Daily Bible Study

Tweet

Day 130 Nehemiah 1:1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said unto me, “The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.” 4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, 5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, who keeps covenant and mercy for them who love him and observe his commandments: 6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou may hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commanded thy servant, Moses. 8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commanded thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: 9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. 10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. 11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer. What do you do when you get bad news? Do you try to fix it yourself? Do you call every agency you think might help your situation? Do you tell everyone you know about your situation hoping they might have an answer? Or do you pray? Nehemiah got bad news regarding Jerusalem and the temple. He didn’t seek the king’s counsel even though he was the king’s cupbearer. He knew his position meant nothing. A cupbearer risked his life every time he tasted the king’s drink as he might die from poison meant for the king. He didn’t go to his fellow Jews. They couldn’t help him. No. He prayed to God. God was the only one who could help him. Nehemiah didn’t tell God about the situation facing his people as he began his prayer. He gave God glory for who He is. He then admitted his sin and the sins of his people, and then he presented his request to God for help, reminding God they were His people with whom He made a covenant with Moses. He also reminded God He gave His name to Jerusalem and the temple and would hear the prayers of His people when they prayed. As Christians, you often dive into the heart of your prayer and make demands of God about what He should do regarding your situation. He won’t hear your prayers until you give Him glory for who He is and confess your faults to Him. Then when you remind Him of His promises to you for health, provision, and protection, He will help you. God isn’t your personal genie, granting you wishes whenever you pray. He demands respect and honor. Nehemiah gave Him respect and honor through his prayer. You need to do the same. When you do, He will hear your prayers and act on your behalf. Let’s pray: Father, You alone are God, merciful, gracious, and forgiving. Help me to give You praise in every circumstance of my life, even when things look their worst. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 20 October 2021 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay.