The book of Nehemiah is one of the most important chapters which contains a great deal that is relevant to Christians today. Nehemiah was a servant of God who was instrumental in the rebuilding and reestablishment of Jerusalem which had been destroyed in the Babylonian invasion.
The main lesson I would like us to take was how Nehemiah stood steadfast with God before taking action. A lot of us Christians act before praying (which I am guilty of), but in the case of Nehemiah, he knew what it meant to get the news that was not great and caused his heart to be heavy with concern
The first thing Nehemiah did was to pray to God in Nehemiah 1:4, “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”. He also confessed his sin and the sins of the people who had disobeyed God’s commands in verses 5-7.
This is exactly what God expects from us as believers not just to keep going ahead in doing what we feel is right for us which isn’t God’s plan for our life but to come first to his presence and seek his help in directing us to the right path. Many of us are guilty of ignoring God’s warning which leads us to suffer the consequences. But as the merciful God that he is, he still shows up for us in a difficult situation when we call upon him.
Then he acted; after seeking guidance from God he went further to the king to get his permission if he could rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, The king gave his consent and Nehemiah left for Jerusalem where the citizens agreed to help him rebuild the wall. Nehemiah 2:4-6, 16-18
In essence, Nehemiah reminded God of his promise to his people. And beseeched him to hear his prayer and help him find favor in the eyes of the King. So Nehemiah did not just pray, then sit back and do nothing. He saw a need and went forward into prayer, after which he was expecting God to act.
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