March 26, 2010
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"Now there arose a great outcry" | Praying for shepherds after God's own heart (Nehemiah 5)
Nehemiah 5:1 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. 2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” 3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them 8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. 9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? 10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 12 Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. 13 I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.(I would encourage you to read the rest of Nehemiah 5, as well as Ezekiel 34 and Paul's words to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20.)
Chief Shepherd,
We thank you for shepherds like Nehemiah, shepherds who hear the great outcry of Your people. There are so many irresponsible shepherds lurking and prowling right in the midst Your people today.
Be merciful and gracious to us. Raise up good and true and faithful shepherds of the flock like our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.Be merciful and gracious to us. Raise up laborers in Your own image and after Your own heart, laborers filled with Your Holy Spirit:
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”Holy Father, You purchased us to be Your flock. Though we are Yours, we confess we are still prone to wander. Though we are each responsible to walk in Your ways, You have also promised to give us shepherds to lead us and to care for us and lead us in Your ways. You know how many bad shepherds there are out there. They bring reproach to Your holy Name. Hear our great outcry this day against the many irresponsible shepherds. Have mercy on them. Turn their hearts so they might turn back to You and walk in Your ways and lead Your people as they ought.
Good Shepherd, You shed Your blood for us. You never did anything out of selfish ambition. We thank You that You hear our cries and are continuing to intercede for us to save us to the uttermost in spite of the attacks and wiles of irresponsible shepherds. We pray as we are given opportunities to care for the sheep, You might help us to shepherd as You did: with humility, love and integrity, with that perfect balance of grace and truth.
Holy Spirit, Your anointing remains in us and will lead us into all truth. Thank You! You know that we are so easily deceived! Give us ears to hear Your voice. Help us to remain in Your Word and may Your Word abide in us. May we not follow the hirelings but only have ears to hear Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Turn our ears and our hearts from listening to and following all other voices.
Lord God,
Be merciful and gracious to us. We are Your people, the sheep of Your pasture. Send us shepherds after Your own heart, shepherds like You and shepherds like Nehemiah.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who have ears to hear and have compassion on Your flock and do not turn a deaf ear to the great outcry of Your people – rather than men who are self-absorbed with their own thoughts and speech and have no ears to hear the cries of the hurting.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who have tears to cry for the crying sheep – rather than men who turn away with bald indifference to the great outcry.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who walk in the fear of the Lord – rather than men who walk in the fear of men.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who are seeking to lift You up – rather than men who are seeking to lift themselves up.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who take heed to themselves and the flock – rather than men who forget they will stand before Your judgment seat one day and give account.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who have soft hearts and admit when they have sinned against the flock and confess their sins and make reparation and restitution to the flock – rather than men who are hard-hearted and continue in sin and deny wrong-doing.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who are filled with Your love and are seeking to love Your flock – rather than men who abuse and oppress Your flock.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who have eyes to see the harassed, helpless and hurting souls and seek their welfare – rather than men who have only an eye to their own needs are seek the welfare of their own souls.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who are seeking to feed the hungry flock – rather than men who consume it upon their lusts and feed their own fleshly hungers.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who travail in labor to see the flock bear fruit through the freedom they have in Christ – rather than men who rape the flock with legalistic teachings producing fruit leading to death.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who are seeking to build Your Kingdom – rather than men who are seeking to build their own kingdoms.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who are seeking to serve the flock – rather than men who seek to be served.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who encourage and build up the flock – rather than men who seek to oppress the flock and tear them down.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who love the flock a self-sacrificing love – rather than men who slaughtering the flock for their own personal gain.
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who disadvantage themselves and make themselves nothing like You did – rather than men who take advantage of the flock in any way (particularly in terms of sexual abuse).
We pray You would raise up shepherds after Your own heart, men who help, defend and gather the flock – rather than men who attack, harass and scatter the flock.
Great Shepherd of the sheep, be merciful and gracious to us. Hear our prayers for Jesus' sake. Raise up shepherds after Your own heart to lead us. Amen.
Please add your prayers as His Holy Spirit leads you.
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