Prayer Strategy

Nehemiah 1:11 NIV

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

Nehemiah’s prayer has quite a few elements that we can adopt when we pray. His prayer includes adoration, petition, repentance, recalling the promises of God and favor. He shares his adoration for God in verse 5 when he says “great and awesome God.” He petitions God in verse 6 when he says, “let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying.” Also in verse 6, he repents, “confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.” In verses 8-9, he recalls the promises of God when he says, “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses.” Finally in verse 11 he asks for God’s favor as he prepares to approach the king, “Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

While there is no official way to pray, we should examine the prayers we encounter in the Bible and see what elements they contain. Oftentimes, we refer to the Lord’s Prayer as a model prayer but our prayers can also follow the example of Nehemiah or any other biblical character that we encounter. All God wants us to do is pray!

Prayer:
Dear God, when I encounter a life situation or circumstance, please give me a strategy for how to pray. Amen.

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