The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 13:15-22 (day five)  

What was it that caused Nehemiah to have “spiritual eyes” (all throughout this book)? – Seeing and perceiving not simply the actions of the people, but the spiritual danger and destruction of such actions (2 Kings 6:17, Ephesians 1:18). His concern/burden for the Israelites was more about who they were becoming than what they were doing. Worship mattered more than walls. Their hearts mattered most. (See verse 31- Thus I purified them…)

So, back to the original question. 2 Things: 1- The reality of God’s wise and powerful presence as evidenced in an intimate relationship between Nehemiah and the Lord, through prayer (4 times in chapter 13). 2- Nehemiah’s affinity and affection for God’s Word- He heard God’s voice through God’s word.

May our conviction for God’s presence and God’s Word give us the clarity and courage to see, love, lead, and serve like Nehemiah.

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 13:15-22 (day three)

The Single Adults Ministry has been reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer this summer, and it has given us many insights into building up our daily spiritual lives. One of which is the reminder that no one drifts into holiness. You don’t drift towards the spiritual disciplines, you don’t simply stumble into keeping the Sabbath. The natural drift of life will lead us towards sin and apathy.

But how does one keep a boat from drifting out to sea? You throw down an anchor, something stronger than the pull of the drift, that keeps the boat where you want it to be. This means setting a firm boundary and building in accountability so that you can resist the drift and keep growing in godliness.

The Israelites had begun to drift back into old habits and were no longer keeping the Sabbath, something we are guilty of as well. When Nehemiah noticed this drift, he threw down an anchor on their behalf by shutting the gates. He kept them accountable by drawing a firm boundary. When they saw those shut gates on the Sabbath, they were reminded that day wasn’t for work, but for worship.

Is there an area of life where you find yourself adrift? How might you throw down an anchor to keep yourself accountable to growing in the ways of God?

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 13:15-22 (day three)

Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the sabbath day.

In the early days of Nehemiah’s presence in Jerusalem, Nehemiah stationed guards to protect the people completing the city wall. Now, he posted guards to protect the people behind the completed wall. What becomes apparent is that city walls can stop an invading army, but they can’t stop the forces invading the heart. The guards he posted to prevent interference of sabbath observance showed Nehemiah’s devout concern for the people’s spiritual welfare. He was making space for them to stop buying and consuming, and instead to be still. Walls can keep external threats at bay, while a person’s internal machinations remain unchecked. Nehemiah showed his people how to pay attention to the heart.

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 13:15-22 (day two)

Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. v. 20

Discipline is a part of every part of life. Relationships take discipline, education takes discipline, work requires discipline, children need discipline. If we are to be true disciples, we must be disciplined. This happens in many ways. We must develop habits of faithful obedience. We must practice skills that will help our understanding of others and tasks. We must also be prepared to receive discipline when we step out of line. We don’t often talk about church discipline anymore, but there is solid ground for the church to take action if its members step out of line. This was the case in Nehemiah’s time. His approach was to shut the gates to remind them that they were not to work on the Sabbath. It is likely that we have areas of our spiritual lives that need to be brought under better discipline. Don’t be in the position to have the doors shut on you; practice those habits that will keep your heart focused on the Lord.

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 12:40-47 (day seven)

God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced. vs 43

This celebration was not reserved for select individuals or VIPs. It wasn’t even reserved for just men, as would be normal for such an occasion in these days. The joy of the Lord fell upon the entire assembly as intergenerational, multicultural, and gender diverse worship exploded across the land. That shouldn’t surprise us, because that is how Heaven is going to be!

I wouldn’t be a youth minister if I didn’t see the importance of youth being in age and gender specific groups for certain functions such as Bible study and accountability, but when it comes to worship, diversity in age, gender, and culture lends itself to joyful and Spirit filled worship. Everyone is invited and encouraged to worship as one body, and when we do, we see a glimpse of what Eternity will be like. Worship in Heaven isn’t siloed.

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 12:40-47 (day six)

²⁷ For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres. Nehemiah 12:7

Paul writes in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Singing is not ornamental to the Christian life; it is essential. When God’s people sing, we engage our whole being- body, mind, and heart- in response to His mighty works. Singing shapes what we feel and believe, stirring our affections and embodying our theology in real time and space.

The Benedictine monks understood this well: they sang the Psalms seven times a day, all 150 every week. Singing was the nervous system of their life together, giving order and priority to everything else they did.

In our age of “me and Jesus” spirituality, singing together loudly proclaims otherwise. Satan does not want us to sing because joyful, embodied singing changes us. It reshapes our priorities, deepens our joy, and bears witness to the real story of God.

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 12:40-47 (day five)

This is one of my favorite pictures of worship found in the scriptures. It shows the complexity and completeness of worship. There is preparation. There is precision. There is order. There is energy. There is joy. There is awe. In their dedication to God, the people see God at work- in the secular (building a wall) and in the sacred (God’s guidance and provision). They are reminded of and find the deeper meaning and appreciation for the purpose and character of God- restoration and reconciliation. Jerusalem is beginning to become the city of God again – not just in the geography, but in the people. Hearts are stirred. God is glorified. There is a beautiful balance between the “moment” and the “mission”, as the people are committed to singing, shouting, praising, and serving. May our worship cause us to both sing with joy and serve with passion!!

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 12:40-47 (day four)

Did you notice that these musicians planned and prepared for this joyous worship service? They spent their days leading up to this service in prayer, purification, and probably rehearsal in order to lead the people in worship to the best of their ability. And it paid off! The praise exhibited among the Israelites was so loud it could be heard from afar. Their preparation helped create an environment where the joy of the Lord could be felt.

You don’t have to be part of the choir and orchestra to prepare for worship. How are you spending your days in between our worship gatherings on Sundays? The way you spend your time during the week impacts the way you walk into worship. If we spend the week comparing ourselves to others, living in unconfessed sin, walking in unforgiveness, or spinning our wheels over worldly concerns, we’ll find it harder to jump for joy and sing loud enough for all to hear.

What are daily habits or disciplines that help you prepare to worship with joy on Sunday? How does your time during the week need to change in order to prepare well for worship?

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 12:40-47 (day three)

“So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers as each day required, and set apart the consecrated portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the consecrated portion for the sons of Aaron.”

The religious use of money is a fraught issue because of financial abuse and misuse. The same was true in Nehemiah’s day. When Nehemiah arrived on the scene, he found that the high priest in Jerusalem maintained cozy and mutually beneficial arrangements with those in power. The same was true centuries later when Jesus laid waste to the temple’s outer court, decrying the profit-taking schemes benefitting the religious establishment. Jesus still watches the money flowing through the church, just as he sat watching that day when he pointed out that a widow’s pure devotion outweighed all other riches.