Today folks is a great day . . . I've been fired up for 2 weeks about this talk . . . let me tell you why.
Today I get to speak from my favorite book of the Bible . . . in fact . . . today I get to speak from my favorite part of my favorite book in the Bible . . . And I get to speak about my favorite Bible leader - Nehemiah. Nehemiah is the most action - oriented leader in the Bible - He's a get it done guy . . . He comes through every time - no question . . . but . . . He's also a leader who is full of integrity and desperately desires to honor God with his life . . . The whole story around Nehemiah's leadership is rich with history and full of adventure and danger . . . Awesome part of the Bible - a must read. Nehemiah successfully rebuilt the city walls of Jerusalem under the most hostile of conditions and with the most rag tag group of people you can imagine . . . Amazing story of leadership and blessing . . .
Before I get into some historical background of the nation of Isreal at the time . . . let me tell you where Nehemiah was and what he was going when our story begins . . . Nehemiah was an Israelite/a Jew who had been taken capture into Babylon and had risen to the position of cup-bearer to the king - Influential and very trustworthy position - but also dangerous . . . King - had ultimate authority . . . and those in his presence had to act/react wit a certain decorum/attitude or they could be killed . . . on a moments notice - you didn't want to be cup-bearer if the king was having a bad week.
Around 587 B.C., the Babylonians invaded Israel and destroyed the city of Jerusalem (city of God), along with Solomon's temple. This was the third of three Military campaigns into that region. On all three occasions the Babylonians took a number of Israelites as captives . . . , and resettled them in Babylon. About seventy years after the first Babylonian invasion, King Cyrus, gave the Jews permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.
Under the leadership of a man named Zerubbabel, these captured Jews returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple but not the entire city. Things were looking up for a while. It seemed as if Israel was on the verge of becoming a blessed nation once again. But at that point the people refused to turn away from the very sins God had judged their ancestors for in the years previous.
The temple was not being maintained. Sacrifices had ceased, and the Jews continued to adopt the religious practices and culture of the surrounding nations. By the time our story begins, the political, social, and spiritual conditions in Jerusalem were terrible . . . and the city was still in ruins - broken down walls - burned city gates.
Meanwhile, back in Babylon, a Jewish fellow named Nehemiah heard about the plight of his homeland . . . and that is the beginning or our story today . . .
Now there are dozen's of different lessons to learn from this story from Nehemiah's life . . . Today were gonna talk on the subject of prayer and learn some principles - based on the actions of Nehemiah . . .
4 Principles of Prayer . . .
I. Passion produces prayer (Nehemiah 1:1-4) (and vice-versa)
When Nehemiah hears the news of the plight of his homeland, and when he hears that the city of his fore fathers is in ruins . . . it breaks his heart and (he begins to weep). This news, stirs something deep within him that had never been stirred before . . . see . . .Nehemiah was not the sort of man who wept at the drop of a hat . . . He wasn't emotionally unstable . . . and he wasn't weak . . . .no - not Nehemiah . . . but what those feelings immediately created within him was a burden - a desire to right a wrong - a passion to lift not only a city, but a nation, from it's ruins . . . Thoughts of what was (reality), as opposed to what could be in Jerusalem consumed Nehemiah . . . and brought tears to his eyes. The whole thing just wrecked him so much so, that everyone around him was aware that something (and they didn't know what yet) but something was bothering Nehemiah.
Now, it's interesting to me what Nehemiah does with this passion - with this burden to do something for Jerusalem . . . (first notice what he doesn't do . . . .) He doesn't share his passion and burden with anyone he keeps it to himself he doesn't even let his daily routine and responsibilities interfere and distract him from this burden . . . - and most of all he doesn't rush to action - he doesn't steal off into the night to go start something back in Jerusalem . . . He doesn't do any of those things . . . but what he does do . . . is pray . . . . . . and not just a little prayer - but a very focused emotionally felt prayer . . .
(vs 4) ("For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.") Nehemiah allows the full weight of this burden and passion to soak into his soul . . . and then he let's God deal with and share that burden with him . . . for several days . . .
Just a little comment on fasting here . . . .fasting here, means to go without food for the purpose of focused prayer . . . we'll talk more of this another day but if you have never fasted - it is an incredible way to deepen your resolve in prayer and to sharpen your spiritual focus . . . Fasting is allowing your body to go without food for a period of time - so as to replace that physical hunger with a hunger for God and a hunger for your soul to be filled with his presence. . . . Now, . . . fasting is an interesting and somewhat mysterious process - but one that has a strange clarifying power in it.
Back to the story. So . . . what does this passion and heart breaking burden to rebuild Jerusalem to it's former glory . . . produce in Nehemiah? Days of intensely all encompassing focused prayer . . . that was Nehemiah's response . . . So let me ask you - What are you passionate about?
