Then the king said to
me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And
I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found
favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’
graves, that I may rebuild it.”
THE STUDY:
Obviously
Nehemiah had prepared for this moment he had prayedfor. Besides
seeking God’s help in prayer, he utilized all the human resources available,
including his intellectual capabilities, his past experiences, his accumulated
wisdom, his role and position in life, and people with whom he came in contact
(in this instance, the king of Persia).
Between
the king’s question (v. 4a) and Nehemiah’s answer (v. 5), the cupbearer
“breathed” a brief prayer to the God of
heaven (cf. 1:4-5). This short prayer—whatever its unvoiced words—was built
on his praying for four months. No doubt he asked for wisdom in stating his
request properly and for a favorable reply from the king.[1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
We walk away this morning with the understanding that quick
prayers are possible and valid if one has prayed sufficiently beforehand. In
this case Nehemiah’s prayer is evidence of a life lived in constant communion
with God. Nehemiah had prayed for months, but he knew he was completely
dependent on God’s work in the king’s heart at this moment.[2]
APPLICATION:
Sitting in my
office working on the upcoming Sunday’s message I would have people stop in to
see me. By knowing who the individuals were, I could be able to determine if
this was a social, counseling, or complaining visit. The social visit was one I
always look forward to. The counseling and complaining visits were the ones
that I had no time to prepare for in prayer. I start my day off in prayer and
generalize it with, “Lord, whatever I encounter today please go before me and
prepare the way.” As the meetings would progress I find myself saying “underthebreath”
prayers while I am listening to the person or people. I found that God hears
those prayers and answers them just as he does our verbal, lengthy prayers.
Today, you are ready to face the day! But you
don’t know what’s around the corner. It could be a pleasant experience or one
that calls for God’s immediate guidance. Whichever it may be, saying an “underthebreath”
prayer will be heard and honored by God. Just Keep Praying!
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An
Exposition of the Scriptures (Ne 2:4). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2]
Breneman, M. (1993). Vol. 10: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed.).
The New American Commentary (176). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
In the month of Nisan,
in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up
the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.
THE STUDY:
Yesterday we
looked at how much time had elapsed before Nehemiah approached the king. Today
we are looking at “how” Nehemiah approached him. We read that Nehemiah had not been sad in his presence and
this was not customary. In those days Eastern monarchs were sheltered from
anything that might bring them unhappiness (Es. 4:1–2)When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes
and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he
cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate,
for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth.; but
on that particular day, Nehemiah could not hide his sorrow.[1]
There is two
possible reason’s Nehemiah approached the king in such a manner. 1) Nehemiah
was being led by God and this was the right time to present to the king his
problem or 2) Nehemiah tried to withhold his emotions from the king as he was
waiting on the Lord and just could not do it anymore. Whatever the case may we
will learn that God had prepared the kings heart for this occasion.
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
We walk away this morning with the understanding that in Gods
timing the task will be addressed. When and where, will be in His hands. How we
deal with it, if led by the Holy spirit, will help to accomplish God’s will.
Nehemiah trusted the Lord, had Faith that He heard and will respond to the
request, but still had to deal with his emotions during the process. This is
normal and expected by God.
APPLICATION:
My son approached me a few months ago and
asked the question, “how do we know that all this about Jesus is true?” I will
have to admit, deep down in my heart I was pierced. But my exterior was solid
as a rock. I didn’t flinch or whimper, I acted like this was just an ordinary
question. I could see in my wife’s eyes she was not handling this well. I
believe she was ready to cast out demons and throw Holy water on him (and we
are not catholic)!
We sat down
that evening and had a great talk and ended the conversation with this
statement, “Look to God for the answer and in his timing, he will reveal it!”
As he walked away I was flooded with emotions, (fear, sadness, anger, love) but
the one thing that rose to the top was trust! I trusted that my god would
answer our prayer.
Long story
short, a few weeks later my son comes back from teen camp “ON FIRE” for God! I
saw him coming and he ran up to me and hugged me like we had not seen each other
for months. He looked into my eyes and said, “Dad, god answered our prayer!” “He
is alive and well within me!”
Today, you
might be thinking “when will God answer my prayers” or “Will He at all?” I am
here to encourage you this morning by saying this, all prayers get answered! When and how is up to the Lord. Proverbs
3:5-6 is a passage I encourage you to memorize, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your
paths.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined.
“Be” Commentary Series (25). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
In the month of Nisan,
in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up
the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.
THE STUDY:
Moving into
chapter 2 we are seeing this chapter broken into two segments: “The Request”
(vs 1-10) from Nehemiah and “The Review” (vs 11-20). Today we want to look at
how Nehemiah makes his request to the King. Recapping from Chapter 1 we know
that Nehemiah was confident at the conclusion of his prayer to God. What we are
reading in 2:1 is taking place 3-4 months after the end of Chapter 1.
