The Prayer Of A Godly Leader Series

The Prayer of a Godly Leader

Nehemiah 1:5-11

In his work, Quiet Talks on Prayer, S.D. Gordon stated, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers affirms, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work…Prayer is the battle; it is a matter of indifference where you are. Whichever way God engineers circumstances, the duty is to pray.”

Nehemiah was a godly leader; and Nehemiah was a man of prayer. It has been discovered, that on average, one out of every ten verses in the book of Nehemiah is a reference to prayer. Clearly, prayer was not an afterthought or secondary in the heart and work of Nehemiah – prayer was at the forefront of everything Nehemiah sought to undertake.

One might be a successful leader in society apart from prayer, but prayer is essential for those who aspire to become godly leaders. There is no greater example in Scripture for leadership than the Lord Jesus Christ. It cannot be denied that He was a successful leader. Remember, leaders influence others. Jesus took a group of uneducated men and prepared them to turn the world upside-down with the gospel. However, it is impossible to study the life and ministry of Jesus and miss the premium He placed on prayer. If Nehemiah and Jesus recognized the urgent need for prayer, surely those who aspire to lead within the church ought to be committed to prayer as well.

As we continue our series on godly leadership, I want to examine the attributes of Nehemiah’s prayer within the text as we consider: The Prayer of a Godly Leader.

I. A Prayer of Recognition (5) – And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments. As Nehemiah began his prayer unto the Lord, he began with recognition of God. He is the LORD, (Yahweh). This is God’s personal name, speaking of His sovereign, redemptive nature. Nehemiah recognized the supremacy of the LORD. He is the God of heaven, creator and sustainer of all. None compare to our God or rival His rule and existence.

Nehemiah recognized the Lord as the great and terrible (awesome) God. He was well aware of the power and majesty of the Lord. This was not a small undertaking that Nehemiah sought to pursue. The work was great and opposition was strong. Nehemiah realized if he was to be successful in this great endeavor, he would need the help and provision of the Lord. Fortunately, he served One who stood above all others; there is no God besides Him. Nehemiah could face the daunting task ahead with confidence – knowing the Lord would guide and equip him.

As Nehemiah prayed, he was also reminded of the faithfulness of God. He is the God who keeps His covenant and extends mercy to those who love Him and keep His commandments. God had proven Himself faithful for generations. He had kept a remnant in Babylon, allowing them to return to Jerusalem. Nehemiah had experienced God’s faithfulness and he faced the task before him knowing God would prove faithful in his life as well.

No doubt you will agree that we need godly leaders in our day. We live in a day with similarities to Nehemiah’s day. We do not live within a walled city with the walls in disrepair, but we do live in a day when the walls of faith within our nation are in disrepair. We live in a generation that is experiencing unprecedented opposition to the gospel and the work of the church. The task before us is great. However, we do not walk alone. The Lord is calling those who will rise to the occasion and lead in this difficult time. As He does, those called into leadership can do so with confidence, knowing the LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, the one who abides faithful has called and will equip us for the task ahead. Phil.4:13 – I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

II. A Prayer of Confession (6-7) – 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. 7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the command-ments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. Following recognition of God’s nature and power, Nehemiah offered a prayer of confession. This flows naturally from the heart of one who is aware of God’s holy and righteous nature. Upon being reminded of the majesty of God, Nehemiah was immediately reminded of their sin and rebellion. He humbly comes before the Lord, pleading for God to be attentive to his prayer.