FAST AND PRAY

Returning and restoring is hard work—and so often it is easier to give up than to do what is necessary.  But God wants us to seek Him to get our instructions.  That begins with a heart for Him and a heart for others as well. 

Nehemiah 1 

The Jews had been in captivity to Babylon for a number of years. The Babylonians had captured Jerusalem and brought many of the people into Babylon to live, work, and serve.  Some were left during the captivity in Israel, but not the leaders.  And during the 40 years or so, they had intermarried with other peoples who had come to live in Jerusalem and the land.   

Nehemiah hears from his brother about the condition of Jerusalem.  Since Jews had been allowed back in their land by Cyrus the Persian king, they had resettled Jerusalem, rebuilt homes among the rubble, and rebuilt their Temple, but much was left to do.  Their city wall was still down—thus no protection for invaders. 

Nehemiah hears and is deeply touched by the condition of Jerusalem and his people, the Jews.  How did it affect him?  He sat down and wept.  He felt the hurt, pain, weakness of his fellow Jews.  He did this for several days, but then he did more. 

He mourned, fasted, and prayed to God.  And one of his prayers we have recorded for us.  What does he say?

LORD, God of heaven

·         LORD, refers to that name of God—Yahweh, Jehovah—the God who Is.

·         God of heaven—God over all creation—creator, maker of all—even over enemy nations—Sovereign God

·         Great and awesome God—the One delivering Jews from slavery in Egypt—the One who kept His covenant or promises to His people

o   God’s part of the covenant was to bless His people—to keep His promises

o   Jews part was to love God and obey God

·         So He praises God

·         And he asks God to hear His request

 

We have acted wickedly toward You

·         He confesses the sin of His people

·         But he also connects himself and His family with disobeying God’s commands too—none of us are without sin

·         God kept His covenant with those who showed love by obeying Him, so’

·         To return to God’s blessing—confession of sin is a step in the right direction

 

God did what He told Moses He would do—God was true to his word—if Jews obeyed, they would be blessed—if they disobeyed, they would go into captivity 

God followed through on His punishment, but the other part of the promise was—if they returned to God—He would return them to His blessing and to their land. 

Now God had done that—allowing His people to return again to Israel and Jerusalem.  But there was still a lot of work to do. 

God had given Nehemiah a heart for the sad situation of His people and for Jerusalem.  God was now giving him a plan of how to carry it out. 

It was given as he had a heart for his people.  It happened as he prayed to God and confessed his sin.  It happened as he was open to obey what God said to do.  It happened as he continued to fast and pray—not just once—but over time—consistency in prayer and seeking God. 

Nehemiah what he was to ask of his boss, the king of Persia, would not be successful UNLESS the LORD intervened.  He would ask a king who had a few years back STOPPED the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem to allow him, Nehemiah, to go there to lead the people to rebuild their wall and their city. 

He was asking what only God could do—it would take God’s hand to change the mind and heart of the king. 

But God was Yahweh, maker of heaven and earth—King of every king on the earth. 

What do you see as you look today at your church—especially as you compare what WAS, with what IS now? 

What will the future bring?  Is the wall broken down? 

A wall represented protection for people.  A wall also represented the strength of the God behind those people.  Inability to rebuild that wall reflected on God Himself. 

The church being weak is as a weak wall.  It doesn’t give the protection for believers that it needs to provide.  But a weak church also reflects on our God—in the eyes of believers around and unbelievers as well.  Is God weak?  Can He not overcome the challenges?  Are the enemies too strong for Him? 

What is a first step in restoration?  To fast and pray—to be touched by the status of the church. 

And that causes more prayer. That causes us to reach out to the all-powerful God and believe that He can do anything. 

That causes looking into our lives to see how we have sinned and left His plan and His way.  How have we relied more on ourselves than we have God?  How have we settled for building homes and families but neglected to build God’s family and rebuild the walls of His Church? 

In that we confess.  In that we seek His plan for the future.  Only He can change the circumstances.  Will you pray?