Hey, y'all! Before you start reading, I just want to say, "Hey," and introduce myself. I'm a mom of 4 kids and the wife of a youth pastor. And let me just tell you, I was not "born to" do either of those roles. But God has called me to these things, and I'm learning to lean into my weaknesses. Because that's where His awesome power takes over.
We're about to start reading through the Book of Nehemiah, and I'm putting my notes here on this blog. I am not a Bible scholar. I don't have a degree from a Seminary or even a bookshelf full of commentaries. But I do have something even better. Jesus says that when you accept Him as the leader of your life, you get the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is able to walk you through and explain to your heart things in Scripture that might have seemed impossible to understand before. That's all I'm taking with me as I read through His Word. And it's EVERYTHING.
So why don't you jump in with me and see what God has to teach us through Nehemiah...and leave me a note in the comments so I know you stopped by!
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Chapter 1
v2 Nehemiah is out of touch with this homeland, and when he hears the news of destruction, he is devastated.
v4 I've noticed as I've looked ahead that Nehemiah prays a lot. A LOT. And I've started keeping a note of when and how he prays. Here we see the beseeching prayer--a prayer to pray when you are in desperate need--weeping and mourning. Sometimes you don't even have words. Your tears are your prayers, and God hears every one.
v6 "I and my father's house have sinned." 1st person. Taking responsibility for the sin, even though he wasn't directly guilty. He is aligning himself with his people, even though he has been separated from them. This is a beautiful example of empathy, and a picture of what Jesus does for us. He doesn't point his finger and shake his fist at us. He gets down in the pit, wraps us in His love, and feels our pain. He stands between us and the Father.
v8 Scriptural prayer - remembering God's words and promises and speaking them back to God. This is a prayer of thanksgiving, trust, and an act of faith. I like to think God loves it when we remember His words and apply them to our lives, even in conversation with Him.
Chapter 2
v4 Silent prayer - prayer when you are in immediate need of help. There is no time for lengthy prayers full of descriptive beautiful words. Sometimes it's just a single word, "help!"
I read somewhere that the two most important prayers in anyone's life are "Help Me" and "Thank you."
v8 "The good hand of God was on me." His success with the king wasn't about his diction or poise, his timing or his tact. He gave all credit for his success to the Lord. "Thank you"
v17-18 Nehemiah lays out his plan for the people. Remember what Nehemiah's job was? He was the cupbearer to the king. He wasn't a city planner or construction worker. He didn't have expertise in contracting labor or even leading large groups of people. Yet God asked him to do it.
v19 Mocking, accusing, insulting, despising. Sanballat and Tobiah are the enemies of this project, and their voices are very much like our Enemy. When you read about them in this story, try not to relate them too closely to people in your life, but rather the Enemy of your Soul. I think it will change how you see them. Sometimes it feels like our enemy is human, but that's a distraction from the powers that we are really fighting.
The things that Sanballat and Tobiah are saying against God's people and the project that GOD HIMSELF tasked them with, sound so much like the things Satan tries to wedge into our hearts, almost every day. And our response to him should be the same:
"The God of Heaven will give us success." The mockers had no portion, right, or memorial in this land. Just as Satan has no claim on our hearts when we are redeemed by Christ. He can mock, accuse, slander, insult, and discourage. But we don't have to listen to those empty words. The God of Heaven will give us success.
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Ahhh! Are you noticing how right off the bat this book is piercing through things that you are dealing with RIGHT NOW? I love that about Scripture. Before we go, I want to keep a running list of how and when Nehemiah uses prayer in his life.
BESEECHING PRAYER - a prayer to pray when you are in desperate need--weeping and mourning. Sometimes you don't even have words. Your tears are your prayers, and God hears every one. (Nehemiah 1:4)
SCRIPTURAL PRAYER - remembering God's words and promises and speaking them back to God. This is a prayer of thanksgiving, trust, and an act of faith. I like to think God loves it when we remember His words and apply them to our lives, even in conversation with Him. (Nehemiah 1:8-9)
PRAYER OF ACTION - when you are about to do something that you cannot do without God's help. Prayer for success in what you know God is leading you to do. If you like bold statements and beautiful words, this is a good time to pray those things! (Nehemiah 1:11)
SILENT PRAYER - prayer when you are in immediate need. There is no time for lengthy prayers full of descriptive beautiful words. Maybe it's just a single word, "Help!" (Nehemiah 2:4)
PRAYER OF EXULTATION - proclaiming God's work in your life. Making a statement that He is the reason for your success. In this instance, Nehemiah was just remembering that God's hand was on him, and that's why the king granted his request. Not all prayers start with, "Dear God..." You can pray this prayer while writing in your journal, posting on Facebook, or talking with a friend. It's a prayer of testimony. (Nehemiah 2:8)
HIDDEN PRAYER - sometimes God places something on your heart that is too precious or fragile to talk about it. It could be a hope or a dream. A task that seems impossible. And idea that is still forming. A desire of your heart that you can't even speak out loud to Him, let alone to anyone else. But he knows it. He put that desire in you. It's OK to have secrets that are just between you and Him. He's the Lover of your Soul.(Nehemiah 2:11)
That's all I've found so far in this passage, but if I missed one, let me know! I don't know about you, but I'm inspired to explore prayer on a deeper level. The variety of ways to communicate with God are mounting up!
Next time: Nehemiah 3-4
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