January 17: Nehemiah 1:1-11
The Acknowledgment of God’s character (verse 5)
Here is an acknowledgment of God’s greatness and His faithfulness. What impresses you most about God’s character?
Prayer always begins with acknowledging who God is. The prayers we have reviewed so far begin with God. The Lord’s Prayer begins “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” The WHAT of prayer should always come after the WHO.
Nehemiah calls upon:
- “Yahweh”—the God of the covenant, the great “I Am”, the One who revealed this name to Moses, the self-existent, ever-present, covenant-keeping God, the I AM the bread of life (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51), the light of the world (John 8:12), the door of the sheepfold (John 10:7, 9), the resurrection and the life (John 11:25), the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14), the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), the true vine (John 15:1, 5), and the “before Abraham was, I am” God (John 8:58)
- “the God of heaven”—the God Whose dwelling is heaven, Who rules heaven and earth, Whose authority the seraphim, cheribum, and angels do not question and even the demons tremble, the Sovereign Lord of the universe
- “the great and fearsome God”—He commands our fear, our respect, our awe
“For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.”
Hebrews 12:18-25, ESV
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:28-29, ESV
- “who keeps the covenant”—God is faithful and He will keep His promises. His commitment is unwavering.
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”
Numbers 23:19, ESV)
- “and lovingkindness” (Hebrew :חסד, pronounced chêsêd)—this word is so rich in meaning that no one English word or phrase seems to be capable of capturing its fulness.
The KJV translates the word as follows: mercy (137 times), kindness (40), lovingkindness (26), goodness (12), mercies (9), kindly (5), merciful (5) lovingkindnesses (4), favour (3) and good (1). Other translations use loyal or faithful love for it. Paul prayed:
“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (emphasis added)
Ephesians 3:17-19, ESV
- “for those who love Him and keep His commandments”—the condition for answered prayer
REVDANS 