God's People Pray

The Need for Prayer:

As we come to these verses today, our theme will be on prayer. Prayer is defined in the Scriptures as a myriad of actions towards God. There is requesting, pleading, vowing, confessing, praising. Because we cannot see God, although He is with his people always, then we communicate with Him through prayer. Prayer is not formality, prayer is intimacy! Those whom you love, you spend time talking to. Prayer is the way in which we can commune with God as we rest in and request from Him.

We spend a lot of time talking about the sovereignty of God which states that God rules and reigns over all of creation and his providence which is the actions of God to carry forth all of creation throughout history, so that his will might be accomplished. We know that God is all knowing so our requests are not a surprise to infinite knowledge and wisdom of history. Therefore...

Why is prayer necessary in the Christian life?

I believe that Nehemiah helps us understand the need for prayer in the life of God’s people and he answers for us why we should pray and how prayer might look in our lives. Before we jump into this text, let’s immediately acknowledge that we were created to pray!

-We should pray because we were created to do so.

-We should pray because Jesus did so

-We should pray because Jesus said so and empowers us to do so

-We should pray because it is works

We should pray because we were created to do so.

If prayer is communion with God by talking to him intimately, then this is the state in which God created man. Before Adam and Eve sinned, they walked and talked with God. Although that might look different for us, it does not negate that prayer is the source of intimate communication with God. Therefore, we were created for it. Sin ruined it. Jesus restores it!

Only by the cleansing of Jesus Christ can be truly enter into prayer with the Father. Outside of Christ, our prayers are empty words to God but because of Him, because of this work of redemption as the Lamb, because of his offering of himself as the priest, we can have confidence to enter the throne room of grace for help in a time of need. (Heb 4:16)

We should pray because Jesus did so

Before his temptation in the wilderness, Jesus fasted for 40 days. OT practice was to include fasting and prayer together. (Luke 4)

before he called the 12 disciples (Luke 6).

He prayed all night Before Peter confesses Jesus as the Messiah (Luke 9)

Before the transfiguration (Luke 9)

Luke 11, before He teaches on prayer

Before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion in Luke 22, Jesus agonizes in prayers all night

Upon the cross, Jesus prays to the Father (Luke 23)

Jesus is the model for prayer and gives us a perfect example of the communion that we can have with the Father as we get alone, away from noise and distraction and we pray.

We should pray because Jesus said so and He empowers us to do so

We are commanded to pray as believers in Jesus Christ. If we have been so transformed by the work of Jesus Christ upon the cross, then our spiritual lives drive us to pray.

We are commanded to pray in these ways:

for our enemies Mt 5:44

with genuineness M 6:44

for gospel laborers M 14:23

for an escape from temptation M 26:42

pray continuously (1 th 5:17)

men should lead in prayer in the church (1 T 2:8)

pray for the sick (Ja 5:13)

pray for other believers (Ja 5:16)

I admit that prayer is a struggle for a mind like mine. I am distracted in prayer, as I seek to quiet my mind and focus on my prayers. A noise from afar draws my thoughts away but I seek diligently to press forward. I know that as I am commanded to pray, regardless of the struggle, prayer is necessary.

RC SPROUL WRITES

Does Prayer Change Things? Chapter One: The Place of Prayer

Prayer is both a privilege and a duty, and any duty can become laborious. Prayer, like any means of growth for the Christian, requires work. In a sense, prayer is unnatural to us. Though we were created for fellowship and communion with God, the effects of the fall have left most of us lazy and indifferent toward something as important as prayer. Rebirth p 3 quickens a new desire for communion with God, but sin resists the Spirit.

We can take comfort from the fact that God knows our hearts and hears our unspoken petitions as well as the words that emanate from our lips. Whenever we are unable to express the deep feelings and emotions of our souls or when we are completely unclear about what we ought to be praying, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us.

Romans 8:26-27

Romans 8:26–27 ESV

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

We should pray because it works!

James 5:13-17

James 5:13–17 ESV

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.

James makes some powerful statements about the efficacy of prayer. It is not wasted words to God. It is not busy work that God gives us to keep our minds occupied on him. Prayer actually is effective as James states. We don’t always see the effect of our prayer immediately or at all, but we cannot lose hope that prayers to God are words spoken infused by hearts of desperation and trust in him.

