Seeds for 08/30/2024 - Nehemiah 1:10-11
Scripture:
10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”
I was cupbearer to the king.
Observation:
Now, Nehemiah turns the page. After confessing, bluntly and without hedging, the sin of Israel, he’s ready to move forward in following the Lord.
First, Nehemiah refers to the people of Israel (himself, his people, his family, etc) in terms of their relationship with God. They are the redeemed ones of the Lord. The relationship, grounded in what God has done, is their true identity. Even though they have sinned, what is most true about them is what God has done for them. They are servants of the Most High God because of His strong and gracious redemption.
Second, Nehemiah again prays in the vein of scripture: “let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant,” is a reference to King Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the temple that included petitions for the specific situation in which Nehemiah and the people find themselves.
Third, having prayed for the people as a whole in a general sense, Nehemiah narrows the prayer down to God’s work for him—granting him favor in the presence of the king, which is itself a prayer for God’s work through him—to petition the king for permission to travel to Jerusalem and work on the city.
Application:
When was a time that your prayers were about what God would do for you so that you could serve Him well?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, keep my identity anchored in what you have done for me. Give me a heart to pray for how you want to work through me. 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)
If you liked this post from Seeds of Faith, why not share it and/or subscribe?
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™