Introduction:
Thursday there were 12 NFL preseason games that were played. Some of the NFL players protested again taking a knee when our National Anthem was being played. I believe they should stand proudly for the USA. A number of players, from different teams, wanted to show their ‘outrage’ at things that are wrong in American…They make a fortune doing what they love. If anything they should take a knee in prayer and give thanks to God that they live in America and pray for their country.
The only hope for American is whatever hope you have in prayer for revival. Revival is something God brings when we act in obedience to God’s word. The conditions must be one of prayer. If we are to have any sort of revival we need the burden for souls and then to pray. Alan Redpath wrote: “Let us learn this lesson from Nehemiah: Nehemiah allows compassion to well up inside of him and moved him to prayers.

II Nehemiah Prays in Conviction vv.1:5

1. Nehemiah called God “great.” He recognized that not only was God’s position above all others, but that his attributes and character were above all others. Nehemiah called God “awesome.” He recognized that God deserved to be honored, reverenced and feared by all. Nehemiah described God as the one who keeps his promises. This is the secret to great power in prayer: to plead the promises of God. We may get a bit annoyed when one of our children comes to us saying “Daddy, you promised”; but our heavenly Father delights in it – and often demands it before prayer becomes effective. He recognized that God was truthful, faithful and could be trusted. Is. 55:9 — For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Illustration:
Years ago, in the pioneer days of aviation, a pilot was making a flight around the world. After he had been gone a couple of hours from his last landing field, he heard a noise in his plane, which he recognized as the gnawing of a rat. While his plane had been on the ground, a rat had gotten in and started gnawing on a vital cable which led from the controls in the front of the plane to the flaps in the back.

It was a very serious situation, which created a lot of fear and anxiety. The pilot was two hours from the nearest airport, and he didn’t know what to do. Then he remembered the rat is a rodent not made for the heights. It is made to live on and under the ground, so the pilot began to climb. He went up a thousand feet then another thousand, then another until he was more than 20,000 feet up. The gnawing finally ceased. The rat was dead, because it could not survive in the atmosphere of those heights. More than two hours later, the pilot brought the plane to a safe landing and got rid of the dead rat. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited) p.296)
If we are to rid ourselves of the fleshly dead weight we must climb higher spiritually.

2. Nehemiah confessed sin that would be an obstacle in chapter 1:6-7. Notice the words “we” and “I.” This further identified with this challenge. He could have brushed it off as a deficiency in the lives of “those” people in Jerusalem. Instead, he saw the whole problem and his place in the problem. What about you are you?

We have to go to God with an attitude of humility noting where we have sinned and asking God to point out our failings so that we might not have to carry them around with us any longer. If we are to get things done we must go to God first and get rid of any weight that is hindering us. HEB 12:1 Nehemiah is very open about the sins of his people. There’s no use in trying to hide your sin from God. — Is. 59: [2] But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear.//

3. Nehemiah not only confesses the sin of the Israelites, he includes himself as one of the guilty. Now, remember, Nehemiah had never been to Israel. He was born in captivity. He might be tempted to think that none of this trouble is my fault. But he is very careful to say, “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you.” As Nehemiah confesses his sin he is also aware that God is a God of grace. In verse 5 he mentioned that God keeps his promises with those who “obey his commands,” and yet now he openly confesses that they have acted wickedly and have not obeyed God’s commands. How can Nehemiah expect God to answer his prayer? He is aware of God’s grace which has been expressed in the promises God has given to his people.

III Nehemiah Prays in Confidence vv. 8-11

1. So, the next part of the prayer is a prayer of confidence in what God has promised. The promise had two aspects; first in vv. 8-10: If Israel disobeyed, they would go into a foreign land. This had come to pass. The second part was that when that time of captivity was ended, God would bring the Jews back to Jerusalem and protect them. It appears that Nehemiah prayed for four months before he did anything. Later, when the work of rebuilding the walls actually begins, it only takes 52 days to finish the job. But that 52-day project had a four-month foundation of prayer. Folk’s revival is the building of a get institution the church of Jesus Christ we need to bathe it in prayer. The Book of Nehemiah is about rebuilding and Nehemiah begins this book by showing us the importance of getting started right in prayer.

2. Prayer activates my faith. After praying, I am more prone to trust God and with this trust come an attitude of hope and peace that replaces the petty and critical attitudes that come when we haven’t prayed. As God’s people we must learn to pray in the midst of problems, following God’s Word. The devil is going to attack you, your family and your church, you can be sure of that. But praise God: “Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Believe in the power of prayer.

(For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds- II Co.10:4
Application:
Mrs. Roberta Messner tells a story of praying in this month Guidepost entitles “What Prayer can do” on page 48 you should read it. The new nurse insisted on praying over the charts and by doing so she found a notation in a chart that had been missed and the patient needed to be isolating stat. The staff missed this but prayer did not, the new nurse had a great back up system. We do too.
We often make our requests quietly and confidently, but there are times when we cannot help but cry out to God in heartbreak and anguish. When we ask, souls are saved. Look with me at Psalm 126:6. — The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. —Psalm 6:9

Conclusion:

Life can deal you things that you never thought was possible. Your children get hurt, you experience divorce, you lose your job, you have an illness, etc… There are times when it seems that we have lost everything; but I’m here to give you good news this morning- You can rebuild. Whether it’s our Church that needs rebuilding, our family that needs rebuilding, our business that needs rebuilding, etc…; you can either give up or you can start rebuilding. When we are in the process of rebuilding, there are not just things that need to be done; there are also things that need to be undone. There are habits that need to be broken; there are hearts that need to be healed. Rebuilding is challenging, that’s why for some people it is easier to start over than to pay the price of rebuilding.