Praying God's Will

This morning, we begin our study in a new book, although we are in the same series as we were before Easter. The book of Nehemiah is the second part to the book of Ezra. It continues the story of the Israelites who returned to Israel from Persia.

A good number of you might remember that the Babylonian Empire destroyed Jerusalem and took the surviving Jews as slaves. That was in 586 BC. About fifty years later, the Persian Empire takes over the Babylonians, and the Jews are allowed to return and rebuild. All of this is under God’ sovereignty to judge the Jewish people for sin and one day restore them.

The first group that came back was under the leadership of Zerubbabel. They came back in approximately 536 BC, and they finished rebuilding the Temple about 20 years later in 516 BC.

The second group came under the leadership of Ezra almost sixty years after the Temple was rebuilt. They came in 458 BC. This second group wasn’t involved in any building project; it was Ezra’s desire to bring a reformation because the people, once again, were falling away from the law of God.

The book of Nehemiah describes the third group to leave Persia for Jerusalem. This group comes about 12 or 13 years after Ezra’s group. They came in 445 BC. Ezra is still alive, but the main leader of this group, as you might guess, is Nehemiah.

God, in His sovereignty, raises up Nehemiah as a leader who will bring restoration. Under his leadership, Jerusalem’s wall will be rebuilt, and the people will be turned back to God. As we study the story of Nehemiah, we’ll get a chance to see the ingredients God used to restore his people.

Here in the opening chapter of the book, the main lesson we get is that before Nehemiah is used by God, he is moved by God. Before God uses Nehemiah, God moves in Nehemiah. What we see in this chapter is Nehemiah’s heart, Nehemiah’s desire.

The story begins autobiographically with a brief introduction. The opening verse says—The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel.

The month of Chislev takes place in November and December of our calendar. And this is during the twentieth year of the reign of King Artaxerxes. This is the son of the king Ahasuerus or Xerxes, who is mentioned in the book of Esther. As I said earlier, Nehemiah’s story begins around 445 BC.

Nehemiah is living in a fortress in Susa, which is where the king stays in the winter. What happened that winter?

Verses 2 and 3 tell us—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.

That may sound like a simple piece of introductory information, but what we get here is a glimpse into Nehemiah’s priorities. He lives in Susa; he works for the king, but his heart is with Jerusalem. That’s why he asks, “How are the Jews doing? How is the city?”

These are the people who survived the Babylonian destruction and captivity and had made it back to Jerusalem. They survived the massacre. They survived slavery. And they survived the journey back to Jerusalem.

Had they been restored to greatness among the nations? Ezra made it out there 13 years ago. Was there a revival? Are they thriving? Are they flourishing?

Verse 3 gives us Hanai’s answer—And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

“Things aren’t looking good, Nehemiah.” It’s a disaster. Jerusalem is in a shameful state. There’s a wall that used to go around the city. It brought protection, and it also served as a symbol of Israel’s strength. That wall now, as a symbol of the Jewish nation, is in ruins. The people are discouraged, and the Temple is open to attack.

Verse 4 tells us Nehemiah’s response, and, again, it lets us see his heart. God is moving in him—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.

When was the last time you were moved to tears, or to this kind of response, over someone else’s state? This is not like Job who lost his children or his wealth or his health. This is a man who is absolutely devastated because of the state of someone else. He can’t even eat. He is fasting.

Whan have you or I ever felt this heartbroken over someone else’s situation? It’s not a very common thing in our society. Our culture likes happy things. We like to smile. We like to laugh. We like to send and show each other funny videos to brighten our day.

Why is Nehemiah so devastated? I’ll tell you why. Number one, he knows God. Number two, he knows what God wants, and lastly, number three, he wants what God wants. That’s what’s happening here.

Nehemiah knows God. He knows what God wants. And he wants what God wants. God’s plans and God’s heart have become his own. That’s why he asked the question in the first place, and that’s why he weeps and mourns. Nehemiah wants God to be glorified among His people. He knew that was God’s plan for Israel. And it hurts him that that is not taking place. The people are not living up to their true purpose.

So, Nehemiah grieves. But it’s not a paralyzing grief. This is a grief that will move him to take action. We’re going to see more of that action as the story continues, but the first action we see is that Nehemiah prays. Nehemiah prays.

The rest of the chapters tells us what His prayer was like. Keep in mind, this wasn’t a one-time prayer. This is a summary of what his prayers were like as he fasted and mourned before the Lord.

The dominating element of Nehemiah’s prayer is humility. This is a completely God-focused, God -honoring, God-dependent prayer. And in humility, Nehemiah brings before the Lord two components.

Number one, there is a confession based on the holiness of God. Number two, there is a petition based on the faithfulness of God. Those are the two components of this prayer. A confession based on the holiness of God, and a petition, or a request, based on the faithfulness of God.

