Nehemiah : WK 2 - WED
Prayer
Nehemiah 1:5-11
Then I said, “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.
“Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’
“The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”
Nehemiah must have prayed about many things during his four months of reflection. Sometimes, the language wouldn’t have been very specific. It reminds me of when Mother Teresa was asked by a reporter what she said when she prayed. Her response? “Well, I don’t say much. I mostly listen.” Surprised, the reporter asked, “So what does God say to you?” Mother Teresa responded, “He doesn’t say much. He just listens.”
At other times, the language would have flowed freely, like the prayer recorded in our passage for the day. Scholars note that this prayer of Nehemiah closely follows the elements of Jesus’ model prayer found in Matthew 6. It acknowledges the honor due to the God of heaven and expresses concern for His kingdom. It includes confession, repentance, and requests submitted to God’s will.
These prayers remind us to approach our Savior with every concern of our hearts. We are encouraged to do so with a sense of proportion, acknowledging His sovereign identity and immense power. Willingly, we listen for conviction as we admit our guilt and confess our sins. Then, we ask with boldness that He work in the midst of the challenges we face, hurrying to add, nevertheless, not our will but Yours be done.
Thank you, Lord, for teaching us how to pray.
Nehemiah 1:5-11
Then I said, “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.
“Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’
“The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”
Nehemiah must have prayed about many things during his four months of reflection. Sometimes, the language wouldn’t have been very specific. It reminds me of when Mother Teresa was asked by a reporter what she said when she prayed. Her response? “Well, I don’t say much. I mostly listen.” Surprised, the reporter asked, “So what does God say to you?” Mother Teresa responded, “He doesn’t say much. He just listens.”
At other times, the language would have flowed freely, like the prayer recorded in our passage for the day. Scholars note that this prayer of Nehemiah closely follows the elements of Jesus’ model prayer found in Matthew 6. It acknowledges the honor due to the God of heaven and expresses concern for His kingdom. It includes confession, repentance, and requests submitted to God’s will.
These prayers remind us to approach our Savior with every concern of our hearts. We are encouraged to do so with a sense of proportion, acknowledging His sovereign identity and immense power. Willingly, we listen for conviction as we admit our guilt and confess our sins. Then, we ask with boldness that He work in the midst of the challenges we face, hurrying to add, nevertheless, not our will but Yours be done.
Thank you, Lord, for teaching us how to pray.
- If you could spend an afternoon talking with anyone across time (in addition to God/Jesus), who would it be? Why?
- How easy do you find it to pray? Privately? Out loud?
- Take some time to trace Nehemiah’s prayer, turning it into words that apply to your life.
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