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Nehemiah chapter 6 records one
of the most trying and difficult periods in the life of Nehemiah. After securing his passage to
Jerusalem and successfully commencing the work of rebuilding the walls
of that city, this man of God faced a period of subtle and
yet very sustained opposition. Nehemiah chapter 6 is essentially
a chapter of conspiracy, a chapter of betrayal, and a chapter of
intended compromise. It was bad enough for this man
to have to face the lying slander and the wicked schemes of Sanballat
and Tobiah, but it was something else for him to discover that
some of his fellow Jews were actually negotiating with these
men and thus undermining his service for God. In many ways
Nehemiah was wounded in the house of his friend. Men whom he thought
were working with him were actually working against him. There was
a very concerted effort being made behind his back designed
to lead him into an ungodly compromise and into an unwise cooperation
with his enemies. You have that very serious incident
there between verse 10 and verse 13 regarding this man Shemaiah
where he allowed himself to be hired to be employed by the enemies
of God with the simple plan of trying to hinder Nehemiah in
his work for God. It seems that this man Shemaiah
may well have been a priest within the temple. He certainly had
access to the house of God and here he came to Nehemiah with
the suggestion, let us meet in the temple But the whole plan,
the whole scheme of this man was to frustrate the progress
of the work of God and to align himself with the enemies of God's
people. And that kind of situation where
even a man of that standing was against Nehemiah, that kind of
situation must have been heartbreaking for the man of God. It was enough
to bring even the best of men into a state of utter despair. And yet even in the midst of
such betrayal, in the midst of these battles for God, in the
midst of carrying this immense burden in the work, Nehemiah
continued to labour for the Lord. That wasn't that Nehemiah was
some kind of superhuman kind of character. It wasn't that
he was unaffected by all of this, for the Bible speaks of him being
afraid. It wasn't that he rested on some
kind of personal power or inner strength that he had. Rather,
the secret of Nehemiah's continuance in the work lay in the fact that
he knew the value of carrying all of this to God in prayer. Nehemiah was not only a man of
great action, and he was, but he was a man of great supplication. In fact, that's one of the outstanding
features of the book. He was a man of prayer. Amid
all his fighting, amid all his laboring, in the midst of all
his encouraging of the other laborers, Nehemiah stands out
as a man of prayer. E. M. Bynes, who wrote a series
of books on the subject of prayer, made the comment that the men
who have done the most for God in this world have been early
on their knees. He went on to say that prayer
puts God's work in his hands and keeps it there. He followed
that statement up by the statement, prayer is the language of a man
burdened with a sense of his need. And all of those things
you will find here in the life of Nehemiah, in chapter 6 especially. Here his enemies have tried to
fill his heart with fear. They've tried to destroy his
zeal and his commitment to the Lord. They've tried to stop his
work. They've tried to bring him down
from the walls. But Nehemiah resisted their plans and he relied
upon his God. He brought the entire matter
here in verse 9, verse 14 also. He brings the entire matter to
God in prayer. There are two, as I've mentioned,
two specific prayers recorded in the chapter. in verse 9 and
then again in verse 14. Both prayers are offered quickly.
Both are very brief. Both come from the heart. And
both are the prayers of a man in need. And both are directed
to God. And both receive an answer. Now
that style of prayer that you have there in verse 9 and verse
14 is generally known as ejaculatory prayer. That is prayer that's
offered from the heart in just the moment of time. A prayer
that's offered even in the midst of other business. A prayer that's
offered without actually coming away to a specific place of prayer
or a specific time for prayer. Just a prayer that's offered
from the heart in the midst of a time of particular need. And
of course, that kind of praying is very important for Christian
living. It's essential that we have times
when we come apart from all the duties of the day and close ourselves
in in a closet or someplace where we can meet with God. It's important
for a congregation to assemble in a fashion like this, where
we gather as a congregation and pray together. It's important
that we call special seasons of prayer, like a week of prayer
or a day of prayer. But there are times when the
believer must and can pray just as Nehemiah prayed here. The
believer can always pray. He can pray in the most difficult
circumstances. He can call upon the name of
his God in every situation. And that's what Nehemiah does
here. And you have examples of it in
verse 9 and again in verse 14. Now those two texts indicate
some very important things concerning Nehemiah as a man of prayer.
