Prayed Up & Prepared

Do-Over

Nobody’s perfect. We make mistakes. Mostly little ones. But, some big ones.

God is gracious, and many of the people around us are too and give us 2nd chances, do-overs.

The size of the do-over is directly related to the size of the mess up in the first place.

Israel made a huge mistake. Got themselves kicked out of the PL. 70 years later, God gave them a do-over. They got another chance in the land.

We just finished Ezra. Zerubabbel came back w/ people from 2 of the 12 tribes and rebuilt the temple.

Then, Ezra brought a large group of people from all 12 tribes to repopulate the land.

Jerusalem, the capital city, the center of the religious and economic universe was still in ruins and the wall around it was a shambled mess.

This was a big do-over. It took years to complete. They aren’t done, yet.

Nehemiah was called by God to rebuild the wall around the city which provided the security for them to rebuild the city itself.

Today we start Nehemiah and the process he went thru w/ God to rebuild the wall around the city.

I Get Lost

Literally, I’m not good w/ figuring out how to get from here to there and then back.

GPS saved my bacon so many times.

Not just finding my way around. I get lost in projects.

Directions or not.

I learned early in our marriage that I should not do our taxes. Even back when they were simple I made a pretty big mistake.

In our favor. But, realized then I shouldn’t do them.

I’d love to be handier w/ tools, build stuff.

I’m pretty good w/ a screw driver and hammer. But, beyond that, a wrench, forget it.

I’m a little jealous of guys who can do things like this.

One of the projects on our list that we might do in time is build a detached garage on our lot.

Store our RZR, Sara’s gardening tools, we could give up the storage unit we now rent.

Maybe a retirement project.

Like Al and Carole Dirks. bought the lot behind their cabin. He and a friend built their garage.

I’m not talking anything near that big, but I still wouldn’t have a clue.

How much would it cost? No idea.

What materials would I need? No clue.

How long would it take? ????

The only thing I’d be good for is praying about it to make sure God was okay w/ us spending the money and time.

We may not do it. It’s just on the list.

I can tell you how to build a sermon. If you have a lecture, presentation, discussion to build I can help you.

Beyond that, I’m lost.

I’m just a pastor.

Nehemiah was a cup-bearer to the king.

That is his family was taken into captivity. They were slaves of the Babylonians first, then Persians.

He was probably born in Persia.

Providence of God he grew up and got the job of not only serving the king his wine, but taste-testing it first so if someone tried to poison the king Nehemiah would take the hit for him.

Kind of a Savior of the king.

An important job. He would have had to come highly recommended, and earned the trust of the king.

But, a cup-bearer to the king. So, when his brother and friends came to report that the wall around Jerusalem was still in shambles and he felt compelled to do something,

He’s not an architect, a contractor, wall-builder, or even a city-planner.

So, what did he do?

When God gives you an opportunity for a Do-Over, a big project, you better make sure you are prayed up and prepared to act.

They had messed up bad. Now they had the opportunity to do it over and do it right. But many of them had very little experience with what they were called to do.

This is the situation in . Do they know exactly what God has promised and called them to do?

Then, are they ready to act?

The Situation

Nehemiah 1:1-

Nehemiah 1:1–3 NIV

The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

Years earlier, Zerubabbel had returned and rebuilt the temple.

The priority, a place for God and a place for the ppl to worship.

Then, Ezra came back and led enough people back to populate the land.

They settled in the land that had been assigned to their ancestors.

So, now, the region is populated.

The farmland and sheep ranches are being developed again in the countryside.

But, Jerusalem, the capital city is still a mess.

What had been the wall is still a pile of rubble that Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians had caused.

They were defenseless and vulnerable to attack.

The region was still volatile. Israel had many enemies who did not want to see them settle and succeed there again.

Yes, they were trusting God to defend them, but He had always instructed them to build a wall that would be part of the security system He would use to protect them.

God wanted the people to value the city and its contents. We protect what we value.

I trust God to protect me and Sara but we still lock our doors at night. We lock our cars. It would be foolish not to.

It does not mean we are not trusting God. We are being good stewards of the things God has provided us.

So, what can he do? He is the cup-bearer to the Persian king. Moved to do something. Called by God but to do what?

This project was much bigger than him.

The first thing he did was the most important thing. It was to him and it is to us when we face a project that is bigger than we are.

He prayed. And, his prayer is a good model for us to follow, too.

He Prayed

Nehemiah 1:4 NIV

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

The message about the situation moved him. He was conflicted. Something had to be done. He had to do something. But this was so far beyond him.

No one person could solve the problem, nor could a group make it happen. They needed more.

It touched his mind and what he thought about the situation.

It touched his heart. He was emotional. It broke him.

But, then he turned to the One who could counsel him, guide him, actually do something about it and let him know what his role might be.

He prayed. His prayer had 3 parts. A process we would do well to follow when we pray.

First, he praised God.

He praised God

Nehemiah 1:

Nehemiah 1:5 NIV

Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

He started w/ a declaration of praise, a complement.

God is relational. Prayer is dialogue between 2 parties who have a relationship.

It’s important start the conversation the right way.

He’s not schmoozing him. This is an honest, legitimate complement of praise.

Great and awesome. Powerful and majestic. Capable of answering the request he’s about to make. Capable of more than just doing something, but doing everything that needs to be done.

He calls Him Lord. Written Yahweh in Hebrew, but never spoken. It was considered too personal, disrespectful to speak the name.

But, the name reflected the covenant relationship they had. That is, the promises God had made with the people He loved.

Some promises are 1-sided. That is, God promised to do something regardless of how the people act.

And some promises are 2-sided. God promised to respond to how the people act.

He is proclaiming the promises God has made to the people.

It’s a reminder that God promised to keep the entire covenant of love with the people who love and obey Him by faith.

He begins w/ a big complement for God and about God.

The next part he admits how he and his extended family have come up short in their end of the covenant.

He confesses their sins.

Confession

Nehemiah 1:6–7 NIV

let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

He’s confessing all of their sins.

God was preparing him for leadership by laying on his heart the need represent the nation before God and take responsibility for their big mistakes.

Remember, the OT was written to the Nation, group. So, acceptance of the group’s responsibility is necessary here.

The NT written to individuals so we individually take responsibility now.

He placed himself and Israel in subservient positions under God just as Ezra had done before and Daniel some 95 years earlier.

This was no one else’s fault. The nation was responsible and the individuals had to acknowledge it.

He moved from general to specific. Generally, they had messed up and acted wickedly.

Specifically, they didn’t keep the commands. God has said all along, if you love Me you will keep my commands.

So, when they didn’t, he was acknowledging that hadn’t acted like they loved Him, believed in Him, or had faith in Him.

They didn’t believe. And, their actions had reflected it. So, God responded as He had promised He would.

Now, Nehemiah was hoping God would continue to respond as He had promised b/c they were returning to God.

They had come back to faith, returned.

So, now it was the right time in the conversation for Nehemiah to make his request.

He had complimented God, apologized for their mistakes, and now he want to ask for something.

A request for help

Nehemiah 1:8–11 NIV

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah 1:8-11

Nobody enjoys conversations w/ people who immediately, and only, ask for help. They don’t pay attention to what’s going on in your world they are only consumed by theirs.

That’s why they can’t complement you b/c they hadn’t noticed anything you have done.

Or, they can’t apologize b/c they hadn’t paid attention to how their actions affected you.

Nehemiah is acknowledging he’s paying attention to God.

By reminding of his promises he’s not assuming God forgot them. But, he’s asking God to follow thru b/c now Israel is back to where they should have been all along and God promised to protect and provide as along as Israel was in that place.

. If Israel lived faithfully and obediently in the land God would protect them and provide for them.

. If they didn’t, then God would remove them from the land.

. Then, if the exiles would repent and return to God in faith and obedience, then He would allow them to return to the land.

They had known this all along. But, they rebelled anyway.

Now, Nehemiah is banking on God keeping the final step of that 3-step promise and allow them to return and rebuild everything.

God owns Israel and redeemed them. Therefore, it was reasonable for God to respond as Nehemiah was asking.

Speaking on behalf of the believing remnant, “hear my prayer.”

That is, please listen, evaluate what I’m saying and act accordingly.

Notice, he doesn’t have to make anything up. It’s not up to him and his imagination to figure out what to do.

He’s not giving God a list of possible ways to solve the problem.

He’s claiming God promise. And, he knows, there is one person on earth who has the power and authority to make it happen or stop it in its tracks.

King Artexerxes is the one person who could allow it to happen or prevent it. If God was going to make it happen something was going to have to happen w/ the king.

God had moved the heart of king Cyrus, Xerxes, and Darius before. Now, it’s up to what God does in Artexerxes’ heart.

So, how would God respond? How would God answer? Yes? No? Or, wait.

The only way he’d know how God was answering was in the reaction of the king when he approached him.

And that, was no small risk he’d be taking.

So, to get God’s answer, he had to wait for the opportunity and be ready to act when it presented itself.

God’s Answer

Do you remember how Esther approached king Darius?

It was a capital offense if anybody approached the king w/out being summoned.

She had to trust God was at work and Darius would receive her and her request.

Nehemiah faced a similar situation w/ Artexerxes. So, he had to be ready when the opportunity presented itself.

Nehemiah’s opportunity

Nehemiah 2:1-4

Nehemiah 2:1–4 NIV

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven,

4 months went by.

Nehemiah had been patient and persistent.

Patient waiting for the right opportunity w/ the king. And, persistent in praying the prayer he had just outlined.