· And is there anything burdening your spirit during these days . . . ? (good or bad) · Do you have a business that's faltering?
· Or a relationship that's in trouble?
· Do you have something you know God is calling you to but you haven't responded yet?
· Do you have a disease that needs healing or maybe someone that you love has a disease that needs healing. . . ?
· Do you have a broken relationship with your parents or a heart breaking relationship with your kids?
· Do you have an addiction that is slowly ruining your life?
· Do you have a lingering sin that you know needs to be dealt with but you can't bring yourself to look it in the eye and deal with it?
Wow - there's a million things that can impassion us in a good way (that God calls us to) and there's another million that will burden us . . . in a heavy way and produce a broken heart . . . Each of you will have your own list here . . . you figure that out . . . that's not my point - but my point is simple . . . . . has that burden or passion pushed you to your knees in prayer . . . and do you have a keen sense in your spirit that you are walking through something . . . . . . or being called to something bigger than you can handle on your own . . .
Here's a hint - when that overwhelming feeling comes over you - whether your dealing with something good or something bad . . . don't just busy yourself . . . . . . trying to fix it, or react to it, or act on it on your own . . . (busy) before you do anything - get God's angle on it.
God to God in prayer.
Story - me - 1996 overwhelmed with responsibility 29 years old . . . In 1996 I believe God called me into this position . . . and He placed a burden on me and a passion with in me to see 1000's of people in Saskatoon come to be in relationship with Jesus Christ . . . through the ministry of Lakeview Church . . . take my whole life huge passion - huge burden (sleepless nights - dreams)
Trouble was (in 1996) - I was 29 - young - inexperienced and uncapable for the magnitude of the leadership task . . . . . . and I immediately felt very overwhelmed by the responsibility . . .
For the next several years - I took one whole day/week away from the work - to focus on only one thing - prayer - I knew I needed God in this . . . . . more importantly I knew if I did it on my own without God - I knew I would crash, as would the church crash as well . . .
And over the years - only more clarity on that - The bigger the picture God gives me - the greater the prayer . . .
Folks, passion must produce prayer and if it doesn't . . . then spend some time in prayer asking for a bigger burden. Ask God to give you a dream that's large enough to produce passion that is so big you can't handle it without God's help . . . Because as we'll see in Nehemiah's life . . . it is that kind of passion and that kind of prayer that produces world changing results.
II. Pray, But Start A Plan
The rest of the 1st chapter of Nehemiah is the final installment of those several days that Nehemiah spent in prayer and fasting (beautiful prayer). . . Now we're not going to get into that specific prayer today except to say that it is a great model for us to follow - last weekend - several of the people who spoke about their personal prayer experience mentioned something called ACTS . . . as a model for prayer - ACTS stands for Adoration - Confession - Thanksgiving and Supplication. Four segments to a complete process of prayer . . . (info in folders on this).
This prayer of Nehemiah's has all 4 of those components . . . But the verse I want to focus on is the last line of that prayer . . . . Nehemiah says God, (vs 11) "Give me success today by granting me favor in the presence of this man" now if your reading the book Nehemiah and don't know the story . . . You're thinking . . . this is a little bit confusing - because you have no idea what "success" might mean here or what he will ask the king if he has a chance to ask him anything at all . . . . . . but if you read chapter 2 . . . . . . you'll see that Nehemiah had a complete plan in place before he ever went to the king.
Nehemiah had an answer (or at least steps laid out towards an answer) to that burning passion within him . . . and those answers stemmed from those days of prayer . . . .
So here's the principles behind this part of the story . . . ready? . . . (Nehemiah was willing to be the answer to his own prayers see - he prayed for God to give him an opportunity to build the wall . . . He didn't ask God to build it for him . . .
Huge lesson in here for us . . . far to often we ask God to deal with something in our lives (God take way this . . . or God let that thing happen . . . or allow this . . . ) but we forget that most of the time, how God chooses to answer those prayers, . . . includes action from us lots of time God expects us to be actively involved in the answer to our own prayer process . . .
Now, talk about planning while you pray - look at this . . . I love Nehemiah chapter 2 - he goes to the king - and the king says - what's up . . . . . . and Nehemiah seizes the moment. "Well king since you asked" . . . and Nehemiah lays out the plan . . . and not just a haphazard plan but a detailed - thought through 7 step plan . . . .see while he was praying - he was also planning . . . and if you read chapter 2 it outlines Nehemiah's seven steps . . . (let's walk through them)
Step 1 - Convince the king to allow me to leave his service in order to rebuild the wall around a city that in years past posed a military threat to this area.
Step 2 - Convince the king to lend financial support to the building project.
