Neh 1 : 5 -11 – A Man of Prayer
“A Spiritual Rebuilder – A Person Of Prayer ”
Nehemiah heard the ruins of Jerusalem and had a broken heart before God. Many people are concerned but not many have a broken heart enough to be a rebuilder. All spiritual rebuilding requires a starting point – a broken heart. Because when the heart is broken, then God can come in.
Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
When a spiritual rebuilder has a broken heart, it leads the person to prayer. Nehemiah breaks out into prayer before His God. We find 3 principles of the prayerful spiritual rebuilder.
FIRSTLY THE REBUILDER CRIES TO GOD
Nehemiah 1:5 And said, I beseech (interjection- a cry) thee, …
- Nehemiah cried – half-hearted prayers will benefit nothing. Our prayers must be with energy and focus.
- It must be a heart cry – it is a cry from the heart. Any less will not reach heaven.
James 5:16 … The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
SECONDLY THE REBUILDER KNOWS GOD
Nehemiah 1:5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great (honourable and ancient) and terrible (Someone to be feared and revere) God, that keepeth covenant and mercy (the faithfulness of God) for them that love him and observe his commandments:
Nehemiah calls God the God of Heaven – the one Sovereign God, the one who rules over the affairs of this world. God is the King of this Universe.
Nehemiah calls God Great, the sense of being mighty. Our God not only rules over all, He is the mighty God who is more than capable to act on our behalf.
Nehemiah calls God Terrible – someone to be feared and revered. Our God is not therefore someone we bargain with but to reverence, love and submit to.
Nehemiah calls God the God that keepeth covenant and mercy, He is therefore the faithful God. A God that can be trusted.
How well do we know our Saviour ?
THIRDLY THE REBUILDER INTERCEDES FOR ISRAEL
Nehemiah 1:6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.
Nehemiah 1:7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
- In intercession, the Rebuilder begins by confessing sins
In every rebuilding is the confession of sins. There will be no break down if there is no sin. The reason why Israel was in this fix was because they were in sin and they would not have broken down if we have been obedient to the Lord both as an individuals and as a people.
Jonah 3:8-9 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Isaiah 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
- A Rebuilder pleads to God on the basis of His promises
Nehemiah 1:8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
Nehemiah 1:9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
Nehemiah was claiming the promises of God – “ God we are in this mess because of sin. But your word promises that if we will turn, You will still gather us back together”
Deut 28: 63 – 67 / Deut 30:1 – 5
Without the promises of God, there is no hope of ever rebuilding anything or anyone.
- A Rebuilder has a plan and makes request
Nehemiah 1:10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
Nehemiah 1:11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.
Nehemiah already has the plan to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. This is a huge task – to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He cannot do it himself.
As we consider this:
- In Ambassador, we have the right foundation – the Lord Jesus.
- We have His Holy Spirit.
- We have the right Bible and His words
- We are commanded to win souls to Christ (Great Commission)
- We need to disciple people ( 2 Tim 2:2 – 4 / Eph 4:11 – 16 / John 21:15 – 18 )
- We have families that need to be put together
- We need to set things in order in the local church Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
- We need to prepare for the Second coming
Will we be rebuilders for the Lord?
There are many many broken people – will we be people that God can use to help people to the Saviour?
Pastor Johnny