Nehemiah 1 - A Heart for Home

WESTHILL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

STUDY IN NEHEMIAH

CHAPTER 1 - A HEART FOR HOME

OUTLINE

1. Nehemiah's News of Home (1:1-3)

• The disgrace of Jerusalem

Great trouble, disgrace, walls broken, gates burned. Complacency in spiritual behaviour had led to material, economic, social and political problems. (See book of Malachi.)

• What was really at stake

God's name. God's purposes through His people. Judgement or salvation.

2. Nehemiah's Burden of Heart (1:4)

• The character that is exposed

Obedient to God's word (cf Jer 29:4-23), diligent, concerned, driven by a vision.

• The reaction that he makes

Grief, desperate prayer, thrown upon God.

3. Nehemiah's Prayer to God (1:5-11)

• His preparation

Personal preparation through fasting.

• His prayer

Honouring God, sorrowing for sin, remembering on God's word, depending on God's mercy and grace.

• His petition

Success for the first step, personal commitment.

APPLICATION POINTERS

1. Read Nehemiah's prayer (1:4-11) and Daniel's prayer (Dan 9:3-19). Note down the similarities in approach and content. Consider how our own praying could be improved in the light of this, both privately and publicly. What advantage might there by in writing down prayers?

2. What were the basic issues that were bothering Nehemiah, and hence motivated his prayer? Are there any issues that similarly face us, to a greater or lesser extent? What can we learn from Nehemiah's example?

3. Consider writing down a prayer which might be used in corporate prayer one Sunday evening, or at a growth group. Consider also keeping a prayer diary, in which you regularly write down personal prayers.