Introduction:
The Book of Nehemiah is a great book to use in family worship. It has such a visual component built into the very story! For centuries the Church has seen the condition of the walls as a visual parable for the condition of the Church. The story of building the walls then is actually a story about building the Church, and of the problems that have to be overcome as we are involved in that great project. Of course like many of the Old Testament characters, this makes Nehemiah a foreshadowing of THE great Church-builder, Jesus.
Matt.16:18, And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
A Summer-long activity!
We’ll be following the story over the summer period, so it would be great (and easy) to develop a running theme over the next few weeks. Using boxes, bricks, or cut out pictures of bricks to stick on the fridge door, build a wall, adding to it week by week. On the bricks can be verses, or pictures of key ideas from the sermon we’ll have heard in the service. So this week, the key verse is Neh.1:4. Nehemiah’s mourning, fasting and praying are the foundation on which the rest of the book is built. So 3 ‘bricks’, with ‘mourn’, ‘fast’ and ‘pray’ – either words or pictures.
...and with them a discussion about how this can shape our own engagement with the life of the Church (both local, and nationally). What is there that should make us feel sad..? How can we pray for the Church to be built up? Why not have a fast as a family. If this is something you’ve never done before, try skipping just one meal and praying together for MIE.
How do we pray?
There is a lot to learn about how to pray from Nehemiah 1. It’s easy to assume we just know what prayer is about, but have a look at Rom.8:26!!! We do not know what we ought to pray for...
here is a simple way to outline Nehemiah’s prayer. You could use each of these key elements as a basis for writing a prayer as a family.
1:5-6. Look at the way Nehemiah’s addresses God... Is it any wonder that he is so confident that God will answer? How do we envisage the Lord as we come before Him in prayer?
1:6-7. Nehemiah takes stock and confesses his (and the Church’s) sin. We help you know how to do this every week in Church when we say a confession together. Here is the one we used this week, so you can use it again as you pray together as a family.
Lord God,
we have sinned against you;
we have done evil in your sight.
We are sorry and repent.
Have mercy on us according to your love.
Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin.
Renew a right spirit within us
and restore us to the joy of your salvation,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
1:8-9. Nehemiah’s request is rooted in Scripture. He has specific passages in mind – things God has said in the Bible that he then bases his prayers on. What do you want to pray about? What passages can you go to in the Bible that will help you know how to pray about those things?
1:10-11. There is no presumption here. Nehemiah doesn’t simply expect God to hear and answer! There is a humble confidence... but not presumption!
finally: Neh.2:1-10 is the story of how God begins to answer Nehemiah’s prayer. It is so important that we share with our children how God answers our prayers. If so such stories spring to mind, try keeping a prayer journal with your child(ren), and checking in to see how God is answering your prayers as a family.
The life of George Muller is an extraordinary testimony to the faithfulness of God in hearing and answering prayer. You can watch a short animated version of Muller’s biography here.
