All over the world people are turning to prayer in this time of global pandemic. So often, it is in tough times that people discover the power of prayer. Abraham Lincoln, president over a country divided by a horrific Civil War, said: "I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go."
Today, as we face so many challenges in the nations and in our own lives, we really need to discover or rediscover how to really pray, not just pray prayers as a religious exercise. One person who knew how to pray when things were in a mess and found how to receive answers from God, was the biblical character of Nehemiah. An amazing transformation that was to take place in Jerusalem, began when one man had an encounter with God. In this story we can learn some essential lessons of effective prayer.
1. Come before God with a broken spirit (Nehemiah 1:4)
a. Weep for ourselves
b. Weep for others
2. Set aside time to fast and pray (Nehemiah 1:4; Mark 9:29; Joel 2:12-13; Isaiah 58:6)
3. Focus on the greatness and faithfulness of God (Nehemiah 1:5-6; Hebrews 4:16)
4. Confess all sin (Nehemiah 1:6-7; 1 John 1:9)
5. Pray in line with God's Word Nehemiah 1:8-11; Acts 4:24-25; Psalm 2:1-2)
6. Be specific in your prayers (Nehemiah 1:11; Nehemiah 2:4)
7. Expect to receive answers to God (Nehemiah 2:8)
Apply
Do you weep and mourn about the areas of your life and family that are broken down? Are you keenly aware of your personal need of God’s presence? When news first reached Nehemiah of the broken-down state of Jerusalem, his own heart was broken (Nehemiah 1:4). It was his anguish of spirit that drove him to pray. Weeping so often precedes the reaping of many blessings. It’s important that we experience what it is to weep for ourselves, our families and for others. For many Christians it’s time to rebuild our relationship with the Lord and our prayer, Bible reading and study. It’s time to get serious about a fresh encounter with God. It is not enough to know about God. You need to constantly experience Him for yourself. You will only know real change in your life when you know that God has brought healing and hope to you heart. Also it’s important that we weep for others. Jesus, like Nehemiah, wept over Jerusalem. William Booth, pioneer of the Salvation Army, wept over the sins of London and the felt the pain of millions of lost souls. David Wilkerson, founder of the Times Square Church, wept over the derelict spiritual state of New York and started a ministry that rescued many thousands of gang leaders, addicts and criminals. Are we touched enough by the broken state of the people of our towns, cities and nations to weep before God for them?
Do you set aside time to fast and pray regularly? Fasting and prayer are often linked together in the Bible to show how God’s power and purpose can be revealed when people are seriously focussed on having a spiritual breakthrough (Mark 9:29). For prayer and fasting to be effective, they must never be just a religious practice (Joel 2:12-13; Isaiah 58:6). Jesus taught that the proud Pharisees’ prayer and fasting would only be effective when they had changed hearts and treated people right, starting with their own families.
Do you focus on the greatness and faithfulness of God in all circumstances? Nehemiah looked beyond the negative news he heard to focus on the greatness of God and His unchanging righteous character (Nehemiah 1:5-6). He understood that God is awesome and has the power to change any situation. He knew that God is a faithful covenant-keeping God who always responds to those who love, obey and pray constantly to Him. Nehemiah was clear that he was both a servant of God and part of the people of God. When we also know that we have been adopted into the family of God through the blood of Jesus we too can come confidently to God with our requests (Hebrews 4:16).
Are you real with God about the state of your heart and life? Nehemiah wasn’t trying to fake it with God. He wasn’t trying to shift the blame to others or make excuses and minimise his sin. He admitted that that his people, his nation and his own family had sinned (Nehemiah 1:6-7). He personally had sinned and was totally honest with God. If we want to see spiritual breakthrough in nations, communities and families, there has to come very real and very humble confession of resentments, bitterness, anger, pride, disobedience, jealousy, immorality, deceit, unfaithfulness, racism and injustice. Don’t point the finger at others; confess you own sin. The more genuine we are with confession and repentance, the more freedom and forgiveness we will experience (1 John 1:9).
Do you pray in line with God's Word and His promises for your life? Are your prayers specific? Nehemiah knew the promises of God and made them the basis of His appeal to God (Nehemiah 8-11). The apostles also prayed like this when they were released from prison (Acts 4:24; Psalm 2:1-2). It is very powerful when we know God’s promises and learn to pray with the Word of God, for God is faithful to His Word in every age and situation. Nehemiah's prayers were also specific (Nehemiah 1:11). When the King asked him “What is it you want?” (Nehemiah 2:4), he made a number of very clear requests in order to rebuild Jerusalem's broken walls. We need equally to be very clear what we want from our Heavenly king and even earthly kings, to rebuild what is broken.
Do you truly expect God to answer with miraculous outcomes? Nehemiah asked big and received big (Nehemiah 2:8). Through prayer, Nehemiah, despite a lot of opposition, was able to gather a very dedicated team and the walls of Jerusalem which had been broken down for over a century were rebuilt in just 52 days. Today we can quickly see many great and positive changes. With God’s help we can be part of a great movement of rebuilding of lives, homes, churches and nations. It all starts when we live and pray in the right way.
To help everyone focus more on the Bible we have started a new Bible reading plan on our KCI App (free to download). If you follow this every day, you will be able to read the Bible through twice this year. As you read the Bible carefully, ask the Holy Spirit to apply the Scriptures to your own life and situation.