And it's those things that I want to draw your attention to this
evening. And I trust as we look at these
things that God will bring us the very same way and that we
will nurture in our hearts and seek under God's strength and
God's help to develop this, that we too will become men and women
of prayer like this. That we will pray just as Nehemiah
prayed also. Let me say a number of things
about this kind of prayer that Nehemiah offers and what it indicates
to us about Nehemiah as a man of prayer. Notice with me first
of all that Nehemiah lived in close communion with God. The
numerous references to prayer in the life of this man, and
there are many references, all point to one very simple and
yet a very supreme truth. And it's this that Nehemiah was
a man who enjoyed constant fellowship with God. When you read the outline
of his intense prayer life, it's unmistakably clear that Nehemiah
was not a stranger at the throne of grace. He did not live at
a distance from God. He was not so taken up with his
labors or so taken up with his life that he had forgotten about
the Lord. Nehemiah lived in an atmosphere
of godly fellowship. Though his enemies were all around
him, though he was faced with constant dangers, though he was
surrounded by this element of conspiracy and compromise, although
he was surrounded by all of that kind of thing, Nehemiah lived
in close communion with God. In Genesis chapter 5 and verse
24 and in Genesis 6 and verse 9, You have reference there to
Enoch and Noah walking with God. And the picture is of men who,
despite their circumstances, because those men lived in very
evil times, but men who, despite their circumstances, maintained
a closeness to God as far as fellowship and as far as faithfulness
was concerned. They knew him intimately. They
enjoyed his fellowship. They met with God, they listened
to Him, they talked with God as friends talk. And there was
a closeness between them and their God. And the very same
thing can be said of Nehemiah. That's why this man was able
to pray as he did. Because he lived in the presence
of the Lord. He kept close communion with
him and therefore when difficulties arose it was possible for him
to cry immediately to God in prayer. Prayer was a natural
thing to Nehemiah. It's not the first time that
Nehemiah prayed concerning the work in Jerusalem. If you turn
back in your Bible, and I think it's good to note these references,
if you turn back to Nehemiah chapter 1 and verse 4 when he
hears the report of his brother of the desolation of Jerusalem
he immediately prays and it says in verse 4 of chapter 1 it came
to pass when I heard these words that I sat down and wept and
moaned certain days and fasted and prayed before the God of
heaven and then chapter 2 in verse 4 when the king says to
him as he talks with the king for what dost thou make request
You have this statement, so I pray to the God of heaven. He's praying
in the midst of his conversation with the king. He's just offered
a prayer to heaven as he talks with this royal figure. And then
chapter 4 verse 9, you find him in prayer again when he hears
about the conspiracy of Sanballat and Tobiah who have come to hinder
the work and fight against Jerusalem. He says, nevertheless, we made
our prayer unto God. and set a watch against them
day and night because of them. Then chapter 5 verse 19, when
he has the difficulty of the unscrupulous Jews that are working
against the other men, he says in verse 19, think upon me my
God for good according to all that I have done for this people. And you look at all of those
occasions of prayer and all of those incidents of this man praying,
one thing stands out, this man prays naturally. He prays as
naturally as he breathes. No one had to urge him to pray. No one had to suggest to Nehemiah
he might try prayer. No one had to exhort this man
to seek the Lord. His prayer flowed naturally from
a heart that was in communion with God. James Montgomery said
prayer is the soul's sincere desire. Uttered or unexpressed,
the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast. Prayer
is the Christian's vital breath, the Christian's native air. Was
that not how it was with Nehemiah? When trouble comes, when something
burdens his heart, he goes to prayer. He goes to prayer. He doesn't have to be coaxed
or cajoled or challenged to pray. He comes to seek the Lord. Wasn't
that how it was with Saul of Tarsus after his conversion?
