costly, existing alongside a regret that there isn’t another way to do the right thing.

But Jesus also shows us that confidence is kind, driven by love and thinking of others. It looks to the future at the greater gain to come and acts with radical humility. And that gives it power to change things for the better – in a way that lasts.

Responding in prayer

Father, I reflect on the crucifixion and Your Son facing it all resolutely. Please hear my thoughts as prayers.

Lord Jesus, as I learn confidence through this devotional series, let it be shaped like the confidence You displayed on Your final day on earth, even as You faced death.

Day 40:

LUKE 23
55 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed.

Day 40 | Holy Saturday
Reflection

The Saturday before Easter is the ultimate waiting day. The women prepare to do the right next thing for burial but then it’s the Sabbath, so they have to wait. And then, as we know, the next day Jesus meets them in person!

Today we wait to celebrate tomorrow’s good news. But the most needed, most powerful, miraculous good news ever came to the women in this passage first.

The greatest thing about Lent is that Lent is not the greatest thing. The big news – the truly great news – is celebrated on Easter Sunday. The greatest confidence drivers for the disciples came after Lent. The confidence of the first disciples grew exponentially as a result of Easter Sunday and continued to grow at Pentecost. Because an encounter with the risen Jesus and God’s Spirit grows confidence like nothing else.

Perhaps confidence will grow in surprising ways for us, too, when we wait.

In this devotional journey, we pray that the greatest confidence gains will also come after Lent. Our marker for the success of this journey isn’t whether we all managed to read all 40 days and did so on time. Neither are we measuring whether everyone can remember and recite the six ‘C’s we’ve used as themes.

Instead, success looks like each of us having found some biblical truths that anchor our confidence – helping us represent Jesus well on our frontlines. And even greater success would be if we are genuinely more confident, braver, and more active disciples, Monday to Saturday – disciples who then seek to instil some of that confidence in our Christian friends and family, in their role as whole-life disciples too.

Responding in Prayer

Lord, thinking back on this confidence journey – and the themes of conviction, community, compassion, consistency, competence, and courage – show me which of these attributes will help me most in this season.

Help me to grow in faith confidence so that I represent You faithfully each day.

Help me to help others to do the same.

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