“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying” (Nehemiah 1:5-6).
That is the start of a prayer by a man named Nehemiah. At the time, he was facing a daunting task. Success looked remote at best and so he prayed.
The important thing to notice here is not just the fact that he prayed, but to whom he prayed. Look at his description of God. It will not only give you a good picture of God, but an idea as to why he prayed in the first place.
The first word to notice is “Lord” which means, “One who owns or controls as a master… the one in full control”. Nehemiah knows that he is not in charge and that there is a bigger plan to be lived by than his own. That is a hard lesson to learn, but it is the starting point of all spiritual growth.
Next he refers to God as “the God of Heaven”. This may be a simple reference to location, but more likely it is a nod to God’s power and perspective. Presently, Nehemiah is going to have to deal with the most powerful king in the world, but that is ok because he has the “God of Heaven” on his side and no one is more powerful than him.
Then we read two words that we know well: “Great” and “Awesome”. Those words speak for themselves.
Nehemiah remembers too that God is the “keeper of the covenant”. In other words, the agreement that God has made with his people will not be broken. God he is faithful. His word can be trusted. It is worth noting to that is agreement is defined by “Love” (Not of threats, warnings, violence, pain, suffering, fear… as some covenants were… but of love)
Lastly, he believes that God has “Attentive, hearing ears and eyes that are open”. He does not believe that God is far away. He worships a God who sees, hears and gets involved. God is not a spectator. He is active in the lives of his people.
If you ever wonder what God is like, whether he wants to help you or even cares about your life, remember Nehemiah’s description of a God. He found strength there and so can you, because God has not changed.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
That is the start of a prayer by a man named Nehemiah. At the time, he was facing a daunting task. Success looked remote at best and so he prayed.
The important thing to notice here is not just the fact that he prayed, but to whom he prayed. Look at his description of God. It will not only give you a good picture of God, but an idea as to why he prayed in the first place.
The first word to notice is “Lord” which means, “One who owns or controls as a master… the one in full control”. Nehemiah knows that he is not in charge and that there is a bigger plan to be lived by than his own. That is a hard lesson to learn, but it is the starting point of all spiritual growth.
Next he refers to God as “the God of Heaven”. This may be a simple reference to location, but more likely it is a nod to God’s power and perspective. Presently, Nehemiah is going to have to deal with the most powerful king in the world, but that is ok because he has the “God of Heaven” on his side and no one is more powerful than him.
Then we read two words that we know well: “Great” and “Awesome”. Those words speak for themselves.
Nehemiah remembers too that God is the “keeper of the covenant”. In other words, the agreement that God has made with his people will not be broken. God he is faithful. His word can be trusted. It is worth noting to that is agreement is defined by “Love” (Not of threats, warnings, violence, pain, suffering, fear… as some covenants were… but of love)
Lastly, he believes that God has “Attentive, hearing ears and eyes that are open”. He does not believe that God is far away. He worships a God who sees, hears and gets involved. God is not a spectator. He is active in the lives of his people.
If you ever wonder what God is like, whether he wants to help you or even cares about your life, remember Nehemiah’s description of a God. He found strength there and so can you, because God has not changed.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
Comments