True Value: Prayer
Text: Nehemiah 1:1-11
Introduction
1. Illustration: Knowing that intercessory prayer is our mightiest weapon and the supreme call for all Christians today, I pleadingly urge our people everywhere to pray. Believing that prayer is the greatest contribution that our people can make in this critical hour, I humbly urge that we take time to pray--to really pray. Let there be prayer at sunup, at noonday, at sundown, at midnight--all through the day. Let us all pray for our children, our youth, our aged, our pastors, our homes. Let us pray for our churches. Let us pray for ourselves, that we may not lose the word ’concern’ out of our Christian vocabulary. Let us pray for our nation. Let us pray for those who have never known Jesus Christ and redeeming love, for moral forces everywhere, for our national leaders. Let prayer be our passion. Let prayer be our practice. Robert E. Lee.
2. Prayer should not only be one of our highest values, but also our highest priority.
3. Leonard Revenhill, in his classic book, Why Revival Tarries, wrote "Poverty stricken as the church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer. We have many organizers, but agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere" (23).
4. There are many types of prayers. There are:
a. Help, Lord, I’m in trouble prayers
b. Forgive me, Lord, I blew it prayers
c. Come on, Lord, You promised prayers
d. Give us success, Lord, prayers
5. Read Nehemiah 1:1-11
Proposition: As Christians, prayer is our number one responsibility.
Transition: First, there are...
I. Help, Lord, I’m In Trouble Prayers (1-4)
A. Mourned, Fasted, and Prayed
1. Verse 1 begins with "These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah."
a. Outside of this book very little is know about Nehemiah.
b. We do know that he was the "cupbearer" of King Artaxerxes. It was his job to taste the King’s wine first so that he know it was not poisoned.
c. Being the cupbearer for the King was more than just a servants position, and it was actually a place of honor and responsibility.
d. However, he was not a priest or a prophet. He was just a working man who cared for his people, loved God, and believed in the power of prayer.
2. One day, his brother, and some other men who had just returned with some of the remnant who had gone to Jerusalem, came to see him and he asked them how things were going in Jerusalem.
a. Undoubtedly, he was very excited about the fact that some of the people had returned to Jerusalem to reestablish the city and rebuild what had been destroyed before the exile.
b. He was hoping to hear good news from them, but his hopes soon turned to horror.
3. Instead of telling him good news, they told him very bad news. They said, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”
a. You see, when the returned to Jerusalem they encountered opposition, and the people of the land fought against them to keep them from rebuilding.
b. Jerusalem still lay in ruins from its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar II 140 years earlier.
c. Most importantly, a city that had its walls and gates broken down was entirely vulnerable to outside aggression (Matthews, Chavalas, & Walton, 2000. The IVP Bible background commentary : Old Testament (electronic ed.) . InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, IL).
d. They couldn’t protect themselves, their families, or the Temple.
4. Nehemiah was beside himself. The text says, "When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven."
a. He was beyond sadness or depression, for this news tore him apart.
b. However, I want you to notice something very important about Nehemiah: he didn’t just wallow in self-pity but did the only thing he could do.
c. He fasted and prayed to the God of heaven.
d. You see, people of faith do get down and discouraged, but they also know how to deal with it. They go to the Lord in fasting and prayer.
e. Just like Jesus, they pray to their heavenly Father.
B. In Times of Trouble
1. Illustration: I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day (Abraham Lincoln).
2. Contrary to the opinion of some, Christians will occasionally face times of trouble.
a. All of the great people of faith in the Bible faced times of difficulty and crisis.
b. Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, John, Paul, and Jesus himself, all faced trials.
c. We are imperfect people and we live in a fallen world.
d. There will be hard times.
3. The question isn’t will we face hard times, but what will we do when we get there?
a. Are you going to whine and complain about what you’re going through, or are you going to do something about it.
b. When the going gets tough, the tough get on their knees.
c. Instead of worrying about the situation we’re in, we need to go to the one who can change the situation.
d. We can go into a tailspin, or we can go to God.
