Verse of the Day 5/12

 

Verse of  the Day 5/12

 

Nehemiah 1:11   Please, Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to that of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success today, and have compassion on him in the presence of this man.^[a]

At the time, I was the king's cupbearer.   Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

There are times  in our  lives  where we are  put  into  a  position where we may have the  opportunity  to  promote  God's kingdom and along with that opportunity come  risks.  You can probably think of many in the Old and New  Testaments starting with Esther.

 

Esther 4:14  For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Nehemiah was in  one  of those  positions, he  was a cupbearer to King  Artaxerxes which meant that his life  was  put  on  the  line for the king day by day.  Still, there  was no guarantee  that  the  king  would hear his  request, let alone  act  on it.  But, Nehemiah persevered, and sought  the  help of the One who could prepare the kings  heart, who could see it through.  Nehemiah also  sought the help of others to pray on his  behalf. 

 

The  passage reveals  Nehemiah's heart  for God's people and  God's honor, the  nation  of  Israel  had been chosen by God as the  place  for  His  name to  dwell and Nehemiah sought to have it honored given  prominence even  before this foreign king.  It  was no small request.

 

It is  a  model prayer  for  us, facing  days of challenge  and uncertainty.  If  some  action is on your heart today and  you need courage and guidance, pray to  the  One  who can rebuild walls and lives and  can turn the hearts of kings to  accomplish  those purposes.  It  starts  with getting  right  with God, confessing your  faults and  submitting  to His will.

 

^5-6 I said, "God, God-of-Heaven, the great and awesome God, loyal to his covenant and faithful to those who love him and obey his commands: Look at me, listen to me. Pay attention to this prayer of your servant that I'm praying day and night in intercession for your servants, the People of Israel, confessing the sins of the People of Israel. And I'm including myself, I and my ancestors, among those who have sinned against you.  V.5-6 The Message

 

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Nehemiah 1:5-11The Message (MSG)

^5-6 I said, "God, God-of-Heaven, the great and awesome God, loyal to his covenant and faithful to those who love him and obey his commands: Look at me, listen to me. Pay attention to this prayer of your servant that I'm praying day and night in intercession for your servants, the People of Israel, confessing the sins of the People of Israel. And I'm including myself, I and my ancestors, among those who have sinned against you.

^7-9 "We've treated you like dirt: We haven't done what you told us, haven't followed your commands, and haven't respected the decisions you gave to Moses your servant. All the same, remember the warning you posted to your servant Moses: 'If you betray me, I'll scatter you to the four winds, but if you come back to me and do what I tell you, I'll gather up all these scattered peoples from wherever they ended up and put them back in the place I chose to mark with my Name.'

^10-11 "Well, there they are—your servants, your people whom you so powerfully and impressively redeemed. O Master, listen to me, listen to your servant's prayer—and yes, to all your servants who delight in honoring you—and make me successful today so that I get what I want from the king."

I was cupbearer to the king.

 

 

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