21 Days with Nehemiah

"O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel." Nehemiah 1:5,6 Effective prayer begins with our knowledge of God, the ways of God and the will of God. When we pray according to how God has revealed Himself to us personally, we can pray with confidence. Nehemiah knows God as the Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands. Nehemiah has revelation of the greatness of his covenant God who is faithful to those who love Him and obey Him.  John writes, "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him" 1 Jn 3:21,22. Love and obedience g...

"When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the the God of heaven." Neh 1:4 Having heard the report that "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace" and that "The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire," Nehemiah is moved with his whole being and responds emotionally, physically and spiritually. He is moved with compassion (literally "with suffering"), the very opposite of apathy (literally "without suffering"). This compassion urges him to seek God on behalf of his people, his city and for himself. It is this compassion that will move Nehemiah to accomplish the seemingly impossible and experience true transformation. It is this compassion that brings heaven on earth, that brings sight to the blind and that groans with the Spirit to bring life where there is decay (see Mt 20:34; ...