Post: June 26, 2011
Reading: Nehemiah 1
'Prayer that Gets God's Attention'
"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". Neh 1:4
When all things are lost, and your freedom is taken away, without a doubt one can feel a sense of hopelessness. Psalm 137:1-4 gives us a little insight into the life of the children of Israel while in captivity.
"By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?
You see even thinking and remembering Zion and the way things were didn't encourage them enough to sing their song. Maybe with freedom from captivity, their song would return with the joyfulness they once experienced. Not so. The hope of returning home after being set free from their captors was dashed as they came upon Jerusalem only to see its walls broken down and gates burning with fire. Because of these things they were, "in great distress and reproach". Distresses were now compounded in their lives. What would it take to build and restore their lives? Of course we know that prayer works, even weeping, because 'He takes tears and puts them in his bottle' Ps 56:8. Fasting is also beneficial, because it helps us to humble ourselves, (that is this body of flesh). All this is good, but what really speaks to the heart of God is this; to acknowledge our sinfulness and acts of disobedience. Nehemiah knew the way out of this great distress because he had the blue print for the reconstruction of the temple in his heart. He knew that it all had to start in the heart of these people. Listen to his prayer; "I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and loving kindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,".
O my Lord and my God, raise up some Nehemiah's in our day!
