Nehemiah's Prayer
Nehemiah 1:4-11,
We see that Nehemiah is a man of prayer. We read of his prayers once he has heard of the condition of the walls and the people in Jerusalem. So this is the prayer of Nehemiah. The prayer begins with acknowledgement of who God is, that God is a great and an awesome God. And as we pray to God, it is always good for us and right for us to remember who it is that we're coming before: God who is the God who is sovereign and in control. His greatness and His might and His power are beyond our understanding. And it is such a privilege that we have to come into His presence and to pray to Him. But He is also a God who is faithful. Nehemiah says, “God who keeps covenant and steadfast love.” So here Nehemiah is reminded of the faithfulness and the promises of God. And so when we pray, it's always good for us to remember that our God is a faithful God who keeps covenant and who loves us with steadfast love. But then there's also the responsibility of the people of God to be faithful to our responsibilities to obey. He says, “For those who love Him and keep the commandments.”
So again, here he knows that he is responsible to be obedient to God's word, and he confesses his sin. And so part of our prayer should be confession of sin. So we see an acknowledgment of who God is, a reminder of the steadfastness and faithfulness of God, but also an acknowledgment of our sin.
And then just praying for a specific request. Here he is asking for the Lord that He might cause the king to be attentive and to give wisdom to the servant as he prays. Nehemiah prayed when he heard the problems of the people in Jerusalem. In Nehemiah 2, we read again of him praying when he is before the king. And then throughout the book of Nehemiah for those who are familiar with it, you know that he is a man that is constantly in prayer. This is a good reminder for us to be in prayer to our great and awesome God, a God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments. So maybe that would be encouraging to us as we come to pray.
“As soon as I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days. And I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant that I now pray before You day and night for the people of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against You. Even I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, the statutes and the rules that you commanded Your servant Moses. Remember the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though you are dispersed under the farthest skies, I will gather them back from there and bring them to the place that I have chosen to make My name dwell there.’ They are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who delight to fear Your name, and give success to Your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
We see that Nehemiah is a man of prayer. We read of his prayers once he has heard of the condition of the walls and the people in Jerusalem. So this is the prayer of Nehemiah. The prayer begins with acknowledgement of who God is, that God is a great and an awesome God. And as we pray to God, it is always good for us and right for us to remember who it is that we're coming before: God who is the God who is sovereign and in control. His greatness and His might and His power are beyond our understanding. And it is such a privilege that we have to come into His presence and to pray to Him. But He is also a God who is faithful. Nehemiah says, “God who keeps covenant and steadfast love.” So here Nehemiah is reminded of the faithfulness and the promises of God. And so when we pray, it's always good for us to remember that our God is a faithful God who keeps covenant and who loves us with steadfast love. But then there's also the responsibility of the people of God to be faithful to our responsibilities to obey. He says, “For those who love Him and keep the commandments.”
So again, here he knows that he is responsible to be obedient to God's word, and he confesses his sin. And so part of our prayer should be confession of sin. So we see an acknowledgment of who God is, a reminder of the steadfastness and faithfulness of God, but also an acknowledgment of our sin.
And then just praying for a specific request. Here he is asking for the Lord that He might cause the king to be attentive and to give wisdom to the servant as he prays. Nehemiah prayed when he heard the problems of the people in Jerusalem. In Nehemiah 2, we read again of him praying when he is before the king. And then throughout the book of Nehemiah for those who are familiar with it, you know that he is a man that is constantly in prayer. This is a good reminder for us to be in prayer to our great and awesome God, a God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments. So maybe that would be encouraging to us as we come to pray.
Posted in Pastor Devotional