NEHEMIAH PRAYS FOR GOD’S PEOPLE

Passage: Nehemiah 1:1-11

Key verse: 11

NIV

Nehemiah’s Prayer

1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

In the month of Kislev(A) in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,(B) 2 Hanani,(C) one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant(D) that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.(E)”

4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.(F) For some days I mourned and fasted(G) and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said:

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God,(H) who keeps his covenant of love(I) with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear(J) the prayer(K) your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess(L) the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly(M) toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

8 “Remember(N) the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter(O) 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(P) them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’(Q)

10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.(R) 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive(S) to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor(T) in the presence of this man.”

I was cupbearer(U) to the king.

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Report from Jerusalem

1 The words of (A)Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in the month of (B)Chislev, (C)in the twentieth year, as I was in (D)Susa the citadel, 2 that (E)Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and (F)shame. (G)The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, (H)and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

Nehemiah's Prayer

4 As soon as I heard these words I (I)sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the (J)God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, (K)the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 (L)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, (M)confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even (N)I and my father's house have sinned. 7 (O)We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules (P)that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, (Q)I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 (R)but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, (S)though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them (T)to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 (U)They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, (V)let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

Now I was (W)cupbearer to the king.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

We learn a great deal about Nehemiah in this first chapter. In order for Nehemiah to be cupbearer to the king, he must have been a man of great loyalty and trustworthiness. His integrity was beyond question as he demonstrated great wisdom and self-control. By all accounts, he was a gifted and successful man. However, his deepest identity is found in his prayer. Nehemiah was a servant of God who delighted in revering God’s name. So, when he heard about the state of Jerusalem and the shame of God’s people, he was deeply grieved. This led Nehemiah to take immediate action and drop to his knees in prayer.

Nehemiah prayed according to the word of God. God had promised to return his people to the land if they returned to him and obeyed his commands. Nehemiah worshiped God for his faithfulness to his covenant of love and proceeded to confess the sins of the nation as well as his own sin and the sin of his family. Next, he appealed to God to remember his promise. The glory of God was at stake here! How could God be glorified if Jerusalem remained in shambles and his people in shame? Surely God would remember his servants and the nation he redeemed by his mighty hand. Nehemiah was fully dependent on God and ready to lay down his life.

Prayer: Father, open our hearts to see the state of your church today. Help us to pray for your people.

One Word: God hears the prayers of his servants