Learn to pray individually and corporately from the book of Nehemiah

---By CK Jen, 2020/09/05

In Neh 2:5-8 tell that Nehemiah has had a long period of close fellowship with God. With God's leading, he had thoughtful planning. When the king asked him what he would like to request, his answers were immediate (such as #1-4 marked on the verses). Neh. 2:9 proved that what he requested from the king in Neh. 2:7was a necessity. Therefore, our prayers in the Lord need to follow the revelation of God and have thoughtful considerations and then plans for God's desires. Our prayers should not be vague, and then the responses of our God will be clear. Because we clearly know that our prayers are answered, our faith in the Lord will grow.

Neh.2:4 Then the king said to me (Nehemiah), "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Neh.2:5 And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it." #1

Neh.2:6 And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), "How long will you be gone, and when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. #2

Neh.2:7 And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king,let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah," #3

Neh.2:8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest,that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy. And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.#4

Neh.2:9a Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters.Proof of #3

Neh.2:12 reveals that Nehemiah was a very prudent and detailed man. Prudence is necessary due to the enemies' existence and attacks. Details are needed because although there is a God's leading to repair the wall, he must be very clear what the damaged states of the wall are (Neh.2:13-15). In Neh.2:12 "a few men with me" means that he has a small service team that is one with him, so he is not alone. Therefore, in church life, we should not be independent and offer vague prayers. It is preferred to have spiritual companions and know more about the situations and needs of each saint in the church in a step by step and intimate way, and then the building-up operations may be effective in the Lord.

Neh.2:11 So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days.

Neh.2:12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode.

Neh.2:13 I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.

Neh.2:14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass.

Neh.2:15 I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.

In the church life, we need to practice desperate corporate prayers (assembled with fasting), not letting the world enter, not letting sins enter, not letting things that are not of God enter, and not letting things that are not related to God enter, etc. (separated themselves from all foreigners ), confessing sins and repentance (confessed their sins and the iniquities ), worship and praise the God with a loud voice. These are some of the spiritual realities of repairing the physical wall in the book of Nehemiah.

Neh. 9:1Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads.

Neh. 9:1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads.

Neh. 9:3 And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.

Neh. 9:4 On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and ChenaNi; and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God.

Neh. 9:5 On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani;and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God.