Nehemiah 1:5-11
How's your prayer life? I think we could all do better when it comes to prayer. Too often, prayer becomes our last resort when it could and SHOULD be our first line of defense. Nehemiah is a wonderful example of a man who went straight to prayer when there was a problem, but he didn't stop there. He prayed, and then he took action! Upon hearing the news of the wall of Jerusalem being burned down and destroyed, he decided something needed to be done! His prayer is a beautiful outline for how we ought to pray. He begins by worshipping and praising God's character. Secondly, he confessed his sin and not his alone, but the sins of the Israelites. Third, he asked God to remember his promises. Lastly, he pleaded for God's mercy. Over the last year, I’ve been discipling ladies at our Grand Blanc Campus with a book called “Milk for New Christians”. One chapter covered prayer, and it outlined Nehemiah's prayer as the following:
1.Adoration and Worship
2.Confession of Sin
3.Claiming God’s Promises
4.Asking for help
This was such an eye opener for me as a leader, and the ladies I was mentoring! How often do we start our prayers with the last one on the list…asking for help! When we pray, we can do much more than just ask God for our requests. We should come before him with reverence and awe of who our heavenly Father is, with thanksgiving and gratitude. We should also examine ourselves daily to see if there's any unconfessed sin in our hearts. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting,” (Psalm 139:23-24). We can learn much from Nehemiah's prayer life and leadership! Something I’m working on in my own life is when a problem arises, instead of calling/texting a family member or friend, taking it to my Heavenly Father first. God is ultimately the one who gives us direction and helps us when we don’t know what to do. He will give us clarity, peace, and help us make the next step when we are lost. Seeking wise counsel is a wonderful thing, but we need to seek God first before we act. I think it's important to stress that when God gives us the next step, we need to listen! We need to do something about it! When was the last time God put something on your heart? Maybe you thought you couldn’t make a difference, or that someone else would do it (P.S. I encourage you to listen to the song “Do Something” by Matthew West)! When we dive into chapter 2 next week, we will see what Nehemiah did next after going to the Lord for guidance. Buckle up because you’ll soon see how his boldness and courage made a difference!
How's your prayer life? I think we could all do better when it comes to prayer. Too often, prayer becomes our last resort when it could and SHOULD be our first line of defense. Nehemiah is a wonderful example of a man who went straight to prayer when there was a problem, but he didn't stop there. He prayed, and then he took action! Upon hearing the news of the wall of Jerusalem being burned down and destroyed, he decided something needed to be done! His prayer is a beautiful outline for how we ought to pray. He begins by worshipping and praising God's character. Secondly, he confessed his sin and not his alone, but the sins of the Israelites. Third, he asked God to remember his promises. Lastly, he pleaded for God's mercy. Over the last year, I’ve been discipling ladies at our Grand Blanc Campus with a book called “Milk for New Christians”. One chapter covered prayer, and it outlined Nehemiah's prayer as the following:
1.Adoration and Worship
2.Confession of Sin
3.Claiming God’s Promises
4.Asking for help
This was such an eye opener for me as a leader, and the ladies I was mentoring! How often do we start our prayers with the last one on the list…asking for help! When we pray, we can do much more than just ask God for our requests. We should come before him with reverence and awe of who our heavenly Father is, with thanksgiving and gratitude. We should also examine ourselves daily to see if there's any unconfessed sin in our hearts. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting,” (Psalm 139:23-24). We can learn much from Nehemiah's prayer life and leadership! Something I’m working on in my own life is when a problem arises, instead of calling/texting a family member or friend, taking it to my Heavenly Father first. God is ultimately the one who gives us direction and helps us when we don’t know what to do. He will give us clarity, peace, and help us make the next step when we are lost. Seeking wise counsel is a wonderful thing, but we need to seek God first before we act. I think it's important to stress that when God gives us the next step, we need to listen! We need to do something about it! When was the last time God put something on your heart? Maybe you thought you couldn’t make a difference, or that someone else would do it (P.S. I encourage you to listen to the song “Do Something” by Matthew West)! When we dive into chapter 2 next week, we will see what Nehemiah did next after going to the Lord for guidance. Buckle up because you’ll soon see how his boldness and courage made a difference!
Posted in Devotional