Marching forward on our Knees
“Brother, if you would enter that Province, you must go forward on your knees.”
- J. Hudson Taylor, speaking about a difficult mission location in China.The name Nehemiah means “Comforter”. This is the same name Jesus gives the Holy Spirit in the book of John. So Nehemiah is the type of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of Prayer (Romans 8:26, Romans 8:15, Zech 12:10). The wall of Jerusalem that had laid in ruin for over 140 years was rebuilt in only 52 days. He prayed for 120 days and built the wall in just 52 days.Some observation about this man of prayer…
1. Nehemiah births his ministry in prayer and ends it in prayer
Nehemiah was a man who started his ministry in Nehemiah 1:4 in prayer and ended it in prayer in Nehemiah 13:20. His ministry started in the prayer room and not the drawing room. His ministry was birthed, sustained and fulfilled in prayer. What an example for modern day preachers. An average pastor in AMERICA prayers only for 15 minutes a day…. What a shame!
2. Nehemiah prayed intensity prayers
Nehemiah prayed and fasted (Neh 1:4). He started praying in the month of Kislev and ended in the month of Nisan. That is 4 months. That is some intense prayer and intercession. He repented for his sins and sins of his fathers. I believe Intense and desperate prayers of faith produce accelerated results.
3. Nehemiah heard that the walls were broken but he prayed till his heart was broken
Nehemiah heard that the wall of Jerusalem was broken but really God’s heart was broken. When you see broken families, orphaned children, the drug addict, the prostitute on and on. The walls of Holiness are broken, the walls of morality are broken, the walls of prayer and righteousness are broken etc. Above all God’s heart is broken for this generation
Bob Pierce the founder of world Vision prayed this prayer “God, please break my heart with the things that break yours”. I believe that’s what Nehemiah prayed too. Prayer gives you the heart of God. David was called a man after God’s own Heart (Acts 13:22). Why? He prayed. In fact majority of his psalms are his prayers written in songs.
4. Nehemiah prayed till burden became Vision
Nehemiah not only prayed till the burden became personal, but he also prayed till the burden became his Vision. If you have a burden pray it through till God gives you a Vision to became a wall builder for this broken Generation
5. Nehemiah cemented every brick he laid with prayer
Every brick he laid he prays, he prays when he was insulted by Sanbalath and tobiah, he prays when he was persecuted and threatened by his enemies, he prays for favor with the king, he begins and ends his ministry in prayer. Continued prayer life is the reason for the success in his ministry.
6. Nehemiah worked as though everything depended on him, and prayed as though everything depended on God.
Action and Prayer went hand in hand for Nehemiah. When his enemies started persecuting him. He held a sword in one hand and builds the wall with the other hand. See Spiritual warfare and action go hand in hand. I don’t believe in just shutting ourselves in the prayer room all the time. Action and prayer can go hand in hand.May God pour upon us a spirit of prayer and supplication.
May we learn how to pray like Nehemiah.
