Seeds for 07/29/2024 - Praise - Nehemiah 9:5-14
In this series on prayer and scripture, we are following the acronym P.R.A.Y. as a guide for prayer. We are considering scriptures throughout the Bible on each theme. My prayer is that studying scriptures on these themes will give us biblical words to use as our own and simple insights for our praying.
Scripture:
5 And the Levites… said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.”
“Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. 6 You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.
7 “You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. 8 You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous.
9 “You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. 10 You sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. 11 You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters. 12 By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.
13 “You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. 14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses.
Observation:
In this passage from Nehemiah, the Israelites are gathered together for a renewal of their covenant with God. They have completed repairs to Jerusalem’s walls and gates. Many have returned to Jerusalem from exile and they are rededicating themselves to God. Here are some elements I’m taking note of in this section of the prayer, which is focused on praise.
First, they praise God for creation. They acknowledge God’s power and sovereignty in creation, but also God’s generosity and blessing in sustaining every living thing.
Second, they remember God’s history with them as a people, starting with His calling and promise to Abraham. There’s something about remembering their story of salvation that keeps them grounded in God’s faithful character: “You have kept your promise because you are righteous.” This continues as they prayerfully remember God’s work in saving them from slavery in Egypt.
Third, they remember God revealing His Word to them through Moses so that they would have His commands and know His will.
So, God has made them, He sustains them, He has saved them, and He structures their life. Remembering this is a great foundation for praise and for life.
Application:
What in your faith history with God helps keep you grounded in praise?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, you are my beginning, my ending, and everything in between. Keep me remembering what you have done, and what you continue to do in my life. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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