The Posture for Prayer

The Next question we might ask is simply, how should we pray? Let’s look at the posture of prayer to begin

Nehemiah has discovered a sad truth that the people who have returned to Jersualem are defenseless. His heart is burdened and saddened by this news that had been brought to him by his brother from afar. Susa, was the capital city of Persia and it was farther away from Jerusalem than Babylon. Nehemiah was a great distance, some 800 miles away from the problem. He could not rush to help and get there is a short time.

As the cupbearer to the king, Nehemiah had the trust of the king of Persia. He could have asked for whatever he wanted and probably received it from this earthly leader. Chapter 2 shows us that upon seeing the sadness of Nehemiah over the state of Jerusalem, the King, Artaxerxes gives his trusted cupbearer the resources and freedom to return and rebuild. Upon hearing the Nehemiah does not ask immediately from earthly kings because Nehemiah understands the need for prayer to His sovereign God in this dire moment. Instead of pleading with earthly kings, Nehemiah enters into an extensive time of pleading to the true source of power who can truly effect change back in Jerusalem among the Jews. We need prayer because as we pray, we initially are acknowledging our helpless estate without the power of our Creator.

neh 1:4 “4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”

Nehemiah was overwhelmed by the news and his initial posture upon hearing such grave news was to humble himself in the posture of mourning , weeping, fasting and praying for days. This is the first lesson of the posture of prayer is humility. He doesn’t bow out his chest in confidence in his strengths. He doesn’t grab his pass to get an ear of the Artaxerxes, King of Persia. He humbles himself in preparation for the time He will plead before his true source of help!

In moments of crisis, suffering, despair, what is your initial response as a follower of Jesus Christ? Is your first reaction towards the direction of man’s strength or the Lord’s? Our reaction to a crisis defines what we believe and to whom our belief truly rests in.

ps 88:1

Psalm 88:1 ESV

1 O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you.

The Psalmist declares from the outset that prayers are a cry to the Lord day and night. Nehemiah also confesses that his prayers go up to the Lord day and night( v.6). Therefore are prayers begin when we humble ourselves and acknowledge our total helplessness.

Then our humility turns to faith. The second posture is a prayer of faith. We are not to put our trust in prayer but instead to our trust in the one to whom we pray. Who is He? What can He do for our need?

Ps 88 again,"O Lord, God of my salvation” describes that YHWH, the eternal, self-sufficient creator is called by name so that his power and his character are recalled. He is also said to be the God of salvation, which means that salvation is from God alone. If salvation can come to undeserving sinners in its full power and might, then our pleading before this God is justified.

Nehemiah exhibits the same faith in his prayers when he identifies God in v 5

Neh 1:5 “5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God...

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume Nehemiah 1:5–11

With a holy awe of his majesty and glory, remembering that he is the God of heaven, infinitely above us, and sovereign Lord over us, and that he is the great and terrible God, infinitely excelling all the principalities and powers both of the upper and of the lower world, angels and kings; and he is a God to be worshipped with fear by all his people, and whose powerful wrath all his enemies have reason to be afraid of.

Our faith that solidifies a proper posture of prayer is in a God who can do anything for us according to his will. Our faith is not only in HOW DESCRIBES HIMSELF BUT WHAT HE HAS DONE TO PROVE THAT DESCRIPTION. He HAS beaten massive armies with 300 frail men. He has caused a young boy to defeat a military gladiator. He caused a small nation to rise up to great prominence under his power and to survive with out extinction for thousands of years. He sent his Son into the world, defeating sin and death by crucifying him on the cross and then raised His Son from the dead. The works of God are endless and therefore we have reason to have faith as we pray.

Neh 1:5b

...who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments

This simply means that God’s faithfulness and his loyalty to the covenant that He made with His people is built upon an unending amount of love for his people. God’s love for His people runs parallel to his faithfulness to them. Therefore, the reasons to pray and plead with God are clear.

The church is instructed by the Lord Jesus in the beatitudes in a similar way to pray.

Matthew 6:9-10 “9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

The reason to pray begins the statement as we pray because God is our Father, and we are his children. There is a unconditional love that has been demonstrated in our position with God so that we can go to Him. There is also the reality that His name is hallowed and revered among His people as set apart and unique among all in his perfections. His kingdom is unlimited both on heaven and earth and therefore the scope is his ability to answer our prayers is unimaginable. Therefore, let our posture of prayer be one of humility and faith.

