Prayer for a Troubled Heart
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· 4 viewsNehemiah was concerned about others and when he heard of their need he prayed over it until it was met
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For many people life is good. That’s the way it was for Nehemiah. He was in a good place in life. His job was going well. His boss was the King and they got along pretty well. He had a good relationship with his brother. He had several friends. Life really couldn’t be much better from his current position.
Many of us can relate to Nehemiah. In America we have it pretty good, even in the bad times. We don’t tend to worry about where our next meal will come from. We have a pretty good life.
Then there are those whose life is not so good. They may not have a good job or even a job. They may not get along very well with the people they work with. Or they may have a struggle with a family member, brother or sister, mother or father. Then there are those who are struggling to pay their bills; or even if they will have food on the table.
To give you an idea of what i’m talking about, if you look at the number of homeless people in the United State, there are about 530,000. In MN alone there are around 7,243. Of that Total, 979 were family households, 301 were Veterans, 709 were unaccompanied young adults (aged 18-24), and 1,066 were individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
Public school data reported to the U.S. Department of Education during the 2016-2017 school year shows that an estimated 16,550 public school students experienced homelessness over the course of the year. Of that total, 416 students were unsheltered, 5,273 were in shelters, 1,335 were in hotels/motels, and 9,526 were doubled up.
Troubles come in all sorts of ways...
Illness
Broken marriages
Financial struggles
Just this past week, there was a family in the area who had started putting on a new roof over the weekend, but they were unable to finish it. Monday morning it started to rain like crazy and the roof began to leak. A few people were called to see what could be done. When I arrive, it appeared the roof was half shingled and the rest had tar paper over it. The tar paper was shedding the water, but the cutters were full of debris; leaves and dirt… so the water was starting to back up and leak in the house. That may not have been the only reason, but it was one of them.
Troubles come in all shapes and sizes…
Trouble was the report that Nehemiah recieved from his brother and friends.
The Report
The Report
When his brother showed up along with some friends, Nehemiah asked how things were in Jerusalem. It had been nearly 90 years since they returned from exile, but the walls of Jerusalem were still broken down, they were a pile of rubble and the gates had been burned to a cinder. Things seemed unrepairable… The people were extremely vulnerable…
The thought behind their trouble was they we deeply distressed; feeling shameful they had not completed the task of repairing the wall and badly treated; they felt dishonored.
That’s the way some troubles seem and leave us feeling… Things may seem unrepairable and we feel vulnerable, like whats next or what else can go wrong. Here is what we read in the book of Psalms...
Listen to
1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
2 They have left the dead bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.
3 They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.
4 We are objects of contempt to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us.
Not such good news…
However, The good news was God was letting someone know who could do something about it… Nehemiah.
Maybe you are the one who is facing trouble. It is important to making your trouble known to those around you who hopefully can make a difference. They themselves may not be able to fix or solve the problem, but they can help. Maybe your are that someone who is being spoken to. You can do what Nehemiah did… Here is his response…
The Response
The Response
Before he prayed, he sat down and wept… he mourned over the trouble of his brother and those in Jerusalem. during this time of mourning he fasted and prayed.
Too fast is to be resolved to inquire of the Lord, what to do. To pray for the people… they need Him and His help.
In we read…
3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
Are we grieved over situations that would cause us to mourn the trouble we are in or someone else may be in ?
3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
We grieve over loss… loss of a loved one; finances; homes; jobs; friends; we grieve in sickness…
For four months Nehemiah was in grief and this is what his request was during that time… And for us this is a great pattern to use in prayer… for anything at anytime.
The Request
The Request
Acknowledging God
5 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,
Nehemiah used the Hebrew term ‘Yahweh’ a personal term for God. It would be like us saying, Abba Father or Daddy.
He acknowledges the greatness of God; the Awesomeness of God. There is no one like Him.
He is ‘Faithful’ in love. He keeps his covenant through thick or thin. He never fails to be a God of love and compassion. He cares deeply about His children and Nehemiah knew that. He prayed this way, calling out in honor to God and I believe it was also to remind himself that God is ‘The’ One and Only Living God… ‘The’ God of the ‘Impossible’
When we pray in times of trouble for ourselves or another person… think about the greatness of God… How has he answered your prayers in the past? What victories has he given you? What provisions has he shared with you? What triumphs have you had.
