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Nehemiah Week Two

Many people hold up the book of Nehemiah as a great manual of leadership. It is; but more than just being a great manual on leadership, it is a great manual on Lordship. Every great leader must first be submitted to the one great Lord. This week our hearts will be drawn to the determination of one man to make a difference for Gods people. The temptation to exalt him will be there. After all, he is noble, righteous, true and good. Why would we not want to lift him up as an example for others to follow? We have to remember he is the vessel. Its the inside of this man, Nehemiah that counts. Inside is the strength and power of the Holy Spirit moving and stirring by the hand of God. As we see the words and actions of the man Nehemiah, lets look deeper to recognize the hand of God. Look for specific ways God uses His vessel to accomplish a great work for His name. Chapter 1 of Nehemiah sweeps us right into the Persian kings palace in Shushan, the same palace where Esther was queen years before. The king, Artaxerxes had been on the throne for 20 years. Nehemiah, a Jew, whose name means, Jehovah comforts, served in one of the kings most trusted positions that of cupbearer.

Day One:
1) Read through verses 1-4 of chapter one. Knowing that Nehemiah lived in the kings palace and came into his presence daily to serve him, what kind of life do you think Nehemiah had? Luxurious comfort OR Hardworking slave

2) As soon as Nehemiahs brother, Hanani, arrived from Judah, what did Nehemiah ask?

What does his interest in the Jews and the city show about his heart for Gods people?

3) Nehemiah experienced a deeply emotional reaction to the news of devastation in Jerusalem. Take a look at verse four. In a state of grief, Nehemiah sits down and weeps. His weeping turned to a prolonged sense of mourning over Jerusalem. Many times, we can become crippled, paralyzed, even, by this type of grief. Yet, the second half of verse four indicates that Nehemiah is moved not only to emotion; but also to action. What did he do and what impact do you think it had on his thought process?

Day One (continued)

4) Many, many devastating tragedies and atrocities move our hearts to emotion. Some, to the point of tears and lingering thoughts. How many times has your heart been moved to action, prayer and fasting over something that brings reproach to Gods people, something going on in the lives of believers that causes others to doubt Gods name?

5) As Nehemiah discovers the broken places of his people, God breaks his heart and moves him to action. As a Christian, it is important for us to take a look over the landscape of Christianity throughout the world. Believers here and abroad are taking a stand for the Kingdom of God to rebuild the broken places. We have multiple opportunities to allow God to use each one of us to come alongside these believers in rebuilding work. Take a look over our Christian landscape today. View websites like: www. persecution.com (Voice of the Martyrs), www.cwfa.org (Concerned Women for America), www.focusonthefamily.com (Focus on the Family), www.familylife.com (Familylife), www.aclj.org (American Center for Law and Justice), www.coalitionforlife.com (Coalition for Life), and www.showhope.org (Show Hope Steven Curtis Chapman adoption and orphan care). Learn about others whose hearts have been broken and moved to action. Then, sit down and listen. Do you sense your own heart breaking? Do you hear a still small voice calling you to action? If so, begin following by seeking God in prayer and opening your heart to what He would have you do in the next 52 days. I want to challenge each one of us to spend 52 minutes in prayer per day over the next 52 days. As we focus our hearts in prayer over the issues of brokenness in our world, God will stir us to action. There is nothing more exciting than responding to the hand of God in your life. Are you ready to join me on a grand adventure of faith? Lets do it! Start today by journaling your response in prayer to the things youve seen on the websites you visited during our study.

Day Two
Yesterday was tough. Unexpected bad news always is. But, today is a new day and Lamentations 3:22-26 tells us: Through the Lords mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not, They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him! The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

1) When our soul is overwhelmed and tempted to wallow in pity, we must take our soul to prayer. Read through Nehemiahs prayer in Chapter 1 verses 5-11. Well see the prayer as a whole and then come back today to focus on a single verse, verse 5. Copy verse 5 here:

2) There is a pattern to Nehemiahs prayer. First, he begins with recognition of who God is (v.5) and moves right into confession/repentance (vv. 6-7). Verses 8-10 are remembrance of Gods Word and 11 is made up of requests for Gods grace, mercy and action. What does Nehemiah call to Gods remembrance concerning His Word?

***Why do you think it is important to pray Gods Word back to Him?

3) Well take a closer look at this pattern on day 5, but for today, go back to where you copied verse 5 and underline the words Nehemiah used to describe who God is. Great and awesome. The word great comes from a root word in Hebrew, gadal meaning lift up and tower.

Day Two (continued)

(3 continued) A fascinating study to do on your own is to look for the many ways God refers to Himself in His Word. God is referred to as a tower over and over again throughout Scripture, especially the Psalms. For example, take a look at the following verses in Psalms and write down what kind of tower God is: Psalm 18:2 Psalm 61:3 Psalm 144:2

4) The word awesome means to fear, or to revere. The same Hebrew word is used in Psalm 47:2, Psalm 68:35, and Psalm 99:3. What picture do you see of our God when reading these verses?

