To have a burden does not equate to making a difference. To have a vision is not to know victory. It is the performance that brings the blessing. Upon hearing the words of the destruction of Jerusalem, Nehemiah responded.
It Takes a Person of Prayer. Nehemiah 1:4-11
· The first thing we notice about Nehemiah’s prayer is that it is intense. When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. v.4 Real prayer is never easy. Our prayer is often an attempt to manipulate from God what we want or need. But man's manipulation does not equal God's MOTIVATION.
· Next we see that his prayer is informed v.5-11 I said, "I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father's house have sinned. "We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. "Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.' "They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. "O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man." Now I was the cupbearer to the king. Nehemiah 1:4-11
His prayer was clear about who God is and the covenant He had made with man. He was also honest about the way the people had responded. He pulled no punches about the failures of God’s people and confessed openly their sin. The relationship with God was accurate.
It is interesting to note that when people have a desperate need, they become very honest about things. As a father pleads for the healing of his son, he is made immediately aware of where he has been in his relationship with God. The prayer of Nehemiah is not unlike the prayers of those today who sincerely want God’s help. How many times has a preacher heard, “I know I have not been as faithful to God as I should have been and yet I know that He has promised to hear me. I am so sorry for the things I have done and I want God to hear my prayer.” This may even be a prayer you have prayed at some time in your life.
To turn vision to victory with the help of God we learn that it begins with intense, honest prayer.
Scripture to Claim:
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:18