One can only
speculate why it took Nehemiah 3-4 months to approach the King. Perhaps his
time in front of the king was not until then or Nehemiah could have been
waiting for the right time. One last reason could have been that he was afraid
and had to build up the courage to approach the king. For the sake of this
devotional I am going to lean toward the idea that Nehemiah was waiting on God’s
timing and not his.
Nehemiah patiently waited on the Lord for
directions; because it is “through faith
and patience” that we inherit the promises (Heb. 6:12). “Whoever believes will not be in haste.”
(Isa. 28:16). True faith in God brings a calmness to the heart that keeps us
from rushing about and trying to do in our own strength what only God can do.
We must know not only how to weep and
pray, but also how to wait and pray.[1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
We walk away this morning with the understanding that as
important as it may be to humble ourselves and call on Jesus, we also need to
be patient in our prayers as well. Don’t expected immediate results from our
prayers but have faith that God hears them and will work according to His
timetable.
APPLICATION:
In the wake
of this Olympic year I would like to share a fact in regard to the Olympics. In
English the Olympic motto reads: “Swifter, higher, stronger.”
Interestingly, the Bible also has
an Olympic text. It is Isaiah 40:31—“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and
not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.”
Today, you may be getting ready to
spend some time in prayer and let God know of a request that you would love to
have answered immediately. Don’t approach the throne of God with that in mind.
Humble yourself and let God know that the request you have is his to do
accordingly. Just have faith.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined.
“Be” Commentary Series (25). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
Remember the word that
you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will
scatter you among the peoples, 9 but
if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts
are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring
them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’
THE STUDY:
In
this prayer from Nehemiah we find it referring to Gods word (Leviticus 26:33 &
Deuteronomy 4:25-31). I wonder though, in this prayer, is Nehemiah reminding
God of His promise or is he reiterating to himself Gods promises?
God had said that,
if they broke covenant with him, he would scatter
them among the nations, and that threat was fulfilled in their captivity:
never was people so widely dispersed as Israel was at this time, though at
first so closely incorporated; but he had said withal that if they turned to him (as now they began to do,
having renounced idolatry and kept to the temple service) he would gather them again.[1]
If God were
not more mindful of his promises than we are of his instructions we should be
undone. Our best pleas therefore in prayer are those that are taken from the
promise of God, the word on which he has
caused us to hope, Ps. 119:49.[2]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
We walk away this morning with the understanding that God
doesn’t need to be reminded of His word. It is through God’s word we are reminded
of His promises. His word is the very thing we need our prayers to resonate
from. This is why it is so important for us to be in the word of God. So we may
know the power of prayer.
APPLICATION:
Someone asked John Wanamaker: “How do you get
time to run a Sunday school with your four thousand scholars, in addition to
the business of your stores, your work as Postmaster-General, and other
obligations?” Instantly Mr. Wanamaker replied: “Why, the Sunday school is my
business! All other things are just things.
Forty-five years ago I decided that God’s promise was sure: “Seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you.””
Today, let God’s promises be true
for you. Read his word and pray scripture! This will release the power of God
and bring us closer to Him.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s
commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ne
1:5–11). Peabody: Hendrickson.
[2]
Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s
commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ne
1:5–11). Peabody: Hendrickson.
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,
THE STUDY:
What we are
starting to look at today is considered, by some scholars as, the “prayer of
Repentance” (5-11). This prayer is the
first of twelve instances of prayer recorded in this book. (See 2:4; 4:4, 9;
5:19; 6:9, 14; 9:5ff; 13:14, 22, 29, 31.) The Book of Nehemiah opens and closes
with prayer. It is obvious that Nehemiah was a man of faith who depended wholly
on the Lord to help him accomplish the work He hadcalled him to do.[1]
The first part of this prayer is
Nehemiah’s acknowledgement of God. Nehemiah faced a situation he knew he could
not solve by himself. But he also knew that with God all things are possible (Jer.
32:17). Nehemiah began his prayer by acknowledging that fact: O Lord God of heaven(Neh. 1:4), the great and
awesome God.[2]
This is Nehemiah’s
humble and reverent address to God, in which he prostrates himself before him,
and gives unto him the glory due unto his name. It teaches us to draw near to
God,
1.With a holy awe of his majesty and glory,
remembering that he is the
God of heaven, infinitely above us, and sovereign Lord over all.
