In today's sermon, Gary Boyd at Collinsville Baptist Tabernacle delves into Nehemiah's profound response to the troubling news from Jerusalem. With the city’s walls still in ruins and its gates burned, Nehemiah’s grief led him to seek God through prayer. This instance marks the first of twelve prayers in the book of Nehemiah, highlighting his reliance on divine guidance over his prowess as a builder. Pastor Boyd emphasizes that prayer, rather than being a last resort, is the foremost tool for anyone striving to influence and improve the lives of those around them.
Pastor Boyd further explores Nehemiah's prayer, noting his initial adoration for God, which serves to glorify God and remind Nehemiah of God's greatness and trustworthiness. This is followed by consistent, persistent prayers and a heartfelt confession of sin, identifying with the collective guilt of his people. Nehemiah’s example culminates in his specific, faith-filled requests to God. The s underscores the necessity of such elements in our own prayers, urging the congregation to adopt a prayerful life marked by adoration, consistency, confession, and bold requests, ensuring that our first step in any endeavor is to seek God’s guidance.
