|
"We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.'"
(Nehemiah 1:7-9)
I love the Worship Initiative's version of the song "My Truest Praise". It's a beautifully simple song with a poignant message. When you think of what the "truest praise" could be, what would you expect? Giving? Loving others? Lifting a song? While all of these are beautiful acts of praise to the Lord, the song proposes that it is indeed repentance which would be our truest praise.
In Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah lifts a heartfelt prayer to the Lord filled with repentance in response to his hearing of the destruction of Jerusalem. It sets the stage for the rest of the book in which Nehemiah leads the efforts to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to reinstate its defenses. But Nehemiah is not a leader who has always done things God's way. He has sinned against the Lord, yet in this moment of brokenness, he recognizes his sin and admits it to the Lord (verse 5). Repentance opens the door for forgiveness. There is no forgiveness where there is no repentance. Forgiveness, then, opens the door for restoration and healing.
Next, Nehemiah remembers the promises of God. He remembers that the Lord has promised that if His people would repent, then He would restore them. This is good news for Nehemiah. As the Scriptures say in Nehemiah 1:7-9, quoted above, Nehemiah and Israel were indeed unfaithful, and the Lord did indeed scatter them. But Nehemiah recalls the second part of the promise as well: "But if you return...I will gather them and bring them to the place I have chosen," and Nehemiah reminds the Lord of this promise.
Does God need to be reminded of His promises? Is the Lord quick to forget that which He has promised? Absolutely not. Nehemiah does not remind God of His promises because he thinks that the Lord has forgotten. Rather, by bringing the promises of God to the forefront, Nehemiah shows his assuredness in the faithfulness of God and displays his trust in God's Word. By appealing to the promises of God in prayer, the Lord builds up Nehemiah's faith through the Word of God.
When you pray, remember to praise the Lord through your repentance. Our merciful and holy God is praised when His people repent of their sins. Furthermore, remember His amazing promises and allow them to fill you with great hope, faith and trust as you pray.
|
Apple
Spotify
YouTube