The Words of Prayer:

For many years, I have taught the acrostic ACTS in order to help structure their prayers. Using this outline as you pray is helpful for a wandering mind as well as to an organized one. This acronym is not created by me but it is taught by me as a benefit for others. It comes from God’s word in passages like this on in Nehemiah because one can clearly see the elements shine forth

ADORATION

Nehemiah prays numerous times in this record and when he prays, he begins by declaring the character and attributes of God in the beginning of his prayer as a way to praise God in whom He puts his trust. We praise that which we put our trust in as God. Some praise their worship of sports, entertainment, or even family. Praising earthly things is not wrong from a heart that places God above all else. We might boast in our children, or celebrate a victory at work, and none of those are done if Christ is the ulltimate recipient of the glory for that moment. But for some, those earthly things are their ultimate praise while they deny God.

Our prayers should being with praise by acknowledging with words who we put our trust and confidence in. Throughout the Scriptures, particularly the Psalms, prayers are lifted to God with words that explain who he is and what He has accomplished. Nehemiah states,

v 4-5

... Great and awesome God

…keeps covenant and steadfast love

We see the phrase “praise the Lord” throughout the Psalms in a way of prayerful song to God,

ps 106:1 “1 Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

ps 146:1 “1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!”

ps 149:1 “1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly!”

The word “praise” in the HB comes from Halel. This means to rejoice, to boast to rejoice in God. The words Praise the Lord then is seen in the Hebrew Haleluyah, which is literally praise be to Yah, a concise name for YHWH. So our praise of the Lord, our Hallelujah is not only a command in the form of song but also a component of our prayer to him.

Starting off our prayers with praise is a way to center our prayers on God and not immediately jump into our selves and our needs from God. It forces us to reason and confess about the reasons why we are entering into faith filled prayer with God. On the contrary are those who simply jump into their requests because they have never truly considered God nor submitted their life to him.

Charles Spurgeon

Philippians Exposition

Numbers of people want the Lord to like their ways better, but they do not intend to follow the ways of the Lord. Their minds are contrary to God and will not submit to His will, and therefore there is no thanksgiving in them. Praise in a prayer is indicative of a humble, submissive, obedient spirit, and when it is absent we may suspect willfulness and self-seeking.

CONFESSION

Secondly, there is confession of sin,

Nehemiah 1:6-7 “6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.”

In Ezra, we saw the priest confess the sins of the people without confessing them in his own life. Ezra was not guilty of the intermarriage of foreign wives and yet he was burdened as their spiritual leader. Nehemiah is confessing more generally the sins of the people, including his own. They had transgressed the commandments, statutes and rules given to Moses. This summarizes all of God’s law given to the people in the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the OT.

Confession of sin is helpful at this stage in our prayers because we are already in a humble posture, but as we think about God’s character, we SHOULD have much to learn about the contrasting nature of sin that still rages war in us. Confession is a statement of genuine humility in light of the perfections of God. We state our sin in detail and our desire to turn away from them. One particular helpful practice of confession might be to tell God why you are turning from that sin. Confess to him why you are turning from lust. Its not just bad! Why is it bad?

“Lust cheapens the glory due to your name. You are good and benevolent and you give me all I need. When I lust for things I don’t need God, I am dishonoring the glory of your good and gracious hand in my life. Lord, I don’t want to cheapen your glory and so I turn from lustful thoughts or eyes.”

The Psalmist David writes,

Ps 32:1-5 “1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah”

Our confession of sin is an acknowledgment of the offense against God while our confession of Jesus Christ is a proclamation that Jesus covers all our iniquity and transgression when he died upon the cross! Friend, confession is a healthy part of the Chrsitian life as you praise a God who is a great Savior, you likewise confess that which has been committed against HIs name, trusting in the work He has done.

THANKSGIVING

The third aspect is thanksgiving. This aspects differs slightly from praise because it is a time to be specific about what God has done for you and in history. Where praise is focused on his attributes, thanksgiving is focused on his works.

EM Bounds defines thanksgiving as,

Thanksgiving is just what the word itself signifies—the giving of thanks to God. It is giving something to God in words which we feel at heart for blessings received.

Bounds, E. M.. The Complete Collection of E. M. Bounds on Prayer . Kindle Edition.

