Monday Club Sermons Nehemiah 1:4-11 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted… I. One quality which makes Nehemiah's prayer effectual WAS ITS IMPORTUNITY. Two considerations inspired this — 1. He was burdened with a single great desire. Our praying often lacks at this point. We ask amiss because we ask for nothing — in particular. It is the time for devotion, or the place; so we approach the mercy-seat, because we ought to, rather than because we have any pressing need — coming, sometimes, in so vague a way that it might not be easy afterwards to tell just what request had been presented. Nehemiah's prayer did not have such lack. He was in sore trouble. 2. Another element which gave importunity to his prayer was a conviction that this relief could come only from God. "Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man." During the civil war a gentleman from New England, travelling in South America, noticed one day a Spaniard reading a paper, and asked him the news. "The news is," replied the other, "that your government is getting beaten. They have taken to praying, and when people have to call on God for help it shows, evidently, they are in a bad way." That is always the reason why men call on God, because they cannot help themselves. This was what made Nehemiah so much in earnest. Dr. Bushnell remarked once in the Hartford ministers' meeting, "Brethren, the thing which I have to struggle against most in my praying is a spirit of submission. I give up too easily. I want to learn how to plead more as Jacob did, with a determination not to let God go without the blessing." He qualified afterwards his words, explaining true submission, but pressed, in his strong way, the importance of persistency. So Nehemiah prayed, not once, but "without ceasing." He wept and mourned, and fasted "certain days," "day and night." II. A second quality that made Nehemiah's prayer effectual was its SPIRIT OF CONFESSION. He seems to have apprehended, very distinctly, the truth which the Bible urges in many ways, that men must come into right relations with God before they can ask any favour of Him. 1. It was particular. He specified some of the points of his guilt. "We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which Thou commandest Thy servant Moses." 2. Then his confession was individual. He began with an acknowledgment in behalf of the "children of Israel"; but it occurred to him to bring that nearer home, so he added, "Both I and my father's house have sinned." He was conscious of his own shortcomings. With all his zeal, his loyalty so constant and so brave, he saw that at many points he had failed, and for these shortcomings he asked forgiveness. When David has made his confession that is so particular, "Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight"; and so individual, "I acknowledge my transgression"; "Have mercy upon me, O God." III. A third quality that made Nehemiah's prayer effectual was its faith. Trusting God first in his own behalf for pardon, guidance, strength, he could trust Him in behalf of the nation. He prayed, "Remember, I beseech Thee, the word that Thou commandest." He seemed to know the Divine will by some clear intimation. That appears, at first, to diminish the worth of his example. We say, "Yes, certainly; no wonder he had faith; any one could ask for wonderful blessing if the Lord told him to." But how did God put that purpose into the heart of Nehemiah? by a vision, a voice, some supernatural revelation? There is no intimation of either. It may have been simply by the influence of the Holy Spirit, as we all are moved, through conscience, enlightened by the Word of God. IV. A fourth quality in Nehemiah's prayer which made it effectual WAS ITS SPIRIT OF GOOD WORKS. When he sat down to pray he did not mean to stay in that attitude. He had in his mind a plan to secure permission to go and build the wall. (Monday Club Sermons.) Parallel Verses KJV: And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, |
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