Step 3 - Get letters from the king to the governors in the surrounding areas asking them to provide me safe conduct along the way.
Step 4 - Work out a deal with Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, to get enough lumber to build the city gates as well as a home for me.
Step 5 - Ask the king for the title of Governor of Judah.
Step 6 - Organize and equip the inhabitants of Jerusalem
Step 7 - Begin construction.
So here's what Nehemiah did - he spent time . . . (key phrase) time in prayer and planning . . . He allowed himself to be part of the answer to his own prayers . . . and if God would be good enough to give him a chance to envision the king (about Jerusalem) . . . he was not going to waste that chance by being unprepared . . .
Folks, If you're dealing with something in your life that need's Gods help - understand that it may need your help as well . . . meaning - as you ask God to help you - put plans in place that if God provides break through's at different points for you . . . you will also have the next steps ready to go in your plan.
Case in point - our Facility Campaign Chapter 6 . . . started in 2001 - prayer and planning - prayer and planning Jan '03 land came up and we seized it - break through Dec '03 building sold Dec 29 - kicked 2 years worth of study (prayer and planning) and work into gear and we'll be ready to build by July. The key is to be ready to go when God gives the break throughs - the green lights . . . Key - We needed God to sell this building - and now our plans kick into gear . . . Here's what I know to be true - seldom will God do the work for you - but he will partner with you to give you wisdom and strength and guidance and passion as your pursue the vision he has called you to . . . but most of the time - We have to be willing to be the answer to our own prayers.
III. Pray As You Partner With God (Similar principle but different)
As Nehemiah gets his chance before the king with this prayed over plan in his back pocket . . . he prays one of the quickest but most practical prayers in the entire Bible . . . "Then I prayed to the God of heaven . . . and I answered the king . . . " Nehemiah 2:4 As Nehemiah is in the partnering and very participative prayer and planning phase he stays very connected with God in prayer . . . This is a classic prayer - God you know my dream - but you also know the king - he is so scary.
It's like he's saying - "Okay God here's my chance - help me not to screw this up . . . (hear this) " Even after all that time spend in prayer and planning Nehemiah never assumed he could do what he needed to do on his own strength - he knew he needed God's help . . .
And folks the principle here is huge . . . Its what I call, practicing the presence. Which is the art of being connected with God every moment of every hour of every day . . . Let me show you a book that has been around for over 300 years . . . This book - Practicing the Presence of God is a compilation of some letters and journal entries of a monk named Brother Lawrence, who lived in the 1600's . . . Brother Lawrence was a humble cook in a monastery, and he lived by a simple code . . . He dedicated his entire life to selflessly serving others . . . and he found the strength to do that by connecting almost seamlessly to God in prayer . . . amazingly simple yet inspiring book . . .
So what am I saying? . . .
As you struggle and stumble through prayers and planning - whether your working through personal hardships, relationship struggles or longer term issues like what direction your life should take . . .
As you are about those things of every day life . . . stay closely connected to God, practice the presence . . . whisper prayers as you drive - or as you walk - or as you do dishes or when you make supper or as you shovel the walk or when you're in the shower . . . or when you're in a moment of need like Nehemiah shoot up an arrow prayer to God . . . (then I prayed to God . . . and answered the king)
Folks, prayer is about relationally and conversationally being connected to God 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year and forever . . .
- Take that principle and apply it this week.
- Try praying more than 10 times a day . . . each day this week. (practice the presence).
IV. Produce As You Continue To Pray
The rest of the book of Nehemiah outlines the actual story of the building of the wall around Jerusalem. From chapter 3 - 13 it goes through every step - every trial and - every challenge that happened during the building . . . What I love about this book - (you gotta read this . . . ) what I love, is the connection between prayer and action . . . Nehemiah puts the two thoughts together better than anyone I know . . .
At every point along the way no matter what they faced as they built the wall . . . during their production phase . . . they remained committed to prayer - In fact a couple times they all stopped the work and prayed for God's guidance and direction and protection as they continued . . .
Now here's the best part.
So the wall was completed in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
Nehemiah 6: 15 & 16
Entire wall in 52 Days - a feat that is remarkable even in today's world with our technology and machinery and that was all done by hand . . . incredible
Folks, (trust me on this) when God gives you a burden and a passion to see something done and when you pray and plan and partner and produce and then pray some more. God will be with you every step of the way . . . and I can say this with confidence - no matter what you face this week . . . God knows what that is . . . he sees it - and He is more than willing to share the burden with you . . . and without a doubt He is infinitely able to see you through to the other side of whatever you face.
He won't let you go through something terrible alone . . . and He definitely won't give you a dream and then leave it unfinished.
No - He'll walk right with you every step of the way
Folks, we want to apply prayer during these weeks when we're together . . . |
