Nehemiah’s prayer was simple, but powerful: praise, petition, confession, reminding God, humility, ask and close off. It so often happens that prayers begin with “ask.” I am not saying that Nehemiah’s prayer is the only “model” (for lack of a better description), but it is a prayer that overflows with relationship and the need to be in right standing with God.
And that brings us back to some of the questions I asked last week:
- What am I going to pray about?
- Who is God when I need His help and what has he already done for me?
- How can we first focus on God before our trouble or request for God’s intervention?
- To what degree do you desire the holy life that God is calling you to?
- In my moment of trouble, who is God to me?
And we add the next few questions…
- Is my heart humble or proud?
- Do I discern the will of God and thoroughly discuss things with Him before asking?
Do I pray according to the will and purposes of God as set out in His Word?