LIFESTYLE PRINCIPLES BY WHICH GOD’S WILL MAY BE DONE IN OUR LIVES
Might we pray this way - “Thy will be done in my city as it is in Heaven“ . . . ‘Thy will be done in my Senior Adult Community as it is in Heaven” . . . “Thy will be done in my habitat as it is in Heaven” . . . ”Thy will be done in my own life as it is in Heaven.”
When we pray that way, we are asking God to help us live in such a way that we may experience a bit of Heaven on earth.
In a previous series we considered different aspects of “Why We Are Here” . . . We concluded that we are on our way to the perfect place prepared by the Lord, as depicted by John in his vision of the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
If we really want God’s Will be done on earth as it in Heaven, then we must be about the Father’s business - building His kingdom where we are now, doing so in accordance with biblical principles, set forth by God’s servants, who poured out their hearts to God in a prayers of confession and submission.
In our next six studies, we will see that one of God’s servants, Nehemiah, not only was led to rebuild walls but also to help rebuild broken lives, to bring about that which was best for those who loved God and were called to do His Will.
This rebuilding process occurred five centuries before Christ when many of the Jews who had been exiled to Babylon were granted permission to go back to Jerusalem to restore what their enemies had destroyed. The returnees finished rebuilding the Temple but, for decades, the absence of walls and gates left the city without protection.
When Nehemiah - a Jew who had merited a high position in the king’s court – asked about conditions in his beloved city, and was told that Jerusalem was in shambles, he became distressed and poured out his heart to God – Nehemiah 1:1-11 . . .
Nehemiah is more than a story about rebuilding walls . . . It is my hope that, beginning today, and continuing five more weeks, we will gain insight into that aspect of the story which shows clearly that In difficult situations, God works through His servants to do three things:
rebuild lives stressed out by the consequences of disobeying God . . .
restore hearts distressed by seemingly insurmountable circumstances . . .
reset the criterion by which we are to build or rebuild lives including ours . . .
If we, like Nehemiah, desire to know and do God’s Will - as it is in Heaven, we must respond as did he by pouring out our hearts to God . . . We must get in touch with our Father which art in Heaven. Praying to God our Father is always the right response to any challenging situation which we face in life!
When crisis occurs in our “city” of habitation, someone dials 911 whereupon first responders arrive to assess the situation and then act upon their assessment in ways that will help not harm.
When we become aware of a crisis whether it affects us directly or indirectly . . . and we are moved to tears by a genuine concern for folks whose lives have been, are being, or will be affected by the crisis, shouldn’t we in a very real sense become first responders by taking our concern to the Lord in prayer?
Genuine concern for the plight of people wandering around like sheep with no shepherd . . . plundering through the ashes of ruined lives . . . wondering what tomorrow might bring in the way of relief from whatever may be the woe that has befallen them . . . moves a child of God to tears. Nehemiah wept . . . Jesus wept . . . “Weep o’er the ‘erring ones, lift up the fallen”!
Genuine character surfaces when a godly person becomes aware of a dire need that calls for a merciful response and acts accordingly. That Nehemiah was honest and trustworthy is evidenced by his important position – cupbearer . . .
Although he controlled the king’s time and kept the king’s signet ring at all times, Nehemiah’s loyalty to the Babylonian king did not supersede his allegiance to the God of his fathers, nor did it preclude his longing for a restored Jerusalem.
Yes, Nehemiah could have insulated himself from the plight of his kinsfolk so far away, but his godly character was such that he still had that longing in his heart for their salvation and restoration.
Yes! If you have a longing in your heart for the well-being of someone you love, you devote yourself to doing whatever needs to be done, whenever it needs to be done, for as long as it needs to be done. Genuine concern . . . character . . . commitment!
Genuine commitment to the well-being of another always seeks to act it out in accordance with God’s Will.
Therefore, to pray to God as a first response comes naturally to God’s devoted servant - not that God needs our prayer, but we need God’s answer to our prayer. “It is not our prayers that move God; it is God who moves us to pray.”
That Nehemiah prayed about one specific matter for a period of four months in no way suggests that the Lord God had to be convinced by much-praying to answer prayer. No! It was Nehemiah whose willingness to act in accordance with God’s Will had to be cultivated to the point of readiness on Nehemiah’s part.
A key element in getting ready to move at God’s command is to condition oneself for the “battle” that lies ahead by recalling - even rehearsing if need be - the greatness of the Lord God whom we worship and serve - as did Nehemiah - 1:5 . . . as did Jesus – “Hallowed be Thy Name”!
Anytime we who look to the Lord for direction, provision, protection and salvation extol the greatness of God, inevitably we see ourselves as we are seen by God and others - sinners in need of repentance and restoration.
Genuine confession is absolutely essential if society is to rid itself of the sins of contempt and corruption that so easily beset a city; we have no chance of rising above the consequences of disobedience without the help of Almighty God.
A confession of brokenness is the sinner’s prayer that God is waiting to hear - from sinners who by words have denied God’s authority and by actions have defied His commandments! Until such a prayer is genuinely prayed from our hearts to God, expect no change for the better . . . more of the same . . . stress and distress.
However, “If my people called by my Name will 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.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Nehemiah appealed to God’s promise of restoration based on returning to the Lord! So must we! Unless there is returning, we will just keep on churning!
Did God need to be reminded of His promise? No! Nehemiah needed to reach that critical point in praying --- reminding himself what God said would be the basis for keeping His promise: “If you return to me, and carefully observe my commands”.
Nehemiah prayed himself “ready” because he had never lost sight of God’s objective for instructing God’s people to pray: “I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my Name dwell.”
Christians must never lose sight of our objective in praying as instructed by Jesus: “Thy kingdom come. Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” If God’s Will is to be done in the place where we dwell . . . in our “city” of residence . . . in our habitat . . . on earth as it is in Heaven, we must pray ourselves “ready”!
Our praying must be genuine – based on genuine concerns by persons of genuine character which manifests itself in genuine commitment derived from genuine confession.
God honors genuine praying! Therefore, may we genuinely pray . . . after the manner that Jesus taught us to pray . . . Amen.