Nehemiah appears to think in such a way when he acknowledges in v 8-10 what God has said in his word. By remembering the words given by God to his people, he is recognizing them and is thankful for them. In his thankfulness, He prays them back to the Lord asking him to work according to what He has said to his people. He also states in verse 10 with a thankful heart that God is the one who redeemed his people by he great power and strong hand.

This is a helpful practice when we pray, to recall and recite the words and works of God back to him with thanksgiving. Whether we do so by memory or by reading the promises of God as we pray, this is a way of giving thanks for all he has done. For example, as you read through Acts, you might stop and say a word of thanks for his powerful work of the Spirit in Asia, calling people out of darkness into marvelous light. You might then apply that with thanksgiving to your own life as God you into his salvation and rescued you from the same darkness.

Phil 4:6 “6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Therefore, when you pray, be specific about what God has done for you. Spend time recalling those things, not because God is forgetful and needs reminding, but because the words of gratitude upon your lips is pleasing to God. Just as we should praise God specifically for his attributes, confess specifically the sins that trouble us, so also we should thank him with details for all that God has done for us..

Don’t let your thanksgiving stop with yourself and your immediate context. Broaden your thanksgiving to the current works of God in the world and the past works of God in all history. We tend to think presently about our life but when we consider what God has done in building his church through the ages, we have much to be thankful for. Of course, the more we read historically about the church, the more our prayers of thanksgiving will grow. The more we learn about the global mission of God on this earth, the more we can understand and pray with gratitude.

Resources to help:

-Operation World

-The Joshua Project

-Voice of the Martyrs

-International Mission Board

SUPPLICATION

Lastly, there is the final step of prayer:supplication. The word supplication simply means to ask, beg, or plead with God. This is the step we all understand and we excel at for our prayers are pleadings before God. Praise and thanksgiving is often overlooked, confession sometimes purposely ignored, but the requests of God are easier to ask. The Lord rejoices in those who ask of him.

Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 7:11

Matthew 7:11 (ESV)

11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

A portion of v 8-11 are not only thanksgiving in Nehemiah being thankful for what God had said, but it is also a request. He is asking God to remember his promises to his people and to act upon it by restoring his people to the place God chose for them. This is not a direct quote from the OT but a summary of the promises of God to his people.

Most specifically, Nehemiah is asking the Lord to grant him mercy “in the sight of this man.” It appears that Nehemiah is specifically asking the Lord to be merciful as Nehemiah approaches Artaxerxes about this request to return home. Now in v 1, Nehemiah hears of the problem in Jerusalem in the month of Chislev but he does not seek permission until the month of Nisan. That is around 4 months of time that Nehemiah prayed to the Lord and trusted and waited for God to work. We can view this prayer of Nehemiah as a continual work of prayer during those months.

As we pray, God calls us to continuously pray which means that we must be fervent to continually ask! Our persistence in asking of God is not like a badgering child who selfishly wants to get his way, but a needy child who cannot stand without the assistance of his mother/father. That child’s only option is to continually to ask of the Father and trust him in his wisdom and timing.

Therefore as you plead for God to act, let me again encourage you to pray in detail about what you need. Although God knows what you need, He commands you in Matthew 7 to ask it of him. It takes humility to ask things of God. It also takes introspection. I know there are times that as I ask of God, his Spirit convicts me of the self-centeredness of those prayers. As they cross my lips, the Spirit helps me see how self-serving they are.

Lastly, HOW CAN WE PRAY?

Point it back to Jesus.

Jesus gives us faith to believe in Him as the Son of God. His Spirit illuminates are hearts and minds by his word so we can understand these majesty and beauty of God.

Jesus also provides us with his Spirit, and therefore we are convicted by His Spirit according to His word. With that conviction comes confession of sin. Therefore we cannot confess sin if it wasn’t for the work of Christ to provide a way for us to see our sin and understand the grace needed to cleanse us from it.

Jesus also gives us a heart of joyful thanksgiving when he saves us. Before our hearts were self-centered but in Christ our hearts are cross-centered. Believers of Him and thankful for him.

Finally, that same love that God gives us for him through Christ, he also gives us love for others as well. We hurt as they hurt and we rejoice as they rejoice. He has put us in community and a family to walk this journey of faith together, praying for one another. Jesus invites us to him in salvation and he invites us to others in community.