Year 5, Day 49: Nehemiah 1

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Hexagon, Prayer

• Hexagon: The hexagon is the symbol that we can use to represent prayer.  The hexagon gives us 6 topics that we can remember in prayer, each coming from a petition in the Lord’s prayer: God’s Character, God’s Kingdom, Provision, Forgiveness, Guidance, and Protection.

Nehemiah’s prayer is humbling.  It demonstrates that Nehemiah is connected with God.  It demonstrates that Nehemiah cares about the spiritual well-being of the Hebrew people around him.  Let’s look at this prayer and what makes it so powerful.

Do you notice where Nehemiah begins?  Nehemiah begins in a fast.  He acknowledges God’s character as provider and sustainer for his life.  After fasting in God’s presence, Nehemiah acknowledges God’s character is words as he calls Him awesome, faithful, loving, and attentive.

Then Nehemiah transitions from talking about God’s character to God’s kingdom.  God’s people are trying to survive back in Israel.  Nehemiah prays that God’s will be done among them.

Nehemiah then turns to a period of confession.  Nehemiah confesses not just the sins of the people around him but also his own sins and the sins of his household.  Nehemiah understands the need for forgiveness in our relationship with God and the people around us.  Nehemiah understands humbleness.

Nehemiah then tells God that He remembers God’s promise.  If the people return to God, then God will guide them once more.  God will provide for them once more.  Nehemiah asks God that His provision and guidance upon the Hebrew people as they come back out of exile and rebuild the temple and the environment around Jerusalem.  Nehemiah knows that the efforts of the people will not prosper unless it is the hand of God that provides for them and guides them.

About the only thing that Nehemiah doesn’t explicitly pray for here is the protection of the people.  However, protection, provision, and guidance go hand in hand.  Although Nehemiah might not say it explicitly here, it is not unreasonable to think that it would be on his mind.  After all, the prayer is brought about because of a report about the danger of the people by the native inhabitants of the land.

We see a clear posture of a man of God here.  Nehemiah humbles Himself before God, acknowledges God’s character, and prays for His will to be done.

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