God Answers our Prayer
Cooper’s Cove Baptist Church
January 18, 2009
“God Answers Our Prayer”
Nehemiah 2:1-9
Nehemiah 2:1-9
Last week we look at “A Vision for Change” as we began looking at the life of Nehemiah and the calling of God on his life.
We said God can get our attention several different ways.
He can get our attention through hard times, sad times, and even through jubilant times.
But for Nehemiah it was through a sad time.
We said he had heard about how desolate his ancestral land was and he became saddened.
We said it took him 4 months to begin acting on his dissatisfaction of his home land.
Remember, we said often times we must become “dissatisfied” with how things are before we become ready to change them.
Nehemiah had now become dissatisfied.
He was ready to be used by God to make things happen – to change how things are in Jerusalem.
I told you from that lesson we too must become dissatisfied with a few things around here in order for us to take ownership in being a part of the change. A CHANGE FOR GOOD NOT BAD!
Dissatisfied with not having a youth or music director.
Dissatisfied with not having enough Sunday school room.
We said when we become dissatisfied with how things are we will then be ready to make changes – changes for the better!
As my mother used to say when I was growing up, “I have had it up to here!”
Nehemiah had had enough; he had had it up to here!
It was time, time to do something about it.
It was time for a change in his life and God would lead him through it, oh how God would lead him through it!
Verse 1 & 3
Now it is 4 months after Nehemiah had heard of the sad conditions in his father’s homeland.
And during his daily duties of caring for the King and being sure everything was alright with his food and drink, “it happened”.
God answered his prayer!! (Remember 1:5-11)
“Nehemiah had asked the almighty God to hear his prayer…give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”
Friends we must be careful of what we pray for.
We must be ready for that which we pray for.
We must be open to hear God’s answer no matter how he directs us. His timing is perfect all the time!
I have felt for some time now that God has something very special in store for CCBC!
We must catch the vision of moving ahead in the year ’09!
God has blessings beyond our wildest imagination just waiting for our embracing!
God himself will grow this church – not just by the number of families who worship here but He will grow the relationships within our hearts stronger than ever before!
But we must first embrace all that He has to offer us!
We must seek His guidance and His leadership in our church and reach out beyond these walls to reach the un-churched!!
I ask you this morning, “What do you feel your service is to God within this, His church?”
“Where do you feel He is leading you to serve?”
When you hear these questions, do you have an answer?
Or are you content with where you are?
Friends God will not bless complacency!
He will bless service, He will bless those who reach out and bring others to the knowledge of the Savior!!
The king asked Nehemiah a question as well.
He asked why he was so sad.
See, Nehemiah had never before let the king see him sad.
Have you ever tried hiding your emotions?
Are there some emotions we can’t hide?
Nehemiah couldn’t hide his sadness; the king saw right through him and asked him what was wrong.
Nehemiah answered the king that he was sad because of the shape of his father’s homeland.
Nehemiah literally unloaded what was on his heart.
He told the king all that troubled him and in great detail.
Our God wants us to do the same thing.
When we are troubled we can go to God and unload our hearts to him. There is nothing He doesn’t already know but there is a peace about confessing to God how we feel.
What does the king do after he hears Nehemiah’s heart?
He doesn’t say go away I don’t have time for you now.
He doesn’t make fun of his emotions for this distant land.
He listens. Better yet he hears what Nehemiah is saying!
And then he asks him a question!
“What is it you want?” (vs.4)
Now notice what Nehemiah does next…..He PRAYS!!
Nehemiah has been asked the question of all questions and he takes it to God in prayer!!
He could have blurted out let me go home and fix the walls around the city.
He could have said, “Oh nothing, they can take care of themselves.”
But he didn’t do any of that, he prayed to God for guidance in his next step.
Friends when we are facing change in our lives that is beyond our own understanding we MUST take it to God in prayer!
No matter what is occurring in your life right now it is in God’s control.
We must remember God is BIGGER than any situation we face.
There is nothing too large or too difficult for my God to handle.
Nehemiah took it to God in prayer and then said this in vs. 5: “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 fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
Nehemiah’s first thought was to be sure he had pleased the king and found favor in his sight.
Friends we too must examine our lives to be sure we have been faithful to our Lord and served him with gladness in our hearts!
For when the time of change comes we want to be ready for the direction he leads us.
When the time of change comes we want to embrace what God has in store for his people.
No doubt Nehemiah had been a faithful servant who had gained favor of the king and the king granted his request.
Nehemiah’s eyes no doubt lit up with excitement of the king’s blessings on his travel.
But he wasn’t finished with his request just yet. (vs. 7&8)
Do you remember taking your child to the store and all the way there they begged you to buy them a piece of candy? Oh, pleeease buy me just one piece…just one piece pleeeease. I won’t ask for anything else just one piece of candy. You give in and when you cross the threshold of the store your child grabs you by the hand and pulls you toward the candy isle. Once there heavens gates open…Look at all the candy! They pick a piece of candy and then see another one that they like as well, and then another, and then another! And then it happens… they look up at you with those big puppy dog eyes and say can I have another piece, please.
I can see Nehemiah’s mind working here and he says in verses 7 & 8 and says “can I have more?” - READ 7&8.
Nehemiah asked for a letter from the king to guarantee safe travel.
When he showed this letter no one would mess with him in fear of being in defiance of the king.
He then asked for a letter to the keeper of the forest in hopes of getting some lumber to rebuild the gates.
Friends, when we take our petitions to the Lord he hears our prayers and will answer them in his time according to his will.
Not always how we want them answered but He will answer them sometimes with a “yes”, sometimes with a “no”, and sometimes with a “not now”.
See that is the reason I said earlier we must be in tune with God and live our lives faithful to him in his service.
When we walk closer to God we more understand what his will is!
Knowing better what his will is helps us to know what to ask for.
Nehemiah asked for letters.
The king gave him so much more!! Look at vs. 9.
“So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.”
Did you catch that? Did you catch the provisions of God?
Nehemiah asked for a letter – but he got so much more!
The king also supplied him with army officers and a cavalry!!
Too many times we place limits on God.
“I could never speak in front of a crowd.”
“I don’t know enough to teach.”
“I don’t have any talents.”
You know something if we say these things we are right!
God guides us through these things and provides us with the ability when we give him control of our lives and become available!
Nehemiah limited his request to the king.
But the king exceeded his limitations.
God will do the same thing with us.
We must not limit God on how and when we will finish this new worship center.
Nor can we limit God on where the money will come from to pay to build and furnish it.
We can’t limit God as too when and who will be our new music director and our new youth director!
Nor can we limit Him on providing the funds to pay them!
God will provide beyond our expectations if we believe in Him and have the faith to trust Him for our provisions.
But FIRST we must catch the VISION!
SECOND we must not put LIMITATIONS on our God!
THIRDLY we must get ready to EMBRACE change!
FINALY we must become AVAILABLE to be used by God in His ministry here at CCBC!
*When we do this, God will answer our prayers and bless us!*
***PRAY***
INVITATION -
Stand with me as we sing hymn #: ________________________
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