NEHEMIAH'S PRAYER

“Then the king said to me, what do you request? So I prayed to the God of heaven" (Neh. 2:4 NKJV).

Nehemiah was a great man of God because he was a great man of prayer. The Book of Nehemiah records at least eleven occasions in which Nehemiah is praying. The prayer in our verse gives some good instruction and encouragement to inspire a better prayer life. Thus, we want to note: the site of the prayer, the speed in going to prayer, the silence of the prayer, the shortness of the prayer, and the subject of the prayer.

Site of the prayer - This prayer was offered by Nehemiah while he was in the palace in Persia serving the king. Note that we do not have to be kneeling in some temple or church to pray. Prayer is not limited by location. We can pray anywhere – at work, in the kitchen, or even at school.

Speed of going to prayer - When the king asked Nehemiah what his request was, he immediately lifted his heart in prayer to God. This speed of going to prayer manifests a heart that is in close communion to God. Slowness to pray might be a sign of a poor relationship with God.

Silence of the prayer - Nehemiah prayed silently. Prayer does not require audible words. God sees the heart, and so we can lift our hearts in silent prayer to God anytime. He knows we are praying, and what we are praying about.

Shortness of the prayer - Nehemiah’s prayer was very short. This reminds us that our prayers do not have to be long to be effective. Long prayers have their place, and those who pray much will have regular long sessions of prayer. But prayer can also be short, quick cries to heaven for help.

Subject of the prayer - Nehemiah prayed for help to answer the king. This tells us that we need to pray about everything (Phil. 4:6). If we prayed more about every detail of our life, we would perform a lot better in life.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Trouble will drive you to prayer, but prayer will drive away the trouble!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Authorities

In Titus 3:1 we read, “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work” (NKJV).

Authorities is the Greek word exousía (ἐξουσία = ex-oo-see'-ah). It means authority, power, the right to control or govern, dominion, the area or sphere of jurisdiction, a ruler, human or supernatural. It was a technical term used in the law courts.

Literally, exousía means to be ‘out’ and was used of that authority which a person has which is delegated to him from someone else. The person delegating the authority is in a sense out of himself and acting in the person to whom he has delegated the authority. Thus, the word means delegated authority.

In Classical Greek exousía referred to the right to act according to legal or moral standards. In the Septuagint exousía carries the sense of authority to rule. In the New Testament exousía also has the basic the idea of authority or right. Here in Titus exousía speaks of delegated authority and qualifies the civil rulers as those having duly constituted authority.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would be smitten on the cheek (Micah 5:1)

New Testament Fulfillment – Matt. 27:30

Bible Facts

The Bible forbids consuming blood (Lev. 17:12). A common ritual in many religions in the ancient world was to drink blood. However, the Lord repeatedly told His people to abstain from blood (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 3:17; Acts 15:20; 21:25). Of course, modern science reveals that consuming raw blood is dangerous.

Bible Quiz

In 2 Timothy, what does Paul ask Timothy to bring to him?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: The chief priests and Pharisees tried to prevent the disciples from stealing Jesus’ body. According to Matthew how did they “made the sepulchre sure?” By sealing the stone, and setting a watch (Matt. 27:66).

That’s in the Bible

"Gathered to your fathers”

“When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10 KJV).

“Gathered to your fathers” - The expression “gathered to your fathers” refers to refers to dying. This is vivid reminder that sooner or later death comes to everyone. In our verse, the new generation of Israelites were not faithful to the Lord. This tells us that godliness in one age does not guarantee godliness in the following age. Just because your parents and grandparents were believers does not mean a person is automatically a believer. Each person must have a personal relationship with the Lord.

Did You Know - Christian History

The Molokans were a Russian sect dating from the late 18th century. Molokans believed the Bible was the soul’s guide for salvation and rejected the rituals, icons, fasts, ornate churches, and worship of relics that were common in the Orthodox Church. They were called Molokans or “milk people” because they drank milk during Orthodox fasts. The government sent many Molokans to the Caucasus. One such family was the Prokhanovs. In 1869, Ivan Prokhanov was born into this heritage. He was the founder of the organized church of the Evangelical Christians in Russia.

When he was about ten years old, Ivan was pronounced dead and was placed in a coffin. As the elders read the Bible over him, preparing for his burial, Ivan opened his eyes and began to cry. Converted in 1887, Ivan joined the Baptist Church. Ivan wanted to be useful to the Russian people. Like the Apostle Paul, he resolved to provide for his own needs while engaging in Christian work.

Ivan studied mechanical engineering at the Institute of Technology in St. Petersburg. At the same time, he taught children and preached. His meetings had to be kept secret, because religious gatherings were illegal outside the Orthodox Church. He served as an engineer for Westinghouse Electric Company by day and as an evangelist and hymn writer by night. He reorganized the Evangelical Christians in 1908, of which he served as president. With the help of friends, Ivan began a Bible training program for Christian workers in 1913. He also established a Bible school and organized youth groups. Often he did not get to bed until 2 A.M. Twice he was imprisoned for his faith. Ivan died in exile in Berlin on April 6, 1924.

A Little Humor

Pastor Brown was invited over to the Stevens for dinner. After the usual greetings, he was asked to lead in prayer for the meal. After the brief prayer, little Fred said approvingly to Pastor Brown, “you don’t pray too long when you are hungry, do you?”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“If we be ruled by sin, we shall inevitably be ruined by it!”