5) Nehemiah used 3 different names of God in verse 5. First, he used Yahovah, which means Self-existent or eternal It is Jehovah, the name used by the Jews. It comes from the Hebrew word Hayah which means, to exist, be or become, come to pass. He is the present God, the One who always is and always will be. Then, he uses elohiym which means supreme God and in reference to magistrates or judges. He is the Supreme Magistrate and Judge. And third, Nehemiah used the Hebrew el which means strength, mighty, Almighty, and carries with it the meaning of power. He is strength, might and power. ***In putting together all 3 of these names for God, what message is Nehemiah communicating in the opening of his prayer?

6) Take some time today to praise God for Who He is. Think of some words you could use to describe Him and pray those with a true heart of praise and worship today.

Day Three
I truly believe the Holy Spirit guides, Nehemiahs prayer to flow from recognition of God in praise straight to repentance true confession and turning from sin.

1)

Go back over verses 6-7. Describe Nehemiahs confession of sin.

2) Confession of sin before the Lord is certainly required of a believer as an individual, yet Nehemiah felt the weight of national sin, as well as individual sin. What does 2 Chronicles 7:14 say about the repentance of Gods people as a whole?

3) Confession and repentance are a gift of Gods grace as He allows us to come to Him through no other mediator but Jesus. What does 1 Timothy 2:5 say about our ability to confess our sins to God?

4) As Nehemiah pointed out the peoples sins, what does he say they violated?

5) Nehemiah is a noble man of God. As well see, he is the one God chose to use in a mighty work. Yet, he confesses that he had not kept Gods law. Think of your own heart today. You may be living a good life. Others may view you as a really good woman, yet you know there is sin in your heart; just as there is sin in all of our hearts. Go before the Lord today and pray a Psalm 139:23 prayer. As God shows you areas of sin, confess and repent of those today. Then rejoice as you remember God has said in Psalm 103:12, As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Day Four
If you are anything like me when a tough time comes, you sometimes struggle with remembering how good God has been to you in the past. Some days, I can become like the crazy little chicken who was walking in the woods, observing the beauty of Gods hand when an acorn falls on her head and shes convinced the sky is falling. So she runs and tells all of her friends and they believe her too! And they all move from believing a crazy chicken to believing a lying fox who convinces them to come into his den for safety. Needless to say, the crazy Chicken Little and her friends are never heard from again. Sometimes, in the midst of a trial, I allow my thoughts to run wild and I leave myself open to believing a lie from the enemy. So destructive! Actually, following this prayer pattern we see in Nehemiah will lead us right where we need to be at times when it seems the sky may be falling.

1) Read verses 8-9. What is the first word of verse 8? Underline it in your Bible and write it in huge letters here:

2) As we pray to God, we must remember His word. Remembering His Word back to Him is a way to stand in agreement on His promises. His promises are the sure foundation from which we can lift our petition to His throne. Take a look back to Numbers 14:17-19. What did Moses remember about Gods Word? How did he use Gods Word in prayer back to God?

3) Follow a few of the cross-references in your Bible to see what Gods word is to Moses as mentioned by Nehemiah in verse 8. (ex. Leviticus 26:33, Deuteronomy 4:25-27; 30:3-4)

4) How is Nehemiah applying Gods Word to his situation?

5) Think about your own life and the situations and circumstances you face. Find a Scripture that applies to your situation and pray that Scripture back to the Lord today. Ask Him to work His Word in your life today. (Promises from Psalms, James and Ephesians are great places to start.)

Day Five
God had already put in Nehemiahs heart to take action. God moves in our heart as we move our hearts to pray to Him. He tells us, Draw near to me and I will draw near to you. James 4:8.

1) Lets read the end of Nehemiahs prayer in verses 10-11. Nehemiah humbles himself; testifying as Gods servant. He points to Gods redemption and then he makes his request. What does Nehemiah ask God to do?

2) Who is this man Nehemiah refers to?

3) Nehemiah doesnt mention his role as the kings cupbearer until after he records his prayer. The position of cupbearer to the king was one built on great trust. The cupbearer was daily willing to risk taking poison for the king. He tasted everything that was presented for the king to eat or drink. Because of this risk-taking, the cupbearer often became the kings closest confidant. It was important for the cupbearer to be cheerful in the kings presence. The attitude of the court was a reflection on the kings provision and care for his people. Therefore, if the kings heart was not controlled by the Sovereign hand of God when approached by Nehemiahs concerns, the king could easily send him to his death. Consider other Jews, like Nehemiah, who had come into danger in the presence of a Gentile king. Joseph, Daniel and Esther all faced danger at the words and whims of the king. Take a look at one of their lives and write down some similarities they shared with Nehemiah.

4) How does Nehemiahs request of God show his belief in God as the King of kings and completely in control of all circumstances?

5) Is there a request you need to make of God today. Of course, were not thinking of the lists of comfort items we long for each day; but a pressing desire, a hope or a burning need in your life. Hold your request up to the Light of Gods Word. Follow the pattern of prayer weve studied this week. T ake your request to the Lord and count on the promise of Hebrews 4:16, Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Building Block As you pray this week expect God to move to break your heart, to lead you to repentance, to remind you of His word, and to receive your request. At the same time, listen (Be still and know that He is God.) because He will be calling you to make a move as well. Get ready!