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| Nehemiah's Prayer |
Pastor Steve Holt
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Mountain Springs Church
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| Download Notes |
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| April 15, 2007 |
The Prayer of Nehemiah
Nehemiah 1
• We have looked at Zerubbabel’s return and subsequent rebuilding of the
Temple in Ezra 1-6.
• Then in Ezra 7-10 we looked at the return led by Ezra, of the line of Aaron,
and the spiritual reforms he brought.
• Now we come to the 3rd return of Jews to Jerusalem, led by Nehemiah.
• This is Nine years after Ezra…funny it only seems to have been one
week. 14 years after Ezra’s return.
• The Temple has been rebuilt but not the walls around Jerusalem.
• Nehemiah is a cupbearer of Artexerxes, who has been in power for about
20 years.
o A cupbearer was a very prestigious position. The cupbearer tasted
the food to see if it was poisoned before it was brought to the king.
o A popular way to conduct elections 400 years BC was to poison
your opponent.
o Ex. The Russians still use this election ploy.
o So, the cupbearer was someone whom the king really trusted.
o Ex. I guess everyone would just watch Nehemiah eat and see if he
kind of keeled over…you never ate alone!
o It was the kind of job that you prayed you were working for a man
who was well liked.
o The cupbearer was very close to the king…a close advisor…he had
access to the king.
o But Nehemiah is also a deep disciple of God.
o Chapters 1-6: Reconstruction of the Walls.
o Chapters 7-13: Reconstruction of the People.
o This is the last of Jewish history before Christ.
o Nehemiah, meaning “the Lord comforts”, was raised in captivity and
had never seen Jerusalem.
o He grew up in captivity and yet his godly parents named him “the
Lord who comforts”.
o God will raise up this simple man to do a great work.
o That’s what God always does…simple people do great things.
Vs. 1-2
• Month of Kislev (November/December by our calendar) 20th year of
Artexerxes. So some 9 years after the end of Ezra.
• Hanani means “the grace of God”…not a coincidence!
Vs. 3-4
• Jerusalem is defenseless.
• The Temple is rebuilt but the city is open to attack.
• Nehemiah is wealthy and within the “in crowd” He has it made…but he is
not content!!
• Are you content with where you are at with God?
• With all that happened with 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq…there is a paradigm
shift in the world…are you content? The world is changing and so must
we.
• This is true in our lives too…we can come to church each week, worship
at the Temple, but our lives have breaches. Walls of spiritual defense in
our lives are defenseless against the enemy throughout the week.
o Do you come and the spiritual walls of your life are broken down?
o Are their breaches in your spiritual life?
o Ex. I see people at MSC for a while and then we don’t see them
anymore! They came to the Temple but their walls had breaches!
o Ex. We need fellowship with other believers, we need small
groups…
o Ex. Not just “devotions”, but “devotion”…like our marriage. “Hey I
talked to my wife for 30 minutes in the morning but then we won’t
ever talk again.”
o Ex. We want to have “devotions” that lead to “devotion”.
• We now read this remarkable prayer of Nehemiah! All through the book of
Nehemiah are these deep and passionate prayers…study them.
• He’s asking God for attention! “Hear my prayer…hear my prayer based
on your Covenant.”
• God knows our hearts and yet He calls us to pray!
• God knows our thoughts afar off! He hears the prayers of our hearts even
before we articulate it.
Nehemiah’s Prayer
Vs. 5a He Begins Acknowledging Who God Is
• Nehemiah begins with praise and worship! He opens up by enthroning
God in his thoughts.
• This is where we should always begin our prayers, by enthroning God.
• Begin your prayer time with a worshipful response.
Vs. 5b He Then Acknowledges That God is a Covenant-Keeping
God of Love
• Nehemiah knows that he is entering into prayer based on God always
keeping His promises.
2 Peter 1:3-4
…as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and
godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4
by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises,
that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust.
• We now have a “grace covenant”, a covenant based on His love for us.
• He promises He will “never leave nor forsake us”.
• Through the finished work at the cross, Jesus has forgiven us of all our
sins and given us new life.
• So, based on the greatness of God and His covenant, Nehemiah moves
into his request…
Vs. 6-7 Nehemiah Identifies with the Sin of the People
• Nehemiah takes on the sins of the people.
• Nehemiah cares deeply enough to pray over the sins of others.
• What deep love Nehemiah exhibits for the Jews!
• Nehemiah has it made: he is wealthy and influential, and yet he hasn’t
forgotten His first love for God.
• Nehemiah is worthy of spiritual leadership because he loves his people!
He is not going to use them, but he will lead them toward what is best for
them…that is a great spiritual leader.
Vs. 8-9 Nehemiah Prays from God’s Word
• Never was this prophecy been more true than right now: God has
scattered Israel because of disobedience.
• Nehemiah’s prayer is based in God’s Word.
• Nehemiah knows the Word of God and quotes it.
• Ex. One of the most powerful prayers you can pray is quoting God’s Word
back to God and then requesting something.
• Quote the scriptures when you pray!
Vs. 10-11 Asking for Favor
• Nehemiah unashamedly cries out to God for favor!
• We need favor from God, don’t we?
• I think it is a good prayer to ask God for special favor.
“…I was the king’s cupbearer”
• Nehemiah is not a congressmen; Nehemiah is not a priest, pastor, or
governor…he is a simple cupbearer of the king.
• We may think that our job means nothing in relation to God, that we are
“just cupbearers” and nothing else. In actuality God has placed you there
for a purpose to bring glory and pleasure to Him.
• Do you realize that you are a missionary? That you are in your job as an
undercover agent for God?
• Nehemiah, like Daniel before him, is an undercover agent, sent in by God,
to carry out God’s purposes!
• So ask God, “What do you want me to do, Lord?”
• Nehemiah, a simple cupbearer, will build the walls of Jerusalem in
52 days! He’s just a cupbearer!
• Nehemiah - A simple man with a powerful, passionate love for God.
• That is you and me!!
This sermon was produced at Mountain Springs Church in Colorado Springs, with Senior Pastor Steve Holt. www.mountainsprings.org
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