4. We serve a God who:
a. Who hears us when we call
b. Answers us when we pray
c. Does the impossible
d. Will not leave us or forsake us
Transition: Because we are imperfect people, we also need to pray...
II. Forgive Me, Lord, I Blew It Prayers (5-7)
A. We Have Sinned
1. Nehemiah begins his prayer “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer!"
a. This is a prayer of repentance. His objective is to seek God’s help, but he realizes that before he can expect God’s help he needs to make things right.
b. Psalm 66:18 (NLT)
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
c. He knew that if he did not confess his own sins and the sins of the nation that God would not listen.
2. We also need to notice something else. The introduction to this prayer is not an attempt to butter God up, but rather, he is reminding the Lord that He is a God who keeps His promises.
a. He reminds the Lord that His love is a covenant love.
b. It comes from the Hebrew word hessed, which "means the quality that honors a covenant through thick and thin" (Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM).
c. He is telling the Lord that He has always been faithful to them even when they were faithless.
d. 2 Timothy 2:13 (NLT)
If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.
3. Nehemiah then continues his prayer by saying "Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned!"
a. First, he shows the sincerity of his repentance by pointing out that he has been praying "day and night."
b. He is saying, "Lord, you can see the sincerity of my heart by how earnestly I have been praying."
c. Then notice that he prays for the sins of the nation. He says, "we have sinned against you."
d. We are just as guilty before God for our nations sins as we are our own sins.
e. However, he also shows that he is as guilty as anyone. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned!"
f. He includes himself and his family in the disobedience of the nation. He realized that the problems they were having they brought upon themselves.
4. Then he acknowledges the nature of their sin. He says, "We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses."
a. Repeatedly, God reminded Israel that if they kept the stipulations of the covenant, they would be blessed beyond measure, but if they disobeyed the covenant they would be cursed.
b. And they disobeyed God anyway!
c. The exile and destruction of Jerusalem the first time was a direct result of their unwillingness to repent of their sins, and they were still reaping the consequences.
B. Confession
1. Illustration: In his book I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that the church’s integrity problem is in the misconception "that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior." He goes on to say, "It is revival without reformation, without repentance."
2. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
3. It is time for the Church to repent.
a. The word repent means to turn around and walk away from something...our sin!
b. Repent of our apathy
c. Repent of our prayerlessness
d. Repent of selfishness
e. Repent of our worldliness
4. It is time for individuals to repent.
a. Repent of our greed
b. Repent of our complaining
c. Repent of our bitterness
d. Repent of our faithlessness
5. It is time we pray prayers of forgiveness.
a. The bad news is we have sinned against God.
b. The good news is He forgives if we ask.
c. 1 John 1:9 (NLT)
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
d. God is willing to forgive, but are we willing to pray for His forgiveness?
e. Asking for forgiveness means humbling ourselves.
f. Asking for forgiveness means acknowledging our shortcomings.
g. Asking for forgiveness means putting yourself in the hands of a holy God.
Transition: There are also...
III. Come On, Lord, You Promised Prayers (8-9)
A. Please Remember
1. God loves to be reminded of His promises.
a. He does not find it arrogant at all, but simply being obedient to what He has told us to do.
b. Joshua 1:8 (NLT)
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
c. Reminding Him of what He has said simply means that we have studied the Book.
2. This is exactly what Nehemiah does. He tells the Lord, “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations."
a. Nehemiah is aware that the exile and the depressed condition that Israel now finds it self in is the fulfillment of God’s promise (Williamson, WBC: Ezra/Nehemiah, 173).
b. He says, "Lord, you told us this would happen if we did not obey you. You only gave us what we deserved."
c. He acknowledges that the Lord was right to bring judgment on them, but...
3. He also reminds the Lord of what else He said, "But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’"
a. He exclaims, "Yes, Lord, you were right to judge us, but we are repenting and you promised if we returned to you, you would return to us.
b. Zechariah 1:3 (NLT)
Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’
c. Nehemiah says to the Lord, "You said if we returned to you, you would take us back. Now, Lord, keep your promise."