2.With a holy confidence in his grace and truth,
for he keepeth covenant and mercy for
those that love him, not only the mercy that is promised, but even more
than he promised: nothing shall be thought too much to be done for those that love him and keep his commandments.[3]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
We walk away this morning with the understanding that it is
one thing to pray but to tap into the power of prayer one needs to start by
addressing the one who doesn’t just hear the prayer but can do something about
it. Prayer should always be done with a sense of CONFIDENCE and AWE.
APPLICATION:
The
Scottish novelist George MacDonald said, “In whatever man does without God, he
must fail miserably, or succeed more miserably.” Speaking about the church’s
ministry today, the late Alan Redpath said, “There is too much working before
men and too little waiting before God.” Nehemiah succeeded because he depended
on God.[4]
My encouragement today would be to Go
to prayer not as submitting a list but in AWE of who you are addressing and in
CONFIDENCE He will answer those prayers. Nehemiah had this AWE and CONFIDENCE and
so can we today. Blessings
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined.
“Be” Commentary Series (16–17). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2]
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An
Exposition of the Scriptures (Ne 1:5). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3]
Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s
commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ne
1:5–11). Peabody: Hendrickson.
[4]
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined.
“Be” Commentary Series (17). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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.
THE STUDY:
Today we are looking
at the second half of verse 4. Yesterday we talked about how Nehemiah wept and
mourned. Today we are going to look at the aspect of fasting and praying. We
know that, in scripture, these two spiritual acts go hand and hand. Nehemiah
knew this as well.
Nehemiah fasted and prayed; not in public (he had
no opportunity of doing that), but before
the God of heaven, who sees in secret, and will reward openly. By his
fasting and praying three things happened:
(1.) He consecrated his sorrows,
and directed his tears toward God.
(2.) He eased his sorrows, and
unburdened his spirit, by pouring out his
complaint before God and leaving it with him.
(3.) He took the right method of determining
the relief for his people and
direction for himself in what way to serve them.
Let those who are in the public eye
(in politics) take God along with them and utter all their projects before him;
this is the way to prosper in them.[1]
This is made evident in the life and leadership of Nehemiah.
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
We walk away this morning knowing not just the power but
significance of praying and fasting. It brings direction, relief, and a higher success
rate for the future.
APPLICATION:
One of the
things we will come to understand in this devotional study from the book of
Nehemiah is how God’s people had forgotten Him (the Word of God) and how Ezra,
along with Nehemiah, was bringing His word back to the forefront.
This passage reveals the fact; Nehemiah
knew where his source was, GOD! He tapped into that source through prayer and
fasting. Today, remember where your source comes from and tap into it by
praying and fasting. Don’t do this because you want some worldly thing but pray
and fast because you want a more intimate encounter with Christ. You want to be
so close that when pain and sorrow come you can’t feel it because of the power,
glory, and love of Christ all around you.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s
commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ne
1:1–4). Peabody: Hendrickson.
But you, beloved,
building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy
Spirit,21 keep yourselves in
the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to
eternal life.
THE STUDY:
Last week we
looked at the first part of this passage: building
yourselves up in your most holy faith. This was focused on the community
and the believers building each other up. The next thing Jude mentions along
with and as a means of building themselves up in their faith is to be praying in the Holy Spirit.Pray
is in the present tense, indicating that prayer needs to be a constant activity
of Christians.
Prayer
in the Holy Spirit takes place in the control of as well as under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Prayer in the Holy Spirit is not in a special
prayer language. Regardless of how believers pray, their prayers should be
continual and they should be offered in submission to and in dependence on the
Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26–27 gives us this understanding, Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what
to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with
groanings too deep for words. 27And
he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit
intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. It was undoubtedly
Christ’s prayer in the Holy Spirit
that enabled him to pray to the Father, “Yet
not as I will, but as you will” (Matt 26:39).[1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
We walk away this morning with the understanding that prayer
should be continual, submissive, and dependent on the Holy Spirit. But is
should never be “just about you.” Jesus showed us that prayers and supplications
should be for the body of believers as well.
CONCLUSION:
A close friend of mine at one of the churches
I pastored lived close to the main roads in town. He had a 12 year old son who
had stepped out into the road and was hit by a car. I remember visiting the ICU
over the next month and praying for my friend and his son.
My friend developed new friends who
had children and/or family members in the ICU as well. They started to bond together
as a group and the next thing I knew, my friend was praying for them as well. I
remember one of the last conversations I had with my friend before His son and he
walked out of that hospital. He said, “The first few weeks my prayers were all
about my son. But as I got to know the others who were in similar situations in
the ICU I started praying more for them and less for my son. It was at that
time my son started getting better, faster.”
I am not saying, pray for others
and your personal prayers will happen faster. What I believe we need to
remember is to not just pray for our own situations and request but include
others as well. Remember, Prayer does the body good! Yours as well as the body
of believers.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2
Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible
Commentary (293). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.
