The passage I read
was Nehemiah 1:1-11
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
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.
As I reflect:
The reason verse 4
stood out to me the most is because it was an immediate reaction. I think as Christians far too often prayer
seems to be our last resort when hardships come. Not enough money for rent? It seems in such a circumstance that we first
ask friends if they can do a loan, then we ask family for the help, then if all
else fails, it’s off to the bank for an advance. If they turn you down you go to a payday loan
place and begin a cycle that will keep you in debt to the world till you die. One day inevitably your loans have built up
and there is just no more loaning available for you and you hear the threat of
losing your home. Then you go to your
facebook friends and your job where you continue seeking overtime to keep up
with the finance of your lifestyle. The
whole while God waits for you to come to Him so that He might teach you how to
live within the blessings He has already provided you. Why do we wait so often till that last second
to pray to God?
Nehemiah sets for us
multiple examples here as he immediately falls weak in the knees into mournful
prayer and fasting for others.
1st –
Prayer should be the first thing we do.
2nd – We
ought to care greatly not only for Israel today, but also for all of the
extended, adopted family of God who are under persecution today.
3rd –
There are times when fasting ought to accompany our prayers.
4th –
When we pray (regardless of the topic) we should be humble and honest before
God.
Nehemiah emulated
all of the above statements in his reaction to the news of great persecution
among the people of God. His love for
the body of Christ was evident in his great pain and mourning over their pain
and persecution. His trust for God was
evident in that he didn’t first ask, “who can do something about this?”. He instead immediately went to the One whom
he knew could do all things. His
humility and honesty were evident in his open self inclusion into guilt as a
participating member of a sinful people.
He prays for forgiveness. And
lastly, it is evident that he is aware just what God he is talking to; “the God
of heaven, the great and awesome God”.
Nehemiah was already praying in a very similar pattern to the example
Jesus would set years later. He already
understood much of the formula to approach and he prayed with patient yet
persistent petition to the Lord, that his request would be made known. We likewise should pray in the same ways and
remember to make it a first reaction instead of last.
My response to the
Lord: not written
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