As soon as he was saved it was said of him by the Lord, Behold
he prayeth. Behold he prayeth. That's how
Ananias found him. He found this man at prayer. Prayer was enforced from his
heart. And it wasn't forced from Nehemiah's
heart. He doesn't have to stop and think about it. He's in such
close fellowship with God that it would have been unthinkable
for him to act in any other way. Lord, that it would be like that
with us. That as we live day after day and come across situation
after situation, we live so close to the Lord that it just was
a natural thing to bring everything to God. Maybe some matter at
work or some matter at home or some matter in our own lives.
Sometimes the last thing we do is pray about it. But oh, to
pray like Nehemiah, just as the need arises, crying unto God
in close fellowship with Him. You must also hear that Nehemiah
had close communion with God because he understood the constant
and the fresh and the open access he had to God Nehemiah recognized
that not only was prayer his responsibility, but prayer was
his privilege. He understood that prayer was
a blessing. He knew that the way was open
to him. That's why he prayed so quickly.
That's why he prayed so frequently. That's why this man prays so
passionately. That's why he prays so confidently.
It's not a case of him having to wonder if he would be received. It's not a case of him wondering
would he have access to God when he prays. Nehemiah knew that
he had access to God. And that's why at these occasions
when trouble was there, he could just pray because he knew he
had access to God. It's not at all like the prophets
of Baal in 1 Kings chapter 18. Remember, they prayed and there
was no access. Of course, how could Baal, being
a dead god, ever answer their prayer? But they had no way to
prevail there or persist in prayer or gain their argument in prayer. But in contrast Elijah, he's
on the top of a mountain. He's in a time of great crises
in the nation. He's put his very life on the
line in this contest with the false prophets but he knows that
he has the privilege of prayer. And he knows that when he calls
upon God that God will hear him because Elijah knew he had access
to God in prayer and therefore he went with boldness to God.
Christian, let us remember the same thing. We have constant
access to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn over with
me to Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 20. I think this is something
that we often lose sight of and we fail to remember and of course
the devil would have us fail to remember the privileges that
we have, the right that we have as believers to come unto God
through the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at Hebrews chapter 10 and
verse 20. We'll read from verse 19. Having therefore brethren boldness
to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and
living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veal that
is to say His flesh. Now it's spoken of there as a
new and living way. It simply indicates the freshness
of this approach, the openness of this access to God and Christ
has consecrated for us this privilege. Now what does that mean, that
word consecrated? It means that Christ has dedicated for us or
He has opened a way for us And if you could put the emphasis
on that little phrase, for us. This is the privilege of the
Christian. This is the joy of the believer. This is what Christ
has done for us. When He saved us, when He shed
His blood for the remission of our sin and saved us by His grace,
we have this privilege to come to God this way that has been
dedicated for us by Christ. whereby we can approach God in
prayer. And of course we can come to
prayer and come to God in prayer at any time, because it's a new
and a living way, because it's an open way, it's a fresh way. I know that when we come into
dark times in our Christian life, the devil immediately comes and
says, the heaven will be closed to you. Prayer is a waste of
time. And when we feel the Lord and
we sin against Him, the devil will most undoubtedly come and
say, no, you can't pray. You've no right to pray. Look
at what you've done. Believer, the way is open. It's
a new and living way. And of course, the blood of Jesus
Christ that secures that way for us cleanses all our sin as
well. And Nehemiah was aware of this.
That's why when he's in these circumstances with Mark in the
book already, he prays because he knows he has access to God. Let us never lose sight of that.
We have this fresh and open way to seek the Lord. Notice also
that Nehemiah communed with God in a very familiar and what I
term a very filial way. What I mean by that is simply
this, that Nehemiah came to God as a child would come to his
father. Look at what he brings to God.
