Lesson 2: Essentials for Personal Renewal  Nehemiah 2:1-20

In the second chapter of Nehemiah we find the essentials for personal spiritual renewal…

As we discovered in our last lesson, Nehemiah is still in Persia serving as cupbearer for the King and is very burdened about Jerusalem's broken-down wall…

As long as the wall is in ruins, Nehemiah knows the spirituality of his people will also be in ruins…

Therefore, desiring spiritual renewal for his nation, Nehemiah takes action…

His three steps can still produce personal spiritual renewal for us today…

First, Pray patiently 2:1-9

We studied Nehemiah's prayer in chapter one…

What happened after Nehemiah prayed to the Lord? Nothing!

At least not right away... Nehemiah first prayed in the month of Chisleu [Kiss-lave] (1:1), our November-December… Now it is the month of Nisan [Nee-san] (2:1), our March-April...

Four months have passed, and seemingly, nothing has happened…

Have you ever prayed and nothing happened?

Maybe you prayed about a problem at work, a wayward child, or a marriage difficulty, but the next day nothing had changed…

You thought, "I'll be patient and give God a week," but a week passes, and things are still the same…

A month goes by, and the problem remains…

That is Nehemiah's experience because he has prayed for four months expecting God to do something…

He is now discouraged because what do we read in the last sentence of verse 1?
¹ And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king… Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence...

Everyone has a discouragement point…

Nehemiah has come to the place where he begins to wonder if God will ever do anything…

We all have those times in our lives...

When we do, we should remember what promise found in Galatians 6:9?

Nehemiah's discouragement is showing, so the king asks why he is so sad, and Nehemiah is very sore afraid (2:2). Nehemiah has reason to fear because subjects who looked sad around the king and caused him to become sad or depressed could be killed. However, Nehemiah does not allow his fear to prevent him from doing what God has laid on his heart. Fear is one of the devil's most effective weapons in keeping us from doing God's will.

Nehemiah tells the king he is sad because the city of his ancestry lies in waste (2:3). The king then asks Nehemiah what he wants him to do, and Nehemiah immediately prays to the God of heaven (2:4). Nehemiah doesn't keep the king waiting for four or five minutes as he slips out to pray but instead prays a short, silent, emergency prayer. Nehemiah's relationship with the Lord is so close he can pray at a moment's notice. How does 1 Thessalonians 5:17 encourage us to be prepared to pray like this?

At first glance this command seems unreasonable, even impossible. However, this verse encourages short, persistent prayers, not constant praying. When we pray frequent, short prayers rather than rare, lengthy ones, we actually talk to the Lord more and are more specific. How does Paul show this is how he prays in Philippians 1:3-4?

In other words, whenever the Philippian believers come to Paul's mind during the course of a day, he prays for them. As people, problems, or possibilities come to our minds, we should stop right then and say a brief prayer about the matter. We may not be able to pray aloud or with our eyes closed, but we can follow Nehemiah's example and pray silently and quickly.

Nehemiah has been praying extended prayers for four months. Therefore, since he has an intimate relationship with God, he can confidently pray an emergency prayer. Extended prayers keep us prepared for emergency prayers. The shortest prayer in the Bible is the prayer Peter said when he was attempting to walk on the water to Jesus. He prayed, "Lord, save me!" (Mt 14:30). Was Peter's prayer answered? Absolutely!

We need to pray both extended and emergency prayers. Nehemiah's emergency prayer probably lasts only a few seconds because he knows a request to leave the service of the king can be considered a capital offense. However, Nehemiah also knows what truth found in Proverbs 21:1?

Nehemiah asks the king to allow him to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. Knowing he will face opposition, he requests letters... to the governors of the provinces of the areas west of the Euphrates River (2:5-7). This will guarantee his passage to Judah (see map of page 12).

Nehemiah has been doing more than praying; he has also been planning because he immediately asks the king for a letter of authority for lumber. He needs this to secure materials to rebuild the city wall (2:8). Faith is not a synonym for lack of planning. I am always skeptical of people who say, "I don't have any plans; I'm just letting God lead." Nehemiah is following what principle Jesus gives us in Luke 14:28?

The Bible teaches God blesses planning and organization. People who expect God to answer their prayers always make plans to make the most of the answers. After praying both extended and emergency prayers, Nehemiah records that God answers his requests (2:8b). He then goes to Jerusalem, a distance of more than 1,000 miles, with the king's letters and accompanied by captains of the army and horsemen (2:9). This would take at least two months' travel time (see map on page 12). Personal renewal always requires we pray patiently and...

Second, Probe carefully 2:10-18

Nehemiah has overcome the problem of persuading the king to allow him to go to Jerusalem. However, upon arriving in Jerusalem he encounters more problems. There Nehemiah encounters Sanballat (san-bal-lot) and Tobiah who are exceedingly upset he has come to help the Israelites (2:10). When we attempt to do something for God, we will always have our "Sanballat's" and "Tobiah's." These are the people who, when presented with a new project or way of doing things, say, "It won't work." These are the people who always see the problems rather than the possibilities. Those who walk by faith will always find opposition from those who walk by sight.

After three days in Jerusalem, in the middle of the night Nehemiah and a few choice men go out to inspect the wall around the city (2:11-16). They survey the wall to carefully examine the situation. This is what we need to do regularly in our spiritual lives. We will never experience spiritual renewal until we carefully and systematically probe our lives. This examination should begin with what prayer found in Psalm 26:2?

We must search each area of our lives—spiritual, family, financial, business, etc. We will never experience renewal until we review every area of our lives and do the necessary rebuilding. After examining the ruins carefully, Nehemiah says to his people come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach (2:17b). The walls and gates had been in ruins since their destruction by Nebuchadnezzar about 130 years earlier. The Jews have become content with the ruins, but Nehemiah motivates them by telling them the hand of God is good upon him and also the king of Persia has told them to start rebuilding. Therefore, they begin to rebuild (2:18). After we pray patiently and probe carefully, we must...

Third, Proceed confidently  2:19-20

When Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem (gesh-um) the Arabian, hear of Nehemiah's plan, they mock and ridicule him and those following him (2:19). Sanballat is the governor of Samaria, the area north of Judah. Tobiah is the governor of Ammon, east of Judah. Geshem is probably an Arab chief controlling the area south of Judea. So, Nehemiah is surrounded by opposition. They accuse Nehemiah and those following him of rebelling against the king (2:19), probably threatening to report them as traitors.

When we decide to get closer to the Lord, or do something God has put on our hearts, Satan will try to divert us through criticism. This is why we have what warning in 1 Peter 5:8b?

Not regularly hearing Satan's discouraging roar is fairly good evidence you are not living for the Lord. God's Word teaches Satan is trying to devour us through fear and intimidation. Nehemiah responds to the intimidation of his opposition by saying, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build... (2:20). God will prosper us—He will give us success. We need to believe that promise. Satan will try to discourage us by saying the ruins are too great or the sin too damaging. However, what promise do we find in Philippians 1:6?

Only one person can stop God from completing what He wants to do in your life, and that is YOU. The essentials for personal renewal are to pray patiently, probe carefully, and proceed confidently. What in this lesson has helped you most?