POTB - Prayers of Nehemiah 2:4

Introduction:

Ezra’s job was to repair the Temple and to teach the people the Law. Nehemiah’s task was to repair the walls and the gates.

Nehemiah was the cupbearer of the Persian king, Artaxerxes.

Nehemiah was also a great man of prayer. We have seven recorded prayers by him in the book that bears his name.

Tonight we will look at two of these prayers

1. Prayer in Time of Distress

2. Prayer :Quick, Urgent, & Silent

Prayer in time of distress

Nehemiah hears news that things aren’t going well in the rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem. The bad news deeply affects Nehemiah who calls for prayer and fasting. In fact the Bible says that Nehemiah sat down and wept - indicating he was so moved emotionally that he had to sit.

Man’s ideas would often be to run in to King Artexerxes and ask for help but he knows to wait and seek God for an answer.

I think this is a good principle to live by -

Wait for an answer before we act.

It is interesting this prayer is in the form of an inclusio: a literary device that repeats words or phrases at the beginning and end of a section.

Notice this prayer of Nehemiah.

A Confession of sin and intercession for God’s people

A Call upon God to remember his Covenant

A

Prayer birthed by fast

It is possible he prayed this prayer each day for all the days of his fast.

According to he prayed it day and night.

This prayer marked by greatfaith.

Prayer marked by great faith. - Nehemiah was facing something he knew he could not fix on his own.

He reminds God of his covenant

An allusion and reminder of (Sometimes he paraphrases sometimes quotes verbatim).

He is asking God to answer because of His Word!!!

He is reminding God not because he forgot - but to lead God to act.

Notice all of the references to God’s attributes -

God of heaven - an allusion to God’s almighty government of the world.

The great and terrible God

The one that keepeth covenant and mercy

This is sometimes translated “the covenant and loyal love”

Prayer with great confession and repentance -

Notice Nehemiah includes himself in this just as Daniel died almost 100 years before ().

Prayer & Fasting brought inspiration-

He ends the chapter on an interesting phrase:

... For I was the king’s cupbearer.” (, KJV 1900)

Cup bearer = the cupbearer would pour the wine from its container into the cup, and then pour some from the cup into the palm of his left hand and drink it. Pharaoh had cupbearers to attend him (), and so did Solomon ( and ). James M. Freeman and Harold J. Chadwick, Manners & Customs of the Bible (North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998), 288.

James M. Freeman and Harold J. Chadwick, Manners & Customs of the Bible (North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998), 288.

Prayer: Quick, Urgent & Silent

Sometimes things happen in response to our prayer- that we don’t expect.

I don’t know if Nehemiah realized his countenance was sad, It was not proper to go into the kings presence sad or sorrowful.

perhaps he was doing it intentionally. But who is to say the King would even notice and care? — God used it to get the Kings attention.

The King was sitting by his wife (which was not done in public settings so this must have been a private occasion. It is also probable this queen was Esther.

The king notices Nehemiah’s sadness and asks him why he’s so sad. After Nehemiah tells him what he’s heard - the King asks, “what can I do to help?” ()

What an open ended question. That question is immediately followed by “So I prayed to the God of heaven.”

This prayer was so quick and urgent and silent we are not told what he even prayed - But it was probably something like = “Lord help me right now!!!”

You ever had prayers like that? I have.

I read several years ago in Sis. Macpherson’s book on Bro. H. Robb French a story about his parents.

Bro. French’s dad was a lawyer and left that after he got saved when the Lord called him to preach. They were poor and knew what it was to often not have meat for the table.

“...One day a fellow preacher and his wife came to dinner. There was no meat in the house and Mother thought it would never do to serve dinner to company with no meat on the table. She had long been in the habit of slipping to the landing of the back stairway to pray during the day. So now she stole in there and prayed, "Oh, Lord, send us meat for dinner." No doubt she reminded the Lord that He must do it quickly, too.

When Father left the practice of law and started to preach, the family was confronted with many testings of faith. They learned what it meant to be poor. They learned what it meant not to have meat for the table. One day a fellow preacher and his wife came to dinner. There was no meat in the house and Mother thought it would never do to serve dinner to company with no meat on the table. She had long been in the habit of slipping to the landing of the back stairway to pray during the day. So now she stole in there and prayed, "Oh, Lord, send us meat for dinner." No doubt she reminded the Lord that He must do it quickly, too. Mother went on preparing what she could for the dinner, not knowing what was going on outside. But about the time she had finished praying, a dog had run through the yard after a rabbit. The children took after the dog and got the rabbit. As if timed by the clock, but rather by divine providence, just then a neighbor came by. He had been fishing in the river near the French home, and gave the children a fish. They ran in and told Mother about the rabbit and the fish. Her face lighted up. "Hurry, Children, and clean them," she said, "and I will fry them for dinner." Dinner was quickly prepared, and the preacher and his wife were invited to the table. As soon as the wife saw what was on it, she turned a beaming face to her husband. "Oh, Husband," she said, "we have just what we like. You like rabbit and I like fish." God knows how to furnish just the right menu, Mother thought.

Mother went on preparing what she could for the dinner, not knowing what was going on outside.

But about the time she had finished praying, a dog had run through the yard after a rabbit. The children took after the dog and got the rabbit.

As if timed by the clock, but rather by divine providence, just then a neighbor came by. He had been fishing in the river near the French home, and gave the children a fish.

They ran in and told Mother about the rabbit and the fish. Her face lighted up. "Hurry, Children, and clean them," she said, "and I will fry them for dinner." Dinner was quickly prepared, and the preacher and his wife were invited to the table.

As soon as the wife saw what was on it, she turned a beaming face to her husband. "Oh, Husband," she said, "we have just what we like. You like rabbit and I like fish." God knows how to furnish just the right menu, Mother thought.” - H. Robb French : Pioneer, Prophet and Prayer Warrior Compiled by Anna Talbottt McPherson

Just that quick God answered prayer - while this shouldn’t be the only way we pray - it is a way that GOd hears and answers.

He is just waiting to help us and meet our needs.

We can trust Him.

I don’t know what you came with - I don’t know what burdens might be bringing you down - But He can lift the burden - He can Help!!!