He brings to God in verse 9 the thought here, Now therefore,
O God, strengthen my hand. It's not a lengthy prayer. It's
not a complicated sentence. He just comes and his hands have
been weakened, or that's the thought of the enemy, and he
just simply prays, Lord, strengthen my hand. In verse 14, he has
something similar in mind. My God, think thou upon Tobiah
and Zimbabwe, according to these their works, and on the prophetess
Moadiah and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear.
And he brings his circumstances to God. When he stood before
the king in chapter 2, he wasn't sure how to answer the king,
so what does he do? He just prays to God. Nehemiah
is a man who brings everything to God, just as a child would
bring everything to his father. That's why we sang the words
of that hymn tonight, commenced with those words, Abba Father.
That's the privilege of the Christian, to come to God as our Heavenly
Father. Romans 8 verse 15 underscores
that truth, for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to
fear. There is no need to fear as we approach God, but ye have
received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. How can we promote this kind
of praying in our own lives? By remembering we are coming
to our Isn't that how Christ taught his disciples to pray
and taught us to pray as well? Our Father which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. Just like a son, just like a
daughter coming to their father and bringing every little thing
to him so the child of God can come. And as he lives in close
communion with God, that's exactly what he will do. as he lives
in fellowship with the Lord, as he seeks to walk well with
God and walk close with God, then we will bring everything
to God in prayer. You think of George Muller bringing
the very needs of his orphans, their food, their clothes, their
health, everything, just bringing it all to the Lord. But a friend
we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear, what a privilege
to carry everything to God in prayer. Nehemiah did that, and
that indicates to me a man who lived in close communion with
God. He not only walked with God,
he talked with God. And his walking and his talking
sprang from his close communion with the Lord. In Christian we
ought to strive to do the same. To pray as this man prayed. To
have close communion just as this man had close communion. But notice also this prayer life
of Nehemiah indicates that he lived with complete confidence
in God. Not only in close communion with
God but complete confidence in God. Why does he pray so frequently?
Why does he pray so freely? Why does this man carry every
event that troubles him to the Lord? Why is he so quick to pray?
Simply because he knew that without God he could do nothing. But
that with God he could do all things. It's very important to
notice that. Nehemiah was a remarkable servant
of God. He was a man noted for his enthusiasm,
for his energy, for his efforts. He was a man with a vision. A
man with a burden. He was determined to press on
with the work. He didn't want anything to stop
him. He was going to resist the enemy. But Nehemiah did none
of those things in his own strength. He was just a man, subject to
life passions as we are. He wasn't able to do this work
in his own strength. His constant praying indicates
this. His constant praying indicates
that he depended upon God for everything. He had no confidence
in his own ability but every confidence in God's intervention. I think it's important to notice
here that Nehemiah had confidence because he had a true understanding
of God's person. There's something very important
to note in the words of verse 9 when he says, Now therefore,
O God, strengthen my hand. You see, Nehemiah recognized
that all strength was found in God. He knew that God was all-powerful. He knew that while he himself
was weak and was made weak by others, that no such frailty
existed with God. Here's a man and he understands
that all power belongs to the Lord. He recognizes something
of the glory and the greatness of God's person and that fact
promotes his confidence in God. Whenever he was in need, he knew
that God could supply his need. And while there were many things
too hard for Nehemiah, he knew there was nothing too hard for
the Lord. I'm convinced that we could see
that. If we could see something and understand something of the
greatness and the glory of God's person, we would pray with as
much confidence and as much boldness as Nehemiah prayed. Here's a
man and he's in need here. Right throughout the book you
find him in need. And what does he do? He takes it to the Lord. Why? Because he knows the Lord
is able to meet his need. He's fully persuaded that there
is nothing that he could bring before the Lord that the Lord
could not deal with. Christian, that's true for us
to meet. There's nothing you can bring before the Lord that
you'll discover is too hard for Him. And if we could learn that
lesson and understand that with God there is power, With God
there is grace. With God there is mercy. With
God we find help. Then we would pray that Nehemiah
prayed. But notice also that Nehemiah had confidence in God
because of his past experiences. Hadn't God answered his prayer
in chapter 2? Hadn't God answered his prayer
in chapter 4? God hadn't failed him then. God hadn't disappointed
him. He had enjoyed a direct answer.
