How To Pray To A Covenant Keeping God (Nehemiah 9:22-38)

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How to Pray to a Covenant Keeping God (Nehemiah 9:22-38) In his preface to the book Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation, D.A. Carson writes, I doubt if there is any Christian who has not sometimes found it difficult to pray. In itself, this is neither surprising nor depressing: it is not surprising because we are still pilgrims with many lessons to learn; it is not depressing because struggling with such matters is part of the way we learn.What is both surprising and depressing is the sheer prayerlessness that characterizes so much of the Western church. It is surprising because it is out of step with the Bible, which portrays what Christian living should be; it is depressing because it frequently coexists with abounding Christian activity that somehow seems hollow, frivolous, and superficial. Scarcely less disturbing is the enthusiastic praying in some circles that overflow with emotional release but is utterly uncontrolled by any thoughtful reflection on the prayers of Scripture.I wish I could say I always avoid these pitfalls. The truth is that I am a part of what I condemn. But if we are to make any headway in reforming our personal and corporate praying, then we shall have to begin by listening afresh to Scripture and seeking God’s help in understanding how to apply Scripture to our lives, our homes, and our churches. Upon completion of the walls, Nehemiah and Ezra witnessed a remarkable scene unfold in Jerusalem. The people extensively read and studied God’s law. They joyfully celebrated the Feast of Booths. Now, a few days later, they gathered for corporate confession of sin. Spiritual reformation has fallen upon the people of Israel. They were deeply concerned for the state of their relationship with God. Their prayer was not formulaic, but it was filled with a mixture of adoration, gratitude, and humility. When they weren’t rehearsing God’s faithfulness, they were acknowledging the rebellion of their ancestors. They faced a critical dilemma that all of us must answer. How do we escape a cycle of repeated rebellion? What prevents us from falling into the same patterns? Our covenant keeping God supplies and secures everything we need to glorify Him. Read Nehemiah 9:22-38. I. Delight in God’s Reliable Provision (22-25) Under the leadership of Moses, God rescued Israel from Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. Numbers 21:21-35 records the two occasions mentioned in v.22. When Moses sought permission to pass through the Amorite lands of Sihon and Og, their kings would not allow it. They decided to gather their armies against Israel. In each case, Israel was victorious and took possession of the land. While in Egypt, God multiplied their number to such a level that Pharaoh forced them into slavery. Joseph rose to power and Pharaoh supplied a portion of land to 70 Israelites during the famine. 430 years later, God rescued a people who numbered somewhere close to 2.4 million! God brought them into the promised land, subduing their enemies, and giving them possession of a land rich in resources (23-25). We know that the Israelites grumbled throughout their time in the wilderness. They struggled to trust in the Lord, even though he miraculously provided for their needs every day. Still, we can somewhat understand their frustration, being without a permanent place to rest. We can sympathize with their grumbling in the wilderness, but their ingratitude within the Promised Land is a bit more confounding. They enjoyed the blessings of fully furnished housing, cisterns, crops already producing abundant harvests (25). They grew fat in prosperity, but it only led them into further rebellion. What could they have done differently? They delighted in the goodness that God had promised, but something was lacking. Our dog is like this. Earlier this week, Caitlin was attempting to get her to lay down next to her. She gave her a pig ear and led her to the center of the living room. B

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