Let me point out each of these components to you in the prayer, and then we can talk about why that is significant for us today.

Number one, the confession based on the holiness of God. If you’ve been in a Christian church for a while, holiness might be a familiar word. But sometimes we say a word so much, we forget its significance.

When we say that God is holy, we mean that He is absolutely beyond us. He is beyond what we can completely imagine or know. He stands alone in the universe. No one is like Him. He stands alone in power and glory, and He stands alone in righteousness and perfection. That’s what it means that God is holy. He is other. He is different. He is beyond us and beyond anything else. He stands alone.

And we see that idea from the opening of Nehemiah’s prayer. Verse 5 tells us that Nehemiah said—O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God… When Nehemiah says that God is awesome, He means that God is worthy of our fear and our reverence. Nehemiah recognizes that God is over all, and that He is perfectly righteous. And that is why he doesn’t come before God with an attitude expecting God to listen. He comes in humility, begging God to accept His prayer. He recognizes that in himself he has no right to come before God. He refers to himself as the slave of God. The Hebrew word translates as “servant” means a slave. Again, Nehemiah comes in humility before a holy God.

Verse 6 says—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.

We saw this back in Ezra’s prayer. Nehemiah identifies with the sins of Israel. He is 1,000 miles away from Jerusalem, but he identifies with the people there. Historically, Israel sinned against God, and now, presently, there is sin as well. If Israel were to walk in accordance with God’s law, God promised He would bless them and prosper them, but since the city is in ruins, Nehemiah knows there is sin among the people. They aren’t wholeheartedly serving God.

Verse 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.

Now, that may not be the idea some of you have in your minds when you think about prayer, but confession before God is a key marker of genuine prayer. Biblical prayer is not simply a quick “Thank you for this day” and then start asking for what you want. Prayer needs to include recognizing that you come before a holy God. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” In other words, “May Your name be regarded as holy.” If you don’t understand God’s holiness, you will not come with the proper humility.

Real confession is not based on how guilty you feel, although we should feel the reality of our sin. But it’s not based on our feelings. True confession is based on God’s holiness which is revealed in God’s word.

If you separate God’s holiness and God’s word from your confession, over time, two problems will arise. First, you will begin to confess, or feel guilty about, things that aren’t sin. And secondly, you will stop feeling guilty about, or confessing, things that grieve God. Do you understand those possibilities? If you aren’t focused on God’s holiness, you are going to invent some other standard.

This is why it’s so important to be in the word of God regularly, like Ezra was. God’s word is what shapes our hearts and aligns us with God’s heart.

How in the world did we end up with Christian parents today who feel bad about disciplining their kids? How did we end up with so-called “Christian” parents who are excited about the possibility of their little boy living as if he was a little girl? How did we get to that point in our society?

How can someone’s conscience be so turned around that they are grieved by righteousness and comforted in their sin? How does someone end up calling evil good and good evil? It happens because they are no longer focused on the word of God, and instead they are being shaped by the culture. We let movies shape our values rather than God’s word. We let our coworkers shape our values rather than God’s word.

True prayer will come to God in humility and confession, and it must be a confession rooted in the holiness of God as He has revealed in His word.

The second component of Nehemiah’s prayer, as I already said, is a petition based on God’s faithfulness. A petition based on God’s faithfulness.

I never said that prayer should include petition. I never said we shouldn’t ask for things. I said that that shouldn’t be the only component of our prayers.

Nehemiah understands that Jerusalem is ruined, but he’s going to ask God for a miracle. He’s going to ask for true restoration. He is going to ask for a spiritual revival. But that request also comes with humility.

God is under no obligation to answer Nehemiah’s prayer. And the same applies to you and me. God is under no obligation to answer any of our prayers. Did you know that? There is no external obligation for God to listen to any one of us.

Does God listen to us when we pray? Yes, he does. Does he always listen. Yes, he always hears His children’s prayers. But He does that because He has obligated Himself to do so. There’s a difference.

If my kids call me on the phone during the day, I , as their father, am under no obligation to take that call. I’m dad. I might be busy working or in a meeting, so although they might want to ask me a question or tell me a story, I may not give them the opportunity. That can wait until I get home.

But suppose one day, before I leave the house, I say to them, “Kids, today is a special day. Today is ‘Talk to Dad Day.’ If you call me on the phone today, I promise you I will answer and I will let you tell me whatever it is you want to tell me. And I won’t hang up until you’re done saying everything you want to say.” If I say that, what’s happened. I have placed myself under an obligation. I have committed myself to respond a certain way.

So, when my kid calls and talks to me, he or she can be glad I answered, but they should also be grateful that I am keeping my promise. There was no external obligation for me to take that call, but I obligated myself with a promise, and I am being faithful to my promise.

