is god listening? Act II - An honest heart
Water cooler conversation:
What was your biggest win this week? What was your biggest challenge?
What’s the biggest change you’ve ever had to face?
Unpack the Message:
As Nehemiah begins to pray in Nehemiah 1:5-7, he addresses God as Yahweh, a name that is so much bigger than the English translation “Lord.” It encompasses His supernatural; one might even say terrifying power, majesty, love, and His eternality. He also calls Him “the God of heaven,” which is the formal Persian name for God.
Nehemiah, a Jew living in Persia, is reminding himself of God’s character while addressing Him with the honor due to the creator and sustainer of the universe. After 70 years of captivity in Babylon, God had kept His promise to restore His people to the Promised Land. Unfortunately, the promise appeared to be failing, so Nehemiah appeals to what he knows to be true of God’s character, reminding Him of the covenant as the basis by which He must intervene and honor His pledges to His people (Deuteronomy 7:9; Exodus 20:6; Exodus 34:6-7). God keeps His “covenant-love” with those who love Him and are in a covenant relationship with Him. Nehemiah was a man of faith who recognized who God is. As believers, it is imperative to put God’s majesty, power, and love in perspective. Without it, we cannot begin to comprehend the chasm between His holiness and our sinfulness, nor the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary. When we grasp how terrifying God is in His power, then we see that He is steadfast in love. Because of who He is, He conceived and implemented a plan for our salvation that reconciled us to Him. Only a God that is full of grace could be both terrifying and steadfast in love.
In verse 6, Nehemiah confesses that the Jews have acted wickedly against God through their disobedience. Nehemiah’s recognition of who God leads to his confession revealing who we are. Romans 3:23 reminds us that “All have sinned have fallen short of the glory of God.” Since the fall of man in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3), our sinful nature has separated humanity from a holy God. Therefore, we need to be mindful of three things: All have sinned; We have sinned; I have sinned.
As a nation, we have sinned against God. The only hope for America, or any other nation, is for the people of God to humbly fall on their knees like Nehemiah and cry out to God for forgiveness and revival. There is hope because God is a God of reconciliation and restoration. Romans 5:8 tells us that God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were dead in our sin, Christ died for us. Jesus took the penalty for our sin on Himself, and not only that, 2 Corinthians 5:21 promises that God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
Nehemiah’s prayer led him to be the catalyst for change the city of Jerusalem so desperately needed. God wants to do something powerful in our nation through His people. That can only happen if, like Nehemiah, we humble ourselves and pray so that we are sensitive to His leading.
What can we learn from the way Nehemiah opens his prayer?
Nehemiah’s prayer is almost word for word what Moses writes in Deuteronomy 7:9. Should we quote Scripture to “remind” God of His promises when we pray, or is that disrespectful to Him?
How did he describe the conduct of the Israelites in verses 6 and 7? List passages showing that we, too, need to confess our sins to God?
How does calling upon the power of God increase the effectiveness of our prayer time?
How does confessing our sins prepare us for the plans God has for us?
Like the nation of Israel, America has often sinned against God. Where do you see that we’ve fallen short? How can we as a nation reconcile with Him?
Do you think America is a Christian country? Is it right to tie religion to the state? Why or why not? *Use Scripture - not opinion - to defend your position.
When has God called you to be a catalyst for the change He wants? How can Christians be a catalyst for change in our culture?
Make a Move:
How is your prayer life? Feel like it's lacking? Then, take the 30 Day Prayer Challenge "to motivate you to return to prayer and challenge you to pray boldly and consistently for 30 days."
Prayer Prompt:
Lord, thank You for the example of Nehemiah's prayer. May I come before you with a humble, recognizing that everything I have comes from You. Thank you for your gift of salvation that reconciles me to You. Create in me a heart of thankfulness so like Nehemiah I will respond, "Here I am; send me!" Amen.