By Jordan Stone
Throughout our "Season of Prayer and Fasting" we will be posting various examples of prayer in Scripture and our first example comes from Nehemiah 1. The context of Nehemiah 1 is this . . . A man named Hanani comes to Nehemiah and informs him about the troubles and disgraceful conditions of the Jewish people and also tells him that the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burnt with fire. Nehemiah subsequently mourns and fasts for several days, and then prays to his God in preparation to meet King Artaxerxes and request permission to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.
Notice the content of the prayer that follows, hear a man who has intimate knowledge of His God, hear the centrality of God, hear conviction and repentance over sin, hear a man who knows the Word and stands on its promises, and hear a man who does not go ahead of God, but rather seeks Him in prayer first.
Throughout our "Season of Prayer and Fasting" we will be posting various examples of prayer in Scripture and our first example comes from Nehemiah 1. The context of Nehemiah 1 is this . . . A man named Hanani comes to Nehemiah and informs him about the troubles and disgraceful conditions of the Jewish people and also tells him that the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burnt with fire. Nehemiah subsequently mourns and fasts for several days, and then prays to his God in preparation to meet King Artaxerxes and request permission to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.
Notice the content of the prayer that follows, hear a man who has intimate knowledge of His God, hear the centrality of God, hear conviction and repentance over sin, hear a man who knows the Word and stands on its promises, and hear a man who does not go ahead of God, but rather seeks Him in prayer first.
"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. 5 And I said, "O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 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. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.' 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, 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."" - Nehemiah 1:4-11
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