Asking God to listen
One of the greatest gifts we can give to another person is ‘Time to Listen.’ God is willing to do this. It is ok to says, “God I really need someone to talk to. I need you to listen to what’s going on in my life. I need your counsel; your advise.
Today we have thousands of therapists; counselors. They have been trained to listen. They have been trained to help you sort out your situation and to talk threw your needs. They are their to help you find answers.
God is our greatest counsel; our greatest source of wisdom and advice. When we are troubled and need of guidance, all we have to do is ask God. He is listening.
This past week there was a need in the community. I prayed asking God to help in a way that only he could do. The next morning I got a phone call from someone who had greater wisdom than I did and it seemed to be an answer that God would be pleased with.
Here is what the Bible says about Jesus when it comes to wisdom and understanding...
about Jesus
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
That’s what Nehemiah was seeking when he asked God to listen. He needed God’s counsel.
Admitting Sin
6 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.
There are times when we think others are responsible for our troubles and that may very well be. However, there are others times when we need to admit that we are responsible for our own troubles; not someone else.
The fact is, troubles come in all shapes and sizes and we have to be willing and able to say that sometimes we too are part of the problem, not just someone else.
You know what they say about confession? Confession is good for the soul.
13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Nehemiah was willing to confess his sins as well as the sins of others. In verse 7 he said, “We have acted very wickedly towards you.”
In the Message paraphrase it says this: “We’ve treated you like dirt: We haven’t done what you told us, haven’t followed your commands, and haven’t respected the decisions you gave to Moses your servant.
Sometimes I think we forget just how bad sin of any kind is. The point of confession is not to dwell on it, but to admit the seriousness of it and repent of that sin… then to move on! and thats what Nehemiah does… he confesses and then moves on...
Affirming God’s Word
Affirming God’s Word
Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
Affirming God’s Word
8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,
9 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.’
10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.
Listen to what he says…
Vs 8 - Affliction will come because of disobedience. We acknowledge that.
Also, he is affirming their responsibility… to return to him… when they do… God will take care of them… remember your words Oh Lord. His response I do, i’m glad you are remembering yours.
Vs. 9 But if we return.... you will gather us up… then Nehemiah gets specific…
Asking God for Success
The success he is asking for is favor before the King.
Fast forward we know that God did grant Nehemiah His favor. After four months of praying… fasting… pleading his case before God, God granted him wisdom and favor. It didn’t come without a cost of being mistreated or misunderstood at time. But Nehemiah sought the Lord and God answered.
Conclusion
What troubles are you going through? What troubles have others brought to you? What report have you receive concerning the issue?
What is your response? What are you willing to confess? What counsel have you sought?
What is your request? Know that God is listening; he loves you; he is simply waiting upon you to take time to make time to pray and seek Him; to trust him.
several years ago I heard the story of a man who was often asked to pray for others. He was known as a man willing to fast and pray for what you asked him for. On one particular occasion, he was asked to pray and fast for a wayward child. He consented to pray and fast, not willing to give up until God heard and responded to the prayer for this way ward child. He prayed and fasted for 10 days and God answered his prayers along with family and friends.
I don’t know if this story is true or not, but it moved me to pray and fast at different times. One particular time was when one of my nieces walked away from God. We all began to pray for her. We would see glimpses of hope and then they would be dashed by another poor decision she would make. Over the next several years we would pray and God would place upon my heart to pray and fast. I would encourage my sibling to do the same. The results where that God answered in a favorable way, but it took time. 12 years to be exact. But God eventually granted all of us his favor and today she is married to a wonderful Christian man and has two amazing children.
More recently there was a young man addicted to Meth and found himself in a grave state. With prayerful intervention through a small group, they coveted to pray for one another’s children. After two stint in rehab, this young man is finally able to put his life back together. I don’t know how close he is to Jesus, but we continue to pray for him.