June 18, 2010

• they read from the Book of the Law ... made confession & worshiped the LORD their God (Neh. 9:1-3)

  Continuing on in Nehemiah . . . My last post was on the need for us to preach assurance of the forgiveness of sins for all who are in Christ, based on that portion in Nehemiah 8 where the people began to weep over their sins when they heard the Word of God, but they were instructed to rejoice. After that time of rejoicing, however, there was a clear call to confession and repentance of sins. Conviction, confession and repentance of sin is a necessary proof of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ; there can be no true worship of the LORD our God apart from circumcised and softened hearts, hearts which are broken, contrite and grieved over our sin. And let us always remember that conviction, confession and repentance of sin comes as God's Holy Spirit works through the reading, preaching and teaching of His Word. In addition to this post, please see my related prayer from Ezra 9 as well as these:

  • May we gather as one man to hear Your Word (Nehemiah 8)
  • Give us ears to be attentive to Your words alone (Nehemiah 8:3)
  • one sign of revival: attentiveness to the Word of God (Whitefield's Journals)
  • "People cannot take preaching...People are dying through lack of knowledge." (ML-J)
  • pray for ministers to read from the book clearly, give the sense & understanding - Neh. 8:8
  • Awaken a hunger for Biblical preaching (accounts of revival in Virginia in the late 18th c.)
  • Forgive us, Holy Spirit, for grieving You, for not paying attention to Your Word
  • Forgive us, Holy Spirit, for grieving You by despising the gift of Your Word
  • May we increasingly desire to understand & study Your Word (Neh. 8:13)
  • "not only in word" - send Your Holy Spirit so we might proclaim Your Gospel in power

  
  I would encourage you to read through Nehemiah 8 before continuing reading here.

  Nehemiah 9 [1] Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. [2] And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. [3] And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.
  

  O Lord our God,

  How often do we assemble together with such a solemn attitude as we see here? How often do we see the depth of our sin in light of Your holiness? How often do we confess our sins? How often do we confess others' sins rather than seeing the planks in our own eyes? How often do we live no differently than the world? Are we not to be separate from the world? Are we not to be holy as You are holy?

  Forgive us, Holy God, for how often we make light of our sin.
  Forgive us, Holy God, for how often we live no differently than the world.
  You sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sin.
  You have called us out of the world to be a people holy to Yourself.
  Holy Spirit, lead us into all truth...
  ...the truth about the holiness of our God
  ...the truth about our sinfulness
  so we might truly worship You, LORD God as You desire.
  There can be no true worship of You, Holy Father, apart from our confessing and repenting of sins and receiving the forgiveness and cleansing through Your blood, Jesus. Circumcise our hearts. Be kind to us, lead us to repentance.

  How often do we assemble together and not have Your Word read? No wonder why there is often no difference between those of us who are in the Church and those who are not. No wonder why there is no conviction of sin. No wonder why there is no confession of sin. No wonder why there is no repentance of sin. Be merciful to us. Forgive us for neglecting Your very own Word to us, Your God-breathed words. Restore to us the reading, right preaching and teaching of the Word in our churches, O Lord. Give us pastors and teachers who know the vital necessity of making Your Word put in the central place. Give Your people a hunger to hear Your Word preached and taught rightly, rather than settling for second best, for drinking from broken cisterns and stagnant water.

  Forgive us, Holy God, for how often we make light of our sin.
  Forgive us, Holy God, for how often we live no differently than the world.
  You sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sin.
  You have called us out of the world to be a people holy to Yourself.
  Holy Spirit, lead us into all truth...
  ...the truth about the holiness of our God
  ...the truth about our sinfulness
  so we might truly worship You, LORD God as You desire.
  There can be no true worship of You, Holy Father, apart from our confessing and repenting of sins and receiving the forgiveness and cleansing through Your blood, Jesus. Circumcise our hearts. Be kind to us, lead us to repentance.

   

  * Please add your PRAYERS as the Holy Spirit leads . . . *

  • 1:22 PM
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