The setting is about 500 years before the time of Christ. God’s people had lived in Israel for centuries before. God had told them: “Obey Me and you’ll live in the land for a long time. Disobey Me and you’ll be carried off into captivity.” That’s what happened. The Babylonians came and conquered God’s people and took the leading citizens 1,000 miles away.
But the discipline was ending. Several years before Nehemiah’s day, some of God’s people were given permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild a broken down temple and a broken down city.
But the attempts to rebuild the protective wall around the city (destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC) had been frustrated by some ‘the enemies of Judah’ (Ezra 4:1, 7-16). As a result very few people lived in the capital city (Nehemiah 11:1). Jerusalem was a city of ruins.
Nehemiah lived in the royal city of Susa, the winter residence of Artaxerxes, the Persian king. Judah, the homeland of Nehemiah, was a thousand miles away.
Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king. He was more than a “butler”. A cupbearer held a position of great responsibility. At each meal, he tested the king’s wine and food to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. Of he died, then the king wouldn’t. Doesn’t sound like a great job. But think. A man who stood that close to the king in public had to be handsome, cultured, knowledgeable, and able to advise the king when asked. Because he had access to the king, the cupbearer was a man of great influence. The cupbearer was rather like a prime minister and master of ceremonies rolled into one.
Nehemiah was the right man in the right place for God to use. He had vision – vision to see a problem… and it’s solution. And because he had vision, he had hope.
Nehemiah’s routine was interrupted one day by a group of men who had come from Judah…The report was grim…
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol,
2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.
3 They said to me, "The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire."
Bad news came from Jerusalem: walls flattened, gates burned, morale low. But Nehemiah cared about the glory of God and the good of the people in Jerusalem. Now he hears that the Jerusalem Jews were living in desperate days.
Ruin, and reproach…Instead of a magnificent city, Jerusalem was in shambles; and where there had once been great glory, there was now nothing but great reproach.
God was being dishonored as long as Jerusalem lay waste. This was the place where the reality of God’s presence would be experienced in love and mercy by those who sought Him. It wasn’t happening, so Nehemiah was concerned.
The introduction to this sermon although a brief explanation of the contextual setting is a foretelling of what we see today in world, country, homes, relationships, schools, jobs, health, finances, children, and the church, BROKENNESS and RUINS.
And just as some of the people of Israel were given the permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, so it is we as believers have been given the permission to rebuild our world, our country, our homes, our relationships, our schools, our jobs, our health, our finances, our children, and our church.
Now let’s be true to ourselves and to one another, to rebuild is going to take hard work and diligence at the task. However, remember this one simple yet true reality, to rebuild is not impossible. And the life story of Nehemiah shows us that restoration is possible when done with the right way.
Nehemiah shows what it takes to rebuild and restore the broken down walls of our lives. Well, then the question to Nehemiah is; what does it take to rebuild and restore the ruins? Here’s his answer; PRAYER! The secret to Nehemiah’s success was not his knowledge, ability, who he knew, his influence, or even his money. The secret to Nehemiah’s success was PRAYER. Prayer is one of the overriding themes of the book of Nehemiah and the success of Nehemiah. There are prayer of anguish, joy, protection, dependence and commitment. It’s a story of compassionate, persistent, personal, and corporate prayer.
Thesis statement: If you forget anything else for the rest of study here in Nehemiah hold on to this one simple truth, rebuilding is not impossible if it is covered with believing prayer.
The story of Nehemiah gives us SIX (6) ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF PRAYER FOR REBUILDNG
THE PRIORITY OF PRAYER IN REBUILDING – v. 1-4
Here’s what verses 1-4 teach us regarding prayer in rebuilding: Before you do anything, start it with prayer! This is the lesson here and it’s a universal lesson to all who listen. Before you do anything, pray!
Nehemiah received bad news of what happened to the walls in Jerusalem. His immediate response was to start praying for many days.
This first point teaches us three things about the priority of prayer.
- Concern – We ought to be concerned with the state of the brokenness of our country, homes, relationships, finances, health, and our churches. But it teaches us that we should be concerned and not a victim.
- Consistency – Some would ask how long did Nehemiah pray? My answer would be “for many days”. The length of days is not the concern as much as the consistent act. In other words God is not concerned about how long you pray but that you’re praying consistently. That’s Paul, through the Holy Spirit, exhorts us to “pray without ceasing”. Because it’s not the length of days of concern but the act of praying consistently.
- Conduct – Now Nehemiah could have reacted with anger and depression. But he didn’t! He responded in faith. See to go from receiving bad news to prayer means that you know who can change the situation. Here’s where mess up we try to change the situation ourselves rather than giving to the one who can do more with and to the situation than we can.
THE PERSPECTIVE OF PRAYER IN REBUILDING – v. 5-11
• ADORATION – v. 5a – Nehemiah prays to the “Great and Awesome God” – When you focus on the person of God the situation doesn’t seem as bad as you think.
