"A Pattern for Prayer" Of the recorded prayers in the Bible, #66 is in Nehemiah 5:5-38. The longest prayer in the Bible is basically a prayer of praise (Neh. 9:5-38). The sum of the prayer is stated at the beginning: “Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise!” (Neh. 9:5). This prayer of praise reviews Israel’s history from Abraham to N ehemiah’s time (Neh. 9:7-37). It concludes with a plea for mercy (Neh. 9:32-33). Even though they had been released from the Babylonian bondage, they were still servants to the king of Persia (Neh. 9:36). Thus, they were heavily taxed (Neh. 9:37) and subject to forced labor and compulsory military service (Neh. 9:37). Therefore, the prayer laments their present condition and begs for mercy. This prayer provides a pattern for prayer, namely begin with praise before pleading for mercy. Also note that the vast majority of this prayer is praise, not a plea for mercy. Our prayers are often the opposite, short on praise and long on a plea for mercy. May you have a good day. Pastor Mike
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 13:26:56 +0000
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