15 May Not So Secret Weapon
Nehemiah 1:3-11
- 3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”
In the book of Nehemiah and the Scriptures above we find Nehemiah praying over the city of Jerusalem. Have you ever felt burdened for something or someone? Have you ever heard about a need, situation, problem, or individual that was in a place of devastation and you became overwhelmed with a desire to help in some way? This is where we find Nehemiah.
He is focused on a city and he is focused on building a place for people who are exiled from God. He wants to build a place for people to go where they can gather and experience a God who loves them and is for them. Nehemiah is only a cupbearer. In other words, he is not some theologian or a preacher. Nehemiah is a lowly cupbearer. Before they give the king anything to drink, they say, “Let Nehemiah try it.” If Nehemiah doesn’t fall over dead, then they go ahead and let the king continue his meal. Nehemiah is expendable. He’s at the bottom of the totem pole and we find that God raises him to probably be one of the greatest leaders in all of Scripture.
As we read the book of Nehemiah, we find out that eight of the 13 chapters are his personal journal. We actually are getting to see what Nehemiah’s heart is towards the work that God’s calling him to. Through Scripture it is evident what God was doing in his heart for the city that was destroyed and in ruins. The Word also reveals what Nehemiah did to be an answer, a light, a game changer for the city and for that which he was called. Perhaps you have a burden, something you cannot shake, a situation that you feel lead to and you are searching for what to do now?
Let’s start by examining the process of Nehemiah:
- His heart is broken and burdened. God burdens Nehemiah and he begins weeping. He’s in a broken place and he is sincerely burdened for his city. Even more than that, burdened by the fact that there is no place for people to come and meet God.
I think it’s interesting that Jesus, also, in the New Testament, looked over the same city and the Bible says, He weeps and sees them like sheep without a shepherd, scattered. The idea is whenever you have the heart of Jesus, there’s something about you that begins to be burdened for the things that God has assigned to you. And the Bible teaches us that God chooses the times and the places that we would dwell. I think we are all guilty of seeing brokenness and saying, “It’s just normal. The spiritual condition is just normal.” 80% of American churches are in decline– it’s just “normal.” At some point there has to be people like Nehemiah who open up their life and say, “It’s not normal. It’s not the way that God meant it to be.”
- He begins to pray. Nehemiah’s prayer was, “God, show me personally how I can get involved and make a difference. Show me individually what it is that I can do to change the broken down condition of my city.” Nine times in 13 chapters he prays. He prays short prayers, quick prayers, some are longer, but all of them he is seeking God on behalf of the city – “What can I do personally?” This should be our prayer for our communities. We need the heart of Jesus, not just for the church, but what we as the church can do for those in our community.
- He repents. In fact, the first thing Nehemiah says is that he repented (v. 6) for the contributing to the problem, for not praying enough, not caring enough, and for accepting the situation. He has a humble heart in prayer.
- He stays thankful. Nehemiah reflects on the goodness of God in the past, on the promises God made, and he is thankful. The enemy would love to discourage, disappoint, or overwhelm anyone who is seeking to be a light and to build the church. However, being thankful for all that God has done, and thankful for what God has yet to do is a key element in staying focused and effective in prayer.
- He asks God for favor. Nehemiah knew he could not do this massive work without God. He’s about to meet with a powerful man and he needs favor. He needs an open door. He needs people that share his desire to build a great place to serve and love people. He needs those who will rally around him and have that same goal and that is to make the name of Jesus great.
Throughout the book of Nehemiah you can read how God answered Nehemiah’s prayer and after 141 years of failed attempts, Nehemiah accomplishes an impossible task in 52 days. The difference, the big secret, the formula that pushed Nehemiah to bring about a change in his city: IT WAS PRAYER. Not some big secret, just prayer. He had a heart to help others and he prayed about it. I feel like in the life of Lake Hills Church this is where we are. We want to help our city experience Jesus in a very real, life-changing way. We need favor for resources, people, and opportunities. We must pray. We know when we pray He will answer – just like he did Nehemiah.
Perhaps you have something that keeps you up at night lately. You feel called to something, but you know it is bigger than you. I encourage you to pray! Stay humble. Stay thankful. Ask for favor from God and man! We would love to pray with you over the things God is placing on your heart – email us at hello@lakehills.church