which led to the continuance and the furtherance of the work
and right from the moment Nehemiah heard of the desolation of Jerusalem
and made his way to this city and commenced his building work
God had answered prayer for him step after step God had already
proved himself to be one who answered prayer, one who could
be trusted, one who was faithful, one who was reliable, one who
was a remarkable friend and a remarkable help in times of need and therefore
Nehemiah has no hesitation in going again to God and bringing
these matters to him in chapter 6. His past experiences encouraged
his confidence for present times. I'll take the time to read Psalm
59 verse 16 but you'll discover something similar there in the
life of David in fact you find this repeatedly throughout the
Psalms David saying thou hast been a hiding place for me there
has been a shelter therefore I will trust in the covert of
thy wings and what David does and what every Christian ought
to do is look back and see how God has answered your prayers
and then continue to trust in God to answer prayer again God
had not failed this man and therefore he brings it to God again. But
not only that, let me say that Nehemiah had confidence because
of God's great purpose, God's great promise and God's great
providence. Nehemiah knew that this work
was of God, and he knew that he was in God's will, and he
knew that he was praying in God's will, and therefore he could
come with confidence. He wasn't building alone, He
had already testified in chapter 2 of the good hand of God upon
him. He wasn't battling by himself.
He had made prayer that God would come and stand alongside them. And he knew as he thought on
God's purpose and God's promise and God's providence that he
could depend upon God. See, but that explains in part
this man's life of prayer. He prayed because he knew that
God would answer him. He had confidence. Confidence
in God. And oh, tonight that we would
have the same, even as we come to pray tonight, that we would
have a sight of the greatness of God, conscious that God has
answered prayer for us before. God has answered prayer in his
work before. It is undoubtedly God's purpose
to bless his work. therefore of every warrant to
come and seek his face with confidence. He had close communion with God. He had complete confidence in
God. There's one last thing about
this man's prayer life that strikes me and that is that he lived
in constant consecration to God. This man prayed but he didn't
stop there. He prayed and he built You see
in verse 14 you have these words, My God, think thou upon Tobiah
and Zimbabwe, according to these their works, and to the prophetess
Moldavia, and the rest of the prophets that would have put
me in fear. So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of
the month Elul, in fifty and two days. He prayed, but he worked
on. He was a man who was willing
to go through with God. And prayer is not the end of
our walk with God, it's part of our walk with God. And here's
a man who, although he is surrounded by enemies, and therefore surrounded
by difficulties, he still wants to go through with God. He still
wants to go on with He still wants to serve God. He still
wants to labour for God. And so the wall is built and
finished within 52 days. A remarkable accomplishment.
A remarkable answer to prayer. And Nehemiah is still going on
with God. In many ways he is a remarkable
man. And yet what Nehemiah enjoyed and how Nehemiah lived is what
God would have us to enjoy and is how God would have us to live.
And I trust tonight as we think on these things and think on
this man, praying in these circumstances, that when we find ourselves in
times of distress, times of trouble, times when we need direction,
times when we need God to intervene, that we too will be able to pray
just like this that we too will know what it is to be in that
close fellowship with God that close communion with Him and
have that bold confidence in God and that as we pray we'll
go on with God and live that life of consecration to Him carrying
everything to God Oh, that God would teach us to
do the same. Here's a man who prospered as
he prayed, and a man who prayed as he prospered. And may that
be true of us as well, for Jesus' sake. May God bless His Word
to our hearts.
Carry everything to God in prayer
Series Series on Nehemiah
| Sermon ID | 1123056410 |
| Duration | 31:32 |
| Date | |
| Category | Prayer Meeting |
| Bible Text | Nehemiah 6:9, 14 |
| Language | English |
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