The book of Nehemiah is about the rebuilding of a wall, but we can very easily draw a parallel to our own lives. What state is your spiritual life in? Is it in good shape or is it in a process of decay? Is it falling apart? This is a story of one man who took action and made a difference. His name was Nehemiah and he literally rebuilt a nation. Today, we are going to learn how to pray when there seems to be no human solution to our problems.
Practical Principles
- Nehemiah acknowledged the greatness of God in his prayer. Your God is way bigger than your problem and that’s something that you should always remind yourself of when you pray. When you acknowledge that God is the great, almighty, sovereign Creator, you are getting things in perspective before you even start.
- Nehemiah reminded God of His promises. Did Nehemiah need to jog God’s memory? Does God forget stuff? No He doesn’t. So why would you remind God of something when you pray? Because in a way you’re reminding yourself as much as you’re reminding God.
- Nehemiah confessed his sin. It’s interesting as we look at the life of Nehemiah that we don’t really read of any notable sin, but yet he says “I have sinned. I’m responsible.” It’s easy to point fingers at everyone else and say they are the problem, but we must own up to our sin and see ourselves for what we really are as we approach God in prayer.Â
Relevant Reminders
- God’s promises in the Bible are much like unclaimed gift cards. They are already paid for; you just have to cash them in.
- When you’re living a godly life, you will want to be with godly people.
- The book of Nehemiah is also a book about leadership, including how to boost morale when it’s failing, how to build people up, and how to get them on the same page.
- We say that our nation needs a spiritual awakening and the church needs a revival, but revival starts with you and me personally.
Applicable Actions
Prayer does change things, but it’s also true that prayer changes you. And sometimes prayer changes you and you change things. Maybe we need to go about rebuilding our own walls personally. Maybe it needs to start with a prayer where we just see ourselves as we really are. I challenge you to open yourself up for examination before the Lord today in prayer.
