Transformer - 11/15/2020
Praying Like Nehemiah
The cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia was a Jewish man who prayed often. The Old Testament book, Nehemiah, named after this great Israelite leader contains multiple examples of Nehemiah’s prayers. Nehemiah chapter one contains a magnificent example of one of his wonderful prayers.
After hearing a report about the condition of Jerusalem, Nehemiah prays to God and fasts for several days (1:5-11). In his prayer he offers first several words of praise for the “Lord God of heaven,” describing God as “great and awesome.” Nehemiah states how God “preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments.” He mentions God’s great power and strong hand (1:10).
This is followed by a request Nehemiah makes to God. He wants God to “be attentive” and “hear” his prayer. This request is also repeated at the end of the prayer (v.11).
The third thing in Nehemiah’s prayer is a confession of the sins which he, his father’s house and his nation had committed against God. He says they had “acted corruptly against” God and they had not “kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which [God] didst command Thy servant Moses” (1:6-7).
The fourth thing mentioned is Nehemiah reminding God of His conditional promise He had made to the children of Israel. God had told Moses that if the children of Israel would return to God after their disobedience had caused them to be scattered to the “most remote part of the heavens,” that He would “gather them” and bring them back to the city where God would dwell (v.8-9).
As Nehemiah concludes his prayer, he praises God again and makes his request. Nehemiah wanted God to grant him success in his task and as he approached King Artaxerxes.
This is probably a summary of the many prayers Nehemiah offered to God during those days of fasting. It gives us an idea of things for which this great leader prayed. Praising God, confessing our sins (and those of others) to God along with our requests for certain things should be among the many things about which we can speak to God.
Thinking about our own prayers, do we incorporate these ingredients into our prayers? While it is not necessary for all of these items to be in every prayer, they are things which should be included in our prayers. Our prayer may only be words of praise to God. Maybe our prayer is a confession of our sins. Maybe our prayer is a request for God’s help in being successful in an upcoming task.
In putting into our prayer’s words used by this great leader, it will help us to be living God’s way. - cgm
“The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayers of the righteous.” - Proverbs 15:29
An often-repeated statement in the Psalms is “hear my prayer.” Consider these few passages—Ps. 4:1; 39:12; 54:2; 66:19; 84:8; 143:1
Thinking on the Word…
One’s Legacy
World leaders are very concerned about their legacy. Historians often write about the legacy of influential people who live in a certain time frame or geographic location. The reality is that everyone has a legacy, regardless of whether or not it is recorded in written form.
Some people think about how much money or “heirlooms” they will pass on to their descendants. They think about how many buildings will be named in their honor. They think about how they have influenced the political arena or the business world.
Based upon what some experts say, the most important component of a legacy is what a person leaves “within” someone else. How did a person influence another person? What life lessons did they teach other people?
For a moment let’s consider the legacy of Jesus. He did not leave an enormous amount of money nor did He have an earthly estate that was turned into a museum. However, He did leave some valuable things for humanity.
When examining the teachings of Jesus one discovers they are very profound. In addition to addressing the spiritual needs of individuals, Jesus taught very practical everyday life skills. He taught how to live in this world when it comes to marriage, family, business and our neighbors.
Mankind today is the recipient of these teachings because of the writings of “the holy apostles and prophets.” Because His actions and teachings are available for us to read, we have access to some of the wisest information for personal happiness.
Maybe the greatest thing Jesus did was to constantly demonstrate the value of serving others over self. Is it any wonder that His legacy centers around His death, burial and resurrection? – cgm
Words of Wisdom
“He who profits illicitly troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.” - Proverbs 15:27
Everyone, from entry level to the owner of a business, wants to make a profit from their labors. Honest labor and business dealings generate great results and positive feelings. However, when one is not legal in acquiring their profits, they bring difficulties to their family and those with whom they are closely associated.
Solomon, in giving instructions to his son, provides this short saying which contrasts the outcome of two different attitudes towards making a profit. The emphasis is seen in the second part of this verse— “he who hates bribes.”
A bribe is something given, maybe money or some favor, for the intent of influencing the receiver to do something which is not legal or according to the social norms. It is designed to provide the giver an advantage over others. In most instances it is asking the receiver to do something which is against the “rules” or the “law” so the giver can make a profit.
When one is willing to accept a bribe, they have compromised their integrity; they have lowered their morals, their standards. This will always bring about troubles for this individual as well as their family and business. Once a person accepts a bribe the first time it is easier to accept the second and the giver of the bribe has an advantage over the receiver of the bribe.
However, if one has an intense dislike or extreme hostility towards receiving a bribe, then his life will be much better. His integrity has remained intact. He will have a more pleasant life. He will bring happiness to himself, his family and his business. Corruption may generate a profit in the short run, but never in the long run. Honesty will always make a profit; now and in the future. – cgm