This is what Nehemiah understand and expresses in his prayer. He doesn’t come before the throne of God with a spirit of entitlement. He comes humbly recognizing that He is totally dependent on God’s faithfulness.

The book of Hebrews says you should draw near with confidence to the throne of grace. That’s a good thing. But why can we come confident that God will hear us? We have confidence not because we’re so special. We come confidently because God loves Christ, and we are now united with Christ. We come with the confidence of the new covenant. God is faithful to hear us because of what Christ has done by dying for our sin and rising again and interceding for us. It’s not a self-confidence; it’s a confidence in God’s faithfulness.

Nehemiah is not pleading with God, saying, “God, I’ve been so righteous, please hear me out.” No! He’s saying God, this is what you have said. I’m asking You to be faithful to Your word. His petition, his request, is based on God’s faithfulness. It’s based on what God has already revealed in His word.

Look at verses 8 and 9—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.’

“God, You said You would judge us if we turned from You. But you also said You would restore us is we turned back to You. So, here we are, turning back to You in confession and repentance.

Look at verses 10 and 11, and notice how many times Nehemiah makes reference to God as he makes intercession for Israel and Jerusalem.

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.

There is nothing in you and nothing in me that deserves the kindness and the mercy of God. But God is gracious and faithful. And He delights to work in and through His people for their restoration and for His glory.

In the end, what is Nehemiah asking for specifically? He says, “O God, hear us! Help us!? How? “Give me, your servant, favor and mercy in the sight of this man.”

Who is “this man”? The final sentence of the chapter answers that for us. It says—Now I was cupbearer to the king.

We didn’t have that detail when the story began. Remember, the king is Artaxerxes, the king of the Persian Empire, the world’s superpower at that time. This was the Empire that had authority over Israel and Jerusalem.  Nehemiah is the kings cupbearer. What does that mean? He’s the guy who hands the king his drink when he sits down to eat.

What does that matter? Well, for one that made you part of the king’s security detail. Before he handed a drink to the king, Nehemiah had to drink it first. That was to make sure it wasn’t poison. Nehemiah was like the canary down with the miners; if he went down, the king was getting out of there.

So, Nehemiah was part of the royal Secret Service. He helped protect the king. But more than that, this position came, not only with responsibility, but with an opportunity. This put him in a close position to the king. Obviously, the king wouldn’t put a guy in that position that he didn’t trust. And since he trusted this man, he could also ask this man for advice. The cupbearer was an advisor to the king as well.

Nehemiah, similar to Esther before him, is going to make a request of the king. And he is praying for God to be merciful. Lord willing, we’ll see that request next week, but this is how it all started—with a humble prayer confessing sin and begging God for mercy.

This is how all great works for God begin—with a broken heart, with prayer, with humility, with total dependence on God.

What’s on your heart for the glory of God? Are you convinced it’s something God truly cares about? Or is it something only you care about? How would you know? You would know by studying Scripture.

When you wake up in the morning, what are you thinking about? When your mind asks questions during the day, what are you asking about? When you go to sleep at night, what are you wondering about? What kind of updates do you want?

The people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem were how God was going to make Himself known in the Old Testament. Jerusalem was His chosen place. But Jesus said that a time would come when true worship wouldn’t be in Jerusalem or in any other place. True worship would be in spirit and truth.

Who are the people who have truth of God and the Spirit of God? That’s the church. That’s those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ and trusted completely in His sacrifice. We are the ones tasked with making God known in the world today—by our teaching, by our holiness, and by our love and unity.

Isn’t that right? The church is the pillar and support of the truth. And without holiness no one will see God. And by our love and unity people will know we belong to Jesus who is the Son of God. The church has the responsibility of making God known in the world through Jesus Christ.

So, what should you be praying about? What should you and I be grieved about? Who should we be praying for? One another. And I’m not just talking about prayers that we all stay healthy and warm. I’m talking about prayers that we walk in community as the family of God, prayers that the love of God is remarkably on display in our lives, prayers that we are passionately pursuing holiness and battling the sin in our hearts and in this world.

Pray that leaders walk in righteousness. Pray that husbands love their wives. Pray that wives submit to their husbands. Pray that fathers and mothers teach their children the word. Pray that we flee from the desires of this world. Pray that we take intentional steps to help one another walk in holiness.

Pray that we look more and more like Christ, and more and more like what the New Testament describes. Don’t let the culture shape your view of what the church should be. Let God’s word shape it.

God wants to work through us and in us. He wants to do great things for His glory. It will even include pain and difficulty, but again, it will be for God’s glory. It will be to draw us closer together and accomplish His plan in us and through us.

But the starting point for all of that is humble prayer from the heart. Come to God in confession proclaiming His holiness. And come with your petitions depending completely on His faithfulness. Let’s allow God to move in us through humble prayer, and then we’ll see how God wants to use us for His glory.