- Abraham knew of the greatness of God when he was willing to offer his son Isaac has a sacrifice
- Moses knew of the greatness of God when they approached the Red Sea and allowed across dry land
- Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego knew of the greatness of God they stood before king Nebachanezzar
- Daniel knew of the greatness of God when he prayed as was his custom and faced with a lions den dilemma
- Job knew of the greatness of God…
• SUBMISSION – v. 5b – If rebuilding is going to take place it must done with prayer coupled with the Word of God. We can’t rebuild based on our philosophy and opinions. We can only build and rebuild based on the Word of God. Which means we must teach the Word of God and submit to the Word of God.
• INTERCESSION – v. 6-11 - He didn’t start praying for himself! Verse six says that Nehemiah to God for the children of Israel day and night. Here’s the point, we cannot rebuild and forget about those who a part of the brokenness. In other words, you’re not the only person who’s been affected by the ruins. There are others involved as well. I know we have a tendency to forget about everybody else and focus solely on our needs wants, desires, and problems. But as people of God our blessing comes when learn to put others ahead of us.
And let me say this that as leaders of the church we have a responsibility to pray for those God placed us over. Our success in ministry is not as important as the people we minister to. And let me say to the membership, you’re not exempt because you have the responsibility of praying for one another as well.
Intercessory prayer is stepping into the gap for another. The reason why many of us are here today is because some body or some bodies prayed for us.
Don’t forget the people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER IN REBUILDING – 2:1-6
Why did Nehemiah pray? Nehemiah prayed out of concern for the destruction of Jerusalem. And the purpose of his prayer was for opportunity to rebuild the walls. The end of chapter 1, Nehemiah prays, “…grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Nehemiah was the cupbearer to king Artaxerxes and his sole purpose was to taste the king’s food and drink to make sure there was no poison before king started to eat. Now Nehemiah could have stayed right where he was in the palace if he was like some of us. See some of us when things are going pretty good for us when we hear news of tragedy hitting somebody else’s house we say that’s too bad. And it’s a response that’s that doesn’t affect me I’m in the palace and all is well.
But not Nehemiah! Nehemiah seized the opportunity. See we, in the church and as people of God, we need to learn to not fight for prestige and privileges but seek opportunities thru the avenue of prayer.
Nehemiah goes before the king Artaxerxes and the king notices something strange going on with Nehemiah. Nehemiah explains his broken heart over the broken city of Jerusalem. The king ask Nehemiah; “What do you request?” Nehemiah responds in verse 4; “So I prayed to the God of heaven.”
Here’s the lesson to learn; pray before you speak. We mess up a lot of things simply because we don’t know how to pray before we speak. We miss a number of opportunities because we don’t pray before we speak. We have doors closed in our face because we don’t pray before we speak. We have windows closed in our face because we don’t pray before we speak. Nehemiah prayed first and the result of that prayer lead him to make the right request; “Send me to Judah that I may rebuild it.”
Here’s the instruction so I can move on, the next time you’re asked “what do you request?” Tell them give me a minute to pray about it.
THE PROVISIONS PRAYER IN REBUILDING – 2:1-6
Nehemiah has been given the opportunity to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. However, his opportunity did not come empty handed.
- There are provisions made before the journey begins – v. 7-8
- There are provisions made during the journey to rebuild
• Army – v. 9
• Vision – v. 11-16
• Workers – 17-19 & ch. 3 – Now let me tell you what I see about the workers; they worked as a team. Secondly, everyone did they’re part.
THE PROTECTION OF PRAYER IN REBUILDING – 4:1-9
When Nehemiah received permission to rebuild the city of Jerusalem his trouble began immediately after the king had give the okay in verse 10 of chapter 1. It is there where we are introduced to Sandballot and Tobiah. Chapter 1 verse 10 says; “They got disturbed.”
But the troubled didn’t stop there because a few verse later we see Sandballot and Tobiah laughing at Nehemiah in verse 19 of chapter 1.
The trouble increases in chapter 4 verse 1 when Sandballat gets furious, very indignant, and mooched the Jews. Tobiah in chapter 4 verse 3 makes threats to tear down the walls.
When we get to verses 4-9 we find Nehemiah in prayer against their enemies (Sandballot and Tobiah). And in the midst of his prayer Sandballat and Tobiah gets very angry and begins to unfold a plan to attack Nehemiah and the Jews. But Nehemiah kept of praying in verse 9.
Here some encouraging words for us today.
- Prayer is the believers secret weapon in spiritual warfare – Ephesians 6:18-20
- Prayer protects us from the enemy
- Prayer give you endurance to fight against the enemies
Here’s something to hold on to, prayer keeps the assaults, criticisms, laughter, anger, and attacks of the enemy away long enough for us to rebuild the wall. There are times when prayer will stop the enemy while there are other times when prayer will keep them at arms distance. But whatever the case remember this, when we couple prayer and work together the enemy cannot stop the progress of rebuilding.
THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER IN REBUILDING – 4:10 – 6:14
- Keep on fighting – ch. 4:10-14
- Keep on Working – ch. 4: 15-18
- Keep on supporting – ch. 5
- Keep on Standing – ch. 6:1-14
Closing thought: Finish what you started!