B. Standing On the Promises
1. Illustration: There is an old song that says, "Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God."
2. God loves to be reminded of His promises because He knows He’s never broken one.
a. Not one promise of God’s word has ever failed.
b. Not one promise of God’s word has ever come short.
c. Not one promise of God’s word has ever returned without accomplishing what He set it out to do.
3. God loves to be reminded of His promises because He knows they have held up to the test of time.
a. They never grow old
b. They never grow weary
c. They never wear out
d. They are never irrelevant
e. They are as true today as they were thousands of year ago.
4. God loves to be reminded of His promises because He knows they are true.
a. John 17:17 (NIV)
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
b. Because God’s word is truth, we can rely on it.
c. Because God’s word is truth, we can stand on it.
d. Because God’s word is truth, it cannot fail.
Transition: There are also...
IV. Give Us Success, Lord, Prayers (10-11)
A. Grant Me Success
1. Nehemiah reminds the Lord that these people, even though they are sinful, are still His people.
2. He says, “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants."
a. Two things are at stake here, and the first one is God’s people.
b. They maybe obstinate, stiff-necked, and rebellious, but they are still His people, and if He does not intervene they will be destroyed.
3. The second thing that is at stake is God’s reputation.
a. This goes back to end of v. 9, which says, "...I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’"
b. He is saying, "God if you let your people and your city be destroyed it’s going to make you look bad."
c. Now, this maybe an underhanded way to get God to act on his behalf, but Nehemiah is not the first one to do it.
d. If it worked for them, it might just work for me.
4. Then Nehemiah says, "O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”
a. Since God’s people and God’s name are at stake, he asks for God to step in.
b. You see it was King Artaxerxes who commanded the the rebuilding stop.
c. Ezra 4:21-22 (NLT)
Therefore, issue orders to have these men stop their work. That city must not be rebuilt except at my express command. Be diligent, and don’t neglect this matter, for we must not permit the situation to harm the king’s interests.”
d. Nehemiah knew that if God didn’t help him he would not succeed in getting the King to reverse his decision.
e. He asks God to give him favor with the King, because he knew that the Lord was a God who could sway the hearts of men.
B. God’s Favor
1. Illustration: An organization in Montana once offered a bounty of five thousand dollars for every wolf captured alive. Two hunters named Sam and Jed decided to head for the hills and make some money capturing wolves. Day and night they scoured the mountains and forests searching for their valuable prey. Exhausted after three days of hunting without any success, they both fell asleep. During the night, Sam suddenly woke up to find that he and Jed were surrounded by a pack of fifty wolves, with flaming red eyes and bared teeth, snarling at the two hunters and preparing to pounce. Sam nudged Jed and said, "Hey, wake up! We’re gonna be rich!"
2. God wants you to be successful in your spiritual life.
a. He wants you to grow in faith.
b. He wants you to grow in wisdom.
c. He wants you to grow in knowledge
d. He wants you to grow in the Holy Spirit
3. God wants you to be successful in your relationships.
a. He wants you to be successful in marriage.
b. He wants you to be successful in parenthood.
c. He wants you to be successful in friendships.
d. He wants you to be successful in evangelism.
4. God wants you to be successful in your finances.
a. Now, I am not a prosperity preacher, but I’m not a poverty preacher either.
b. My Bible says that if I do with my money what God tells me to do, I will be successful.
c. Malachi 3:10 (NLT)
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
d. Does that sound like God wants you to be poor?
e. However, if we want what God promises, we have to do what God says!
Transition: The bottom line is, prayer works!
Conclusion
1. God answers prayer. He answers:
a. Help, Lord, I’m in trouble prayers
b. Forgive me, Lord, I blew it prayers
c. Come on, Lord, You promised prayers
d. Give us success, Lord, prayers
2. The problem is, God cannot answer prayers that you don’t pray.
3. Acts 2:42 (NLT)
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
4. Are you devoted to prayer?
