by Psalm 66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me”
If anyone has been saved for any length of time, we have all heard it preached and taught many times that we need to keep a “short account” of our sins. We need to keep our sins confessed and – praise be to God – we know he forgives us without fail.
I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Many times, as this topic has been preached, I have imagined some kind of tragic event would happen that I might need to get a hold of God immediately; and I would not have time to bow and confess my sins so God would hear my prayer. I would imagine a speeding car racing down the road at me head-on and I would need to scream out a prayer and need God’s instant protection from a car hitting me head-on. (Yes, that has happened and praise the Lord I am still here.)
Over the years, I have also had the wonderful privilege to pray with friends and we had to get a hold of God immediately for something specific. I am thankful for friends who also keep a “short account” with God because we have been able to see many wonderful prayers answered.
Recently though I was extremely excited as I read a Bible account of someone we all know who confessed his sins, kept a short account, and when he needed to pray a quick prayer, he did; and God heard and answered his prayer.
Let me briefly explain. I think you will find this rather intriguing.
It was Nehemiah.
In Nehemiah chapter one, Nehemiah is burdened about the affliction of the remnant of Jews that were left behind and the broken walls of Jerusalem. He then sits down, weeps, morns and fasted. Next, Nehemiah prays to God. Look at part of his beautiful prayer.
Nehemiah 1:5-11 “And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: 6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant…and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned…”
(I encourage one to read the whole prayer in 1:5-11.)
Notice the attention to getting sin confessed in the prayer. Nehemiah wanted everything laid out on the table before God and straightened up so God would hear his future prayers.
As I read chapter 1, I did not give thought to Nehemiah’s future prayers. When I got into Chapter 2, I saw why it was important that he had gotten things right with God in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2 he was faced with a time to pray; and he did not have time to kneel down, confess sin and get things right. He needed God to hear and help him immediately.
Here is that account in Chapter 2:
- King Artaxerxes is in reign.
- Nehemiah, the cupbearer, is working and takes the wine before the King.
- Nehemiah was sad for the state of affairs in Jerusalem.
- His sadness showed in his countenance and the King asked him about his sadness.
- Nehemiah then is afraid to answer the King. V2
- However, he explains to the King about the bad affairs of Jerusalem. V3.
- Here it is. Notice the quick prayer (in bold).
- “Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king…” V4-5
Imagine this scene. Nehemiah, the cupbearer was standing before the King and nervous about the whole conversation that has come up about the state of affairs in Jerusalem. Now the King is asking Nehemiah what do you want me to do about it?
Hmm. Nehemiah probably never thought the King would ask that. So, very quickly, I’m sure in his mind, (He didn’t have time to kneel and confess his sins.); he prayed something like this, “Dear Lord let me say what is pleasing to you. Thou wonderful Lord and Saviour guide my words.)
Nehemiah needed help from God, and he needed it immediately in this conversation with the King.
He got it. He got God’s help and look at what all God did for Nehemiah through the King.
- He was given permission to return to Judah and rebuild the wall. V5
- He was given letters from the King to give to other governors of other lands to let him pass safely through to Judah. V7.
- And God even gave Nehemiah the boldness to ask the King for the timber to rebuild the wall; so he got the timber from the King’s personal forest. V8.
- He also got a band of men from the King to protect him as he traveled. V9.
So in summary, Nehemiah prayed in chapter 1, got his sin confessed and kept a “short account” before God. Next in chapter 2, when Nehemiah needed God during a meeting with the King – God was there waiting and listening to Nehemiah and God was ready to help.
And help in a great way God did!
Never underestimate the power of prayer.
In conclusion, this doesn’t mean if we do not get a prayer answered how we want there is an issue with sin in our life. God may be answering how he wants and not how we want. Or he may not answer at all. Or, God may just be saying, “No!”
But I do believe if Christians would really just grasp the power of prayer, we could see mountains moved in our lives and families.
Matthew 17:20 “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
Nehemiah moved a mountain and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.
