Prayer Series pt. 1: The Beauty of Confession & Intercession
“For if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14)
Prayer is perhaps one of the most extraordinary aspects of the Christian journey.
It is full of astonishing beauty that the God of the universe would call us into a heartfelt exchange every day.
He made it not simply an option for the human person but instead crafted into the core of the human heart the need to continually dwell with Him. Like the necessity of daily bread for us or the manna for the Israelites. He built us with that need so that we would remember our dependence upon Him as the source of our strength.
It is also far more powerful than we can know this side of heaven. For it is an essential fragment of the equipment for the warrior of God. Ephesians 6 speaks of the believer putting on the full armor of God. The Apostle Paul, a man who was a renowned fighter for the sake of the Gospel, concluded this portion with an emphasis on prayer, stating:
“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18).
Undoubtedly, prayer is the warrior’s covering used in spiritual warfare, granted by the Almighty God.
It is a unique paradox for prayer is both a place of rest and a place to fight. And Nehemiah knew the value of prayer on both accounts.
The book of Nehemiah begins with a report of Jerusalem. The people of God were exiled to Babylon, a country not their own. Their God-given instructions on holy living were at odds with what they found themselves immersed in. The people were permitted to return by the Persian king (who had occupied the territory afterwards) to rebuild their city. However, the building had come to a halt after false reports of a threat rising Jerusalem (Ezra 4:17-24).
As a result, the people of God were in distress.
“The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire” (Neh. 1:3).
Nehemiah heard that report and then proceeded with decisive action. He entered into prayer.
We can derive many lessons from Nehemiah’s story and apply them to enrich our own prayer lives. They have been a source of my own comfort and encouragement.
Sorrow and a Prayer of Confession
The first notion we encounter is Nehemiah’s despair. His sorrow was almost overwhelming. After hearing the condition of his beloved people, Nehemiah states:
“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven: (Neh. 1:4)
This eventually led him to go to the Lord in prayer, laying it down at His feet. He confessed the sins of his people, who had chosen to live in rebellion against God, leading them to their exiled condition. Nehemiah interceded for them, praying diligently:
“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” (Neh. 1:6-7).
In a world that emphasizes “feeling good,” many of us try to dismiss our negative feelings or do our best to find an explanation. Some of us may do our best to distract ourselves. I know I have.
However, it was the sorrow within Nehemiah’s heart that led him to fall on his knees in prayer. He humbled himself in prayer to confess not only his own sins but the sins of his people.
Confessional prayer may be uncomfortable initially, but it is the only path to true healing. God is gracious, not desiring to condemn or shame us for our past mistakes. Rather, He is gentle and patient with us. He desires to simply lift the burden from our hearts and point people in the right direction, whether it be in confession for ourselves or for other people.
God longs for us to simply come to Him so that His Spirit can tend to our deepest wounds. But the Lord is gentle and patiently waits for us to come if we would lay it all at his feet.
The most remarkable healing I have received came after I opened my heart to God, laying everything before Him. When I finally stopped running from my wounds, the Father was right there. His Spirit continues to heal the parts of my heart I was once reluctant to address. What I tried to accomplish on my own strength for years took a moment for Him.
He wants to heal you, too, simply because of His love for you.
The Catalyst for Calling
Nehemiah made intercession on behalf of those who laid heavy upon his heart, as the Lord had surely placed their need before him. The despair in his heart led him to go to the Lord and dedicate his life to serving God’s people (as he went on to build the wall for his people in Jerusalem). Nehemiah found his purpose within the pain.
We may be discouraged by what is going on in the world around us. Things may be difficult as the gap between living in obedience to Biblical principles and the direction of our society appears to be widening. Sorrow may enter our hearts as we find ourselves burdened both for the world and for the Church.
However, it would be a more troublesome thing if we did not feel discomfort for sin but rather felt at home in the world. Yet, we were never meant to carry this burden alone. Instead, we are meant to place it before the Lord, which increases our trust in our Heavenly Father as He shapes and molds us through our circumstances.
It could be that the burden we carry in our hearts towards a certain group of people may be the very thing that God has placed for us to pray for or to serve.
Sorrow, when placed in the hands of God, can be the catalyst for our very calling.
What would happen if we started to pray for our nation? For those whom we felt sorrow for? For those who had hurt us? How would our country change? How would we change?
If we want God to act in our nation, it must begin with His work in us. To awaken us to the beckoning of communion with Him.
Because historically speaking, revival has always begun with God’s people found on their knees in prayer.
Blessings,
