THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A PRAYERFUL PERSON
“O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” - Nehemiah 1:11
Today, I invite you to peek through the window of Nehemiah's prayer life and learn how he prayed. It invites us, inspires us, and instructs us on how we ought to pray.
Let’s talk about the characteristics of a person of prayer.
A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
According to Nehemiah, the key characteristic of a person of prayer is their relationship with God. Although he holds a position of prominence and prestige as the king's cupkeeper, the Bible says that he has a greater responsibility, and that it is to God. And for Nehemiah, that is the most important thing.
Anytime life becomes a challenge, Nehemiah’s first response is always to pray. Seeking God is natural because he has a personal relationship with Him. When it comes to being a person of prayer, you must have a personal relationship with God. It is the most vital thing to have; if we want our prayers to be heard and answered.
RELIES COMPLETELY ON GOD
The second characteristic is placing our reliance on God. It's not just having a personal relationship with God, but I also put my faith in God. Just like Nehemiah knows that in the end, he must place his trust, faith, and reliance on God, we must do the same. When life has weighed you down, and you feel like you are pushed to your breaking point, you must realize that you can trust and depend on God because He is always faithful.
Here’s the problem. Sometimes we don't pray as much as we should. Why? It’s because we are relying more on ourselves than God. We rely more on our knowledge, capacity, and ability. But when we rely on God, we acknowledge that our resources are in Him. Since I have a personal relationship with God, I place my reliance on Him; when I place my reliance on God because I acknowledge that all my resources are in God.
Whatever we need to get through this experience called life is in God. David says in Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” He has it. If you need wisdom, God says, “I got it.”
ADORES THE SPLENDOR OF GOD
And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments... - Nehemiah 1:5
Look at the hope in Nehemiah’s prayer. Look how similar it is to the Lord's prayer. Nehemiah acknowledged the fact that God is marvelous and glorious. He started his prayer with a proper perspective on God. The Lord's prayer begins, "Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be Your name.” Jesus hallowed the name of the Father, meaning He recognized His name to be holy and revered the name of God. Nothing has changed today.
Nehemiah said, “My God, I recognize that whatever I'm dealing with may be challenging but nonetheless, God, no matter what I'm dealing with, You’re always sufficient, sovereign, and You’re the almighty God.”
We don't submit to God a shopping list of what we want God to do in our lives or the blessings we're asking Him to give to us. Pause and begin by saying, “God, I just want to adore You before everything else. I want to worship You and take the time to lift Your name on high. I want to take the time to celebrate You. You are an amazing God. You are an all-sufficient God. You are the almighty God.”
PRAYS PERSISTENTLY
“Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned.” - Nehemiah 1:6
Nehemiah’s life was one of persistent prayer, never going to God just one time. Prayer was part of his spiritual DNA. He started the day praying and concluded his day praying, in fact, all through the day, it shows that he prayed.
I want to encourage you to keep praying. PUSH through! Pray like Nehemiah, until something happens!
Nehemiah's persistent prayer paid off. God heard his prayers and provided a way for the walls of Jerusalem to be rebuilt. Despite facing opposition from the enemies of Jerusalem, Nehemiah, and those with him, were able to rebuild the walls in merely 52 days.
The story of Nehemiah teaches us that we can experience the power of prayer when we pray with persistence. While we may face difficult circumstances and challenges, we must pray with faith, humility, and persistence.
Nehemiah's story is a powerful reminder that breakthroughs and victories happen with prayer. It’s time for us to follow his example and pray until something happens. Never give up, but instead, press on in prayer. God hears us and will answer in His perfect time and in His way.
