Nehemiah 1:4-11
Introduction
I once came across a sad statistic that the average prayer life of most pastors is five minutes a day. In the thirteen chapters of his book, prayer is mentioned fourteen times indicating the importance of prayer in Nehemiah’s life. To accomplish any significant work for God, we too must model our lives in the same manner where prayer moves from a ritual to a passionate daily conversation with God where we are conscious of His abiding presence and involvement in what we are doing for Him.
Background
Over a period of 730 years of Israel’s occupation of the promised land, the nation consistently broke the covenant God had made with them to be their God and for them to be His people. Sadly, this resulted in the Assyrian captivity for the ten tribes initially and then the seventy-year Babylonian exile for Judah and Benjamin as Jeremiah had predicted. God allowed them to taste the freedom from His rule that they longed for so they could learn what life without Him was like. That said, He never gave up on them. He promised to restore them to their land. While Ezra focused on the Temple worship of the Babylonian returnees, Nehemiah’s burden was on the construction of the walls of Jerusalem and setting up its gates, without which there would be no effective government of the city and the nation. Let’s look at some of the lessons we learn from Nehemiah’s prayer life.
- VISION: Vision is born from an accurate assessment of facts processed from God’s perspective. Prayer is the lens that Nehemiah used to process the report his brother brought. Close fellowship with God through prayer enables us to pick up what’s on His heart for the situation and how He would have us cooperate with Him in what He is doing.
APPLICATION: Historians tell us that Afrika was the cradle of humanity. We once possessed a knowledge of God that was more than most nations as evidenced in our names for the one true God. We ignored this knowledge and went into pagan ancestral worship. The result was that God gave us over to our passions. The Slave Trade was part of His act of love to show us what life outside His rule was like. So was Colonialism. And Neo-Colonialism! But, He has not abandoned us. He is restoring Afria back to its place because He has good plans for us. Despite the mess you see, God is at work on our continent. We must discern His heart for the continent to gain a vision of what to do. Prayer is the engine room where this happens.
- STRATEGY: Nehemiah’s strategy was simple: rebuild the walls and hang the gates. Isaiah 60:18 (NIV) says “You will call your walls Salvation and your gates, Praise.” While there are still many gaps in the walls of salvation, we seem to be doing well on evangelism but not so well on discipleship. Our converts are not living to the praise of His glory. Consequently, our gates are still wide open!
APPLICATION: It’s time to close those gates through the weapon of praise! Nehemiah’s prayer is full of worship. It acknowledges God’s sovereignty and mercy. It is a prayer of surrender.
- PLAN: Nehemiah does not leap into action at first call. Four months pass while he weeps, mourns, fasts, and prays. It’s not five minutes, but nights and days of seeking the face of God. He that kneels before God will stand before any man be he ordinary or king! No barrier will stand in his way! When he rises from his knees, there is clarity of his action. And so, Nehemiah rises with clear answers for King Artaxerxes. He knew what he needed to do, the resources he would need and the time it would take. He knew he could not do it alone, that it would take each family building next to their home for the walls to be completed.
APPLICATION: Our end goal as AFReG, is to restore Afrika back to its place as a Premier Continent based on God-centered values. Our strategy is simple: to raise leaders of integrity who will transform the continent! Our plan is effective: each leader working on their part of the field. Our fuel is powerful: prayer as a priority that we engage in together! That is why we meet every month! That is why we have prayer breakfasts to remind our nations that without God, Afrika will continue to wallow in its mire.
- RESOURCES: Through prayer, Nehemiah knew what he needed from the king as well as from the region beyond, material and human. There was no lack for what he needed to accomplish. The letter he obtained from the king was the key that opened all the vaults.
APPLICATION: While Afrika has some of the poorest countries in the world, we are one of the richest continents. We just need a letter from the King to access those resources. Many of us are holding that letter in our hands. We read the letter everyday but what’s missing is the password that unlocks storehouse. That password is PRAYER! Prayer in the morning, at noon and at night. Sentence prayers. Arrow prayers. Prayer as our next breath. Conversational prayer. Prayer that will drive our evangelism and discipleship efforts. Prayer that will enable us to plant men and women into the corridors of power who will become strategic resources. Prayer that will release the hearts of those God has blessed with financial muscle to come behind the Kingdom mandate with their resources.
- RESULT: When the walls started coming up, so did opposition from within and without. Nehemiah had to deal with poverty and inequalities internally. Externally, there were the Sanballats, the Tobiahs, and the Geshems! To deal with these foes, he trained his men to be ambidextrous, able to use sword and trowel.APPLICATION: The level of opposition shows the impact of our vision and strategy. When the gaps on the walls start closing and the gates start coming up, the enemy will panic. We need an ambidextrous force to combat his strategies, a people that can stand before God in prayer and worship on one hand, but able to stand competently in the marketplace without apology. That result can only be attained through a life of prayer.
CONCLUSION
Nehemiah’s prayer life has much to teach us as Afrikans in the Diaspora and those on the continent. We need the vision and exposure of those in the Diaspora as well as the resources they have access to, to be married with the practical experience of those on the ground who have borne the brunt of keeping the fort. Prayer is the place where the two will meet. The wisdom that emerges when we rise from our knees will enable us to unite in saying, “Let us rise up and build that we may no longer be a reproach. INUKA AFRIKA”! (Nehemiah 2:18, Rise up Africa!)
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