He didn’t force the situation and get ahead of God.

God is never late, rarely early, and always on time.

A mistake we often make is not waiting for God to open a door. We rush ahead w/ what may be a good idea ordained by God but get the timing wrong and mess it up.

No doubt he kept praying the themes and issues but he used different words.

I tend to repeat myself a lot so I can be guilty of this. But, when someone tells you the same story verbatim, numerous times, that’s really a self-centered trait.

They have a story they want to tell but don’t pay attention to the circumstance that it’s not appropriate in the situation.

If Nehemiah was repeating the same words, over and over, day after day; at some point he would have disengaged his brain. Mindless words. He wouldn’t have meant them.

God is a person. Prayer is dialogue. Don’t insult Him by repeating yourself over and over. He gets it.

Think. Engage your brain when you talk to God. Nehemiah did.

He waited and the opportunity presented itself. Maybe, somewhat unplanned. Maybe, he let his guard down.

The situation was weighing on him. It wasn’t getting any better in Jerusalem. They were vulnerable to attack and every day that went by w/out a wall was increasing the odds another nation would take advantage.

He looked sad in the presence of the king. Which was against the law. It could send the impression you were dissatisfied w/ the king. And nobody was allowed t/b dissatisfied w/ the king.

Nehemiah risked his job and even his life.

The king noticed and asked.

The door is open. The opportunity presented itself. Was God at work? He’d soon find out.

He didn’t name the city at first. The king didn’t know he was Jewish. He had grown up in Persia.

This was a politically charged situation and topic of conversation.

You think talk of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and building a wall for security is a political hot potato now?

It was even more so then.

So, Nehemiah didn’t lead w/ this. He was evasive in exactly where he was talking about.

He had a good relationship w/ the king. The king trusted him. So, Nehemiah used that relationship. Even though he was a foreign slave, the king had a heart for Nehemiah and his family. It showed in his response.

Yes, God was at work.

The king didn’t fire him on the spot but inquired more. He was interested in helping Nehemiah but he needed more information.

Was Nehemiah prepared enough?

Was he ready to act when the opportunity presented itself?

He could have totally blown this if he took this opportunity for granted.

Yes, he was prepared and ready to act.

He took it

Nehemiah 2:4–8 NIV

The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

Nehemiah had been patient and persistent b/c he was prayed up and prepared.

Our actions are based on what we believe. If we don’t act then we don’t believe.

Nehemiah had to believe God was answering his prayer. And, if he believed this, then he had to act on it.

He said another quick prayer. Something to the effect of calming him down, giving him recollection of what he had studied, wisdom and the right words.

And he went for it.

He was humble and respectful. He didn’t take anything for granted. The king was still very much in charge. That is, b/c God let him.

He was a cup-bearer, yet he knew exactly what he needed.

He knew how long he’d be gone.

He knew what supplies he needed and where he could get them.

He knew he needed letters to the governors of the region letting them know the king gave him the authority to do this.

Clearly, over those 4 months he had done his homework.

He knew he knew his stuff. All glory and credit to God for his resources and the opportunity. But, he was ready to go.

The door opened and he walked right in.

The gracious had of God was on him. Even though he was so well prepared God was ultimately responsible for his success.

Nehemiah had been patient and persistent b/c he was prayed up and prepared. He had a God inspired plan. He knew what it was going to cost him and he was ready to pay it.

Do-overs are rare and valuable. Be ready to act when you’re given the opportunity. Take full advantage. Do your homework and be ready to go.

Applications

Pray

When you face any problem, situation, or even a do-over; begin on your knees.

Dedicate uninterrupted and focused time to dialogue with God.

We may say we’ll pray about it then go about our day and occasionally, if at all, make side comments to God about our situation.

If we don’t pray, then we just assume God is at work.

Don’t assume anything. Respect God as much as you want to be respected yourself. When someone wants to talk to you, you expect them to focus their attention on you for the conversation.

Complement Him first. Praise Him for something related. Know it and mean it.

Confess. Clean the slate w/ HIm before you ask for anything.

Ask. Be specific enough.

Ask, don’t tell

Ask God.

You don’t need to tell Him anything about the situation. He knows it better than you do.

Getting Him to do something is not up to your imagination and thinking of possible solutions. Nor is it up to you ask exactly the right way.

He knows your heart. Do you know Him and what to expect Him to do according to his character?

Ask that.

Act

Be prepared to act.

Your actions are based on what you believe. Don’t expect God to do everything. Do your homework. Have a budget, a plan, maybe goals.

God will lead you thru all of this. Planning is not an act of disbelief. Trust God for the plan as well as the performance.

Then, when the door opens be ready to walk thru.

Be patient and persistent in your prayers and planning.

Then, when God gives you an opportunity for a Do-Over, a big project, you better make sure you are prayed up and prepared to act.