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Back to Sermons Index Back to Home Page 2nd March 2008 AMPRAYER IS THE KEY ! Pastor Colin Meadows Nehemiah 1:1-11, Philippians 4:4-7
Ø Why did you come to church this morning? We have probably come this morning for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you came out of a sense of need, of wanting to refresh you spiritual journey, perhaps out of habit, having done so for years, perhaps because your spouse or parent or friend encouraged you to come! I sense however that deep down in each of our lives we are also here to encounter God, to draw closer in understanding who he is and what he desires for our lives. We want to draw closer to God, the Holy One and thus make better sense of life. How does this encounter with God take place? Is there a focus that will help us in our quest to know our Lord better? What should be the critical central issue that governs our journey towards knowing God more deeply? Nehemiah, whose record we find in the book of the same name, encountered God in a deep and rich way. His great quest in life was to be a person of faith, a man who drew from God the wisdom, patience, skill and perseverance that he needed to accomplish the great task that God had given to him. He lived a focused effective life because at the centre of his life was his consistent communion with God in prayer. To highlight this truth there are nine recorded prayers in the book. Prayer was the key to Nehemiah growing to know God and to discovering the purpose for his life. Prayer will be the key for us too. In order however to understand Nehemiah’s story, we need some historical perspective. Ø A quick history lesson For a long period of time the people of Israel had disobeyed God. Warning after warning from the prophets had gone unheeded. Then the unbelievable happened – in 586AD the Babylonian army invaded the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem fell. The treasured temple was destroyed and most of the people taken into captivity to Babylon. Just a remnant was left behind in the land to eke out a precarious existence. It was an unimaginable disaster of the largest proportions. This period of judgment of God’s people continued until 538BC. At that time King Cyrus of Persia overthrew Babylon and permitted the Israelites to return. We read their story in the book of Ezra. Ezra 1:1,3 “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing… Anyone of his people among you – may his God be with him, let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah…” Following this decree, a large group of Israelites returned and struggled to reclaim the land. The task before them seemed impossible. Ezra himself arrived around 458BC, to be followed later by Nehemiah around 445BC. The stories of the two men are so interwoven that at the time of Christ the two books were referred to as one. Later during the time of Origen in the third century AD the books were again separated, as we have them today in our bibles. Why study a book like Nehemiah, you may ask, that was written so long ago? What we can we possibly learn from a story that related to events so far removed from our situation today? We study God’s Word because it is a timeless book. God in his amazing book has vitally important lessons for us to learn, lessons that we need to understand in order to live effectively in our days. God gave clear instructions to Joshua about the vital need to ponder God’s Word: Joshua 1:8 “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Timothy in his writings also reminds us of the vital importance of studying God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Nehemiah heard of the terrible situation his people were in and it seemed to be an impossible job but he succeeded! How was this possible? It was possible because Nehemiah’s life was focused around and fueled by prayer. Let us thus explore the amazing story of a man who knew the central and critical importance of communing with God. What can we learn about prayer from this great man? I find we can summarize Nehemiah’s life under some key statements about prayer: Ø Prayer is essential if we are to cope in challenging times Nehemiah heard from his brother, Hanani, what was happening to his people back in Jerusalem and he was cut to the core. Nehemiah 1:3 “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” It was a very dismal scene. The remnant was in great trouble and disgrace, the walls of the city were broken down and the gates burnt with fire. The land was in ruins. It all seemed just too hard. For 93 years little had been done to rebuild. Perhaps you feel a bit like that today, not sure just where to start. Many things have happened that have set you back. What should you do? Start by getting on your knees in prayer. Focus on God and turn your eyes in his direction. King David knew which way to turn when things went bad. Psalm 25:15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.” Keep your eyes on God and your heart open in prayer towards him. Martin Luther noted ‘prayer is the most important thing in my life. If I should neglect prayer for a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith.’ Yes, prayer is essential to cope in challenging times. Ø Prayer flows from a heart that is soft towards God and people Prayer is not about us demanding our rights, of storming into God’s presence and shouting out our requests. Prayer begins by us humbling ourselves before our holy and majestic God. John Bunyan noted ‘in prayer it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.” Listen to what happened with Nehemiah. Nehemiah 1:4 “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” On hearing the tragic news, Nehemiah could have climbed onto his soapbox and became very angry with God for allowing such a calamity to come upon his people. He could have questioned why God would permit such things to have happened! Why, God, why? On the other hand, he could have washed his hands of his people. They had walked away from God and were now getting what they deserved. Leave them there to suffer the consequences of their rebellion. Instead Nehemiah’s heart was soft both towards God and towards sinful people. We need to be the same. Frederick Beck noted ‘If you are swept off your feet it is time to get on your knees.’ If we wish to draw near to God, we need to do so with soft hearts, hearts that is open to listen and to learn. King David had such an attitude. When his life fell apart after he his episode with Bathsheba, his heart was broken. Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” The word for ‘broken’ here means to be ‘smashed into pieces’. What is the condition of your heart today? How soft is your heart towards God? The Bible talks a lot about the heart for it is the center of our being. When we are soft towards God, then we will be soft towards others. The two will always be together. If you have a harsh attitude towards other people, check how you feel towards God. Yes, Nehemiah teaches us that prayer flows from a heart that is soft towards God and towards others. Ø Prayer remembers the faithfulness of God Nehemiah then reflected on what God had done in the past. Prayer is like that – it looks back and remembers: Nehemiah 1:5 “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel.” To say that God is faithful means that he can be trusted. He keeps his covenant of love, established so long ago. What God has said we will do. We can promise something then forget what we said when circumstances change. God is not like that. He keeps his word. He is faithful. He cannot deny his own character. 1 Corinthians 1:9 “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” God can be trusted to do what he has promised. As you read the amazing promises of God, after each one say ‘Yes, God, this is true, because you have said it and you are faithful’. Look at one example and remember: Hebrews 13:5 “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Prayer remembers the faithfulness of God. Ø Prayer acknowledges our own sinfulness Nehemiah was very aware that he was a sinner just like everyone else. He did not put himself up above his people. He confessed that he was a sinner just like them. Nehemiah 1:6b “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly towards you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.” Nehemiah acknowledged that he was just like them all, a man who had sinned and walked away from God. He identified with his sinful community. We must do likewise. Let us not pretend that we are perfect and put ourselves above others. As has often been said, the ground in front of the cross is level. Prayer acknowledges that for those who are burdened with grief, their greatest need is not immediate relief from present trouble but eternal forgiveness. The sad part of the story is that God is far more willing to forgive than we are to confess. Let us acknowledge our sinfulness. 1 John 1:8-9 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. “ Prayer acknowledges our own sinfulness. Ø Prayer humbly asks for God’s favor After humbly submitting to God, Nehemiah asked for God’s favor as he prepared to go into the presence of the king. Nehemiah 1:11 “Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man. I was cupbearer to the king.” As cupbearer to the king, Nehemiah’s position was very strategic but also precarious. His role included the task of tasting the wine before the king drank, of checking to see that it was not poisoned. He had been carefully chosen by the king for this special task. He thus had the confidence of the king and had been placed there by God for this very time for a very special purpose. Now he was stepping out into the unknown. He sensed God was drawing him on a journey where there were likely to be more questions than answers. But he was willing to go!! He knew that he could not change the heart of the king but God could. King Artaxerxes had earlier ordered work on the rebuilding of the city and its walls to stop. Ezra 4:21 “Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.” Nehemiah stepped out in faith and put his life on the line. We too must be willing to step out in faith each day and ask for God’s favor to be granted. Nehemiah prayed for favor or ‘mercy’ before the king. This rich word is so hard to translate into English. It speaks of God’s loving kindness or deep heartfelt compassion. It is compassion extended towards someone in great need. We are needy people, desperate for the favor of God. Let us humbly ask for his help. Note that Nehemiah asked for favor in the presence of ‘this man’. In those days, kings were seen as semi-divine, people high above the realm of everyone else. Nehemiah did not see the king in this manner. He saw him merely as another human being. Are you afraid of someone who seems so much more powerful than you? Remember in God’s eyes they are just ‘a man’ or ‘a woman’. He is the one who is ultimately in control. Note also that Nehemiah was a cupbearer. He was not a prophet, nor a priest, nor of royal blood. He was what one commentator called ‘a dedicated layman’!! I love that phrase for it reminds me that God delights in taking willing committed people to bring about his eternal purposes. He wants to do that with you today! Are you ready for the challenge! Donald Coggan remarked ‘Really to pray is to stand to attention in the presence of the King and to be prepared to take orders from Him.’ Is prayer the central focus of your life? It was for Nehemiah and for so many Christians down through the ages. Abraham Lincoln was one of the most loved and respected of the US presidents. He said on one occasion “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 those about me seemed insufficient for the day.” Let us live our lives in like manner. Yes, prayer is the key.
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