PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER AS THE OLD SAYING GOES IS WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.
(NEHEMIAH 1:3-11)
AS WE CONSIDER HOW NEHEMIAH WEPT OVER JERUSALEM, IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT HE WASN'T THE ONLY PERSON THERE TO WEEP OVER THE HOLY CITY. OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WEPT OVER IT TOO (LUKE 19:41-43) NOW AS HE DREW NEAR, HE SAW THE CITY AND WEPT OVER IT, SAYING "IF YOU HAD KNOWN EVEN YOU ESPECIALLY IN THIS YOUR DAY THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOUR PEACE BUT NOW THEY ARE HIDDEN FROM YOUR EYES, FOR DAYS WILL COME UPON YOU WHEN YOUR ENEMIES WILL BUILD AN EMBANKMENT AROUND YOU, SURROUND YOU AND CLOSE YOU IN ON EVERY SIDE".
LETTING THINGS AFFECT US EMOTIONALLY IS NOT A SIGN THAT OUR FAITH IN GOD IS LACKING, HOWEVER, WE MUST NOT ALLOW THOSE THINGS TO DRAG US DOWN INTO SELF-PITY. GOD'S STRENGTH IS GIVEN TO US NOT SO THAT WE CAN DENY OUR FEELINGS, BUT TO SUPPORT US IN THEM AND BRING US THROUGH.
NEHEMIAH'S EMOTION AND REACTION TO THE NEWS CONCERNING THE CONDITION OF THE BROKEN DOWN WALLS OF JERUSLEM, HIGHLIGHTS MANY SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES THAT WE WILL DISCOVER IN FOLLOWING NEHEMIAH'S STORY.
BEFORE A PERSON CAN RECEIVE A BLESSING, SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO BE WILLING TO BEAR A BURDEN. WE CAN NEVER LIGHTEN THE LOAD FOR OTHERS UNTIL WE HAVE FIRST FELT THE WEIGHT OF THEIR TROUBLES IN OUR OWN SELF.
AS A CHAPLAIN IN A HOSPITAL, WHEN I VISIT PEOPLE I LIKE TO TALK TO THEM AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEIR PAIN AND THEIR DIFFICULTIES, SO THAT I CAN PRAY ACCORDINGLY AND SPECFICALLY.
NEHEMIAH, NOT READY TO PUT INTO ACTION ANY KIND OF RECOVERY PLAN FOR JERUSALEM UNTIL HE HAD FIRST FACED HIS FEELINGS AND WEPT, BECAUSE OF IT'S RUINED STATE. WHEN A SITUATION HAS TOUCHED OUR HEART THAT IS THE TIME WE BECOME READY TO ACT, AS NEHEMIAH DID.
TODAY WE LIVE IN A BROKEN WORLD, LOOK AROUND US AND SEE THINGS AS THEY REALLY ARE, ARE WE TRULY AWARE OF THE BROKENESS AROUND US? MAYBE OUR DEVETIONAL LIFE, OUR FAMILY, OUR FINANCES, OUR CHURCH PERHAPS OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE SHOULD BE GRIEVING AND PRAYING FOR AT THIS MOMENT. MAYBE THERE IS A BROKENESS/RUIN THAT WE ARE NOT PREPARED TO ACKNOWLEDGE. REMEMBER WE CANNOT BEGIN TO REBUILD A CRUMBLING WALL UNLESS WE ARE FIRST WILLING TO MOURN OVER IT.
HOW DIFFERENT THINGS COULD BE IF WE LEARN TO LIFT OUR HEARTS IN PRAYER. THE KIND OF PRAYER I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE IS AN ATTITUDE OF A TRULY REPENTED AND OBEDIENT HEART, THAT SAYS HELP ME DRAW ON YOUR RESOURCES AS I FACE THIS DIFFICULT TIME. 2 CHRON:7:14 IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND I WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN, AND HEAL THEIR LAND.
(NEHEMIAH 1:5-11)
NEHEMIAH'S PRAYER
AND I SAID I PRAY LORD GOD OF HEAVEN O GREAT AND AWESOME GOD YOU WHO KEEP YOUR COVENANT AND MERCY WITH THOSE WHO LOVE YOU AND OBSERVE YOUR COMMANDMENTS. 6 PLEASE LET YOUR EAR BE ATTENTIVE AND YOUR EYES OPEN THAT YOU MAY HEAR THE PRAYER OF YOUR SERVANT WHICH I PRAY BEFORE YOU NOW DAY AND NIGHT FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, YOUR SERVANTS AND CONFESS THE SINS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WHICH WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU BOTH MY FATHER'S HOUSE AND I HAVE SINNED. 7 WE HAVE ACTED VERY CORRUPTLY AGAINST YOU AND HAVE NOT KEPT THE COMMANDMENTS THE STATUTES NOR THE ORDINANCES WHICH YOU COMMANDED YOUR SERVANT MOSES. 8 REMEMBER I PRAY THE WORD THAT YOU COMMANDED YOUR SERVANT MOSES SAYING IF YOU ARE UNFAITHFUL I WILL SCATTER YOU AMONG THE NATIONS. 9 BUT IF YOU RETURN TO ME AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS AND DO THEM THOUGH SOME OF YOU WERE CAST OUT TO THE FARTHEST PART OF THE HEAVENS YET I WILL GATHER THEM FROM THERE AND BRING THEM TO THE PLACE WHICH I HAVE CHOSEN AS A DWELLING FOR MY NAME 10 NOW THESE ARE YOUR SERVANTS AND YOUR PEOPLE WHOM YOU REDEEMED BY YOUR GREAT POWER AND YOUR STRONG HAND 11 O LORD I PRAY PLEASE LET YOUR EAR BE ATTENTIVE TO THE PRAYER OF YOUR SERVANT AND TO THE PRAYER OF YOUR SERVANTS WHO DESIRE TO FEAR YOUR NAME
REFLECTING ON NEHEMIAH'S POWERFUL PRAYER IN CLAIMING THE PROVISION GOD MADE FOR HIS PEOPLE NEHEMIAH REVEALED ANOTHER GREAT PRINCIPLE NAMELY THAT PRAYER MUST BE BASED ON THE PROMISES OF GOD. REMEMBER YOUR COMMAND TO MOSES, HE PRAYS THE WORDS THE LORD GAVE MOSES, HE CLAIMED THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROMISE.
NEHEMIAH'S CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD AS A PROMISE KEEPER WAS SO GREAT THAT HE KNEW GOD WOULD WORK OUT THE DETAILS AS QUOTED IN THE ABOVE PRAYERS OF NEHEMIAH 1:5-11. AND SO SHOULD WE
PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER AS THE OLD SAYING GOES IS WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. DO WE HEAR NEHEMIAH'S KIND OF PRAYING TODAY? SADLY NOT AS OFTEN AS WE OUGHT TOO. MOST MODERN DAY PRAYERS ARE JUST TOKEN PRAYERS, ASKING GOD TO BLESS THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER. POWERFUL PRAYING IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF SEEING THE SITUATION AS IT IS, AND IN SEEING GOD AS HE IS. FATHER GOD PLEASE ENABLE US TO SEE THINGS AS THEY REALLY ARE AND TO SEE YOU GOD AS YOU REALLY ARE.
(QUOTE FROM C.H. SPURGEON)
"LET YOUR FLEECE LIE ON THE THRESHING-FLOOR OF SUPPLICATION TILL IT IS WET WITH THE DEW OF HEAVEN."
GOD'S PROMISES ARE YES AND AMEN.
Author: Herbert Jean
May God bless and enrich your life
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