09/22/22 He Prayed

READING: Nehemiah 12:27-13:6, Nehemiah 5:14-19, Nehemiah 13:7-31, Malachi 1:1-2:9

The book of Nehemiah begins and ends in prayer. At the start of the book, Nehemiah confessed the sin of Israel and asked the Lord to hear his prayers: “Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel” (Neh 1:6).  At the end of the book, he prayed for the Lord’s blessings on all he had done: “Remember me with favor, my God” (Neh 13:31). The remainder of the book likewise reverberates with Nehemiah’s prayer (Neh 2:4, 4:4-5, 4:9, 5:19, 6:9, 6:14, 13:14, 13:22, 13:29).

One writer writes of Nehemiah, “A man who approaches God on his knees will stand tall in any generation.”* May it be that we lead others from our knees, and may we thus model for the next generations the power and priority of prayer! 

PERSONAL REFLECTION: How strong is your prayer life?  

DAILY PRAYER: “Teach me to pray, Lord.” 

TOMORROW’S READING: Malachi 2:10-4:6, Joel 1:1-3:21

 * J. E. Smith, (1995). The Books of History (p. 755). College Press.

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