Scripture to Read: Nehemiah 1:10-11
As we close out in Nehemiah 1:10-11, we read the final part of Nehemiah’s prayer to God the Father. God led Nehemiah to talk to God about God’s deliverance of Israel from the land of Egypt, which happened about 1000 years earlier. What God led Nehemiah to mention was that the people of Israel were God’s servants, God’s people, whom God redeemed by His great power and by His strong hand. This ought to sound familiar to us as believers. We are now God’s servants (2 Corinthians 6:4; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1), we are God’s people (1 Peter 2:9; Titus 2:14), we are God’s redeemed through our Lord Jesus Christ’s shed blood (1 Corinthians 6:20; Galatians 3:13; Galatians 4:5; 1 Peter 1:18), and God did all of this by His power and strong hand. Because Nehemiah was one of God’s children and because Nehemiah humbled himself before God Almighty, God could use Nehemiah to carry out His perfect will. Nehemiah finally asks God for His favor in the presence of Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, whom Nehemiah was the cupbearer. Nehemiah prayed for God’s favor because he was going to request something from king Artaxerxes. The cupbearer was an officer of high rank. He would fill the king’s cup and present it to him personally. He was to guard the king against poison, so at times, he was required to drink some of the wine before serving the king.
Challenge & Application
1. We are in positions of high rank because we serve the King of all kings. How are you serving our King and how has He given you His favor?
2. Who can you share these truths with this week and when will you share this with them?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!