PATCH

I assume we are referring to NEHEMIAH here instead of Daniel. In what way does Nehemiah's situation compared to Esther's? Their situations are similar in that both asked God for so much favor that the Kings would reverse their decisions. However, the reversal may make the King look bad and both Nehemiah and Esther could have lost their positions and lives. Why does God place his people in strategic positions today in the community, in business, in the military, in government? What responsibilities do we have to God that can cause danger to our positions and our lives? Has this ever happened to you? How do you pray in situations like this? God has placed his people in strategic positions today so that 1) they can make right decisions according to his truth, 2) organisations especially the military and the government will be run by God-fearing men and women who rely on God's wisdom in discharging their duties, and 3) the nation will be covered with prayer by these people. Obeying God's commandments, praying, speaking the truth, honesty are some of the responsibilities we have to God that can endanger our positions and lives because the secular world does not see these as important. In many cases, we are requested to do the complete opposite. I have not encountered such a situation before. I think we all have to pray for our leaders (nation, companies we work for, schools our children attend). If our leaders are Christian, then we pray that they will be God-fearing men and women. If they are not, we have to pray for God's protection and for God to touch them.

What is the basis of Nehemiah's appeal? Nehemiah's appeal to God was based on God's promise to Moses that He will scatter the nation of Israel if they disobeyed His commands. If they repent and return to Him, He will gather them from the farthest horizon and bring them to the place He has chosen as a dwelling for His name. How does he argue his case before God? 1) He reminded God of His promise to gather the nation of Israel upon their repentance. He argued that there had been repentance and renewed obedience amongst them. 2) He reminded God that Jerusalem is God's own city. If Jerusalem becomes desolate and disgraceful, this will reflect badly on God's name because God's name dwells in Jesusalem. 3) Nehemiah appealed to God to protect His servants whom He had redeemed and who take delight in revering Him. What do we learn from this about intercession? We have to understand the issue we are praying about - for example was it caused by our own disobedience, was it an attack by the enemy, etc. We must know God's word so that we can pray over His promises. Then we are able to pray effectively.

The news Nehemiah received on Jerusalem devastated him. Jerusalem's walls have broken down and her gates burnt, leaving her defenceless and open to more attacks. Nehemiah recognised that only confession for her sins, repentance and God's mercy can protect Jerusalem. Rebuilding the wall with the use of human hands was of no use if prayer was not the foundation. The situation was very serious and Nehemiah's grief was overwhelming. He prayed, wept and fasted for God's forgiveness, mercy and direction. He prayed fervently for 4 months before he met the King to ask for permission to rebuild the city. On behalf of Jerusalem, he wanted to get right with God first before he sought the favour of men. Praying day and night for 4 months is NOT excessive. We live in an instant society - our meals can be ready in a matter of minutes, mail received in seconds, etc. We assume that God should answer us instantly and that He is at our beck and call. Personally I think 4 months is quite short for such a massive problem. This is God's grace.

What was Daniel's essential prayer? Daniel acknowleged that Israel had sinned against God and the punishment was justified. He asked God to forgive Israel not because she is righteous but because God is all merciful and forgiving. What are the various grounds of Daniel's appeal? Daniel's appeals to God was based on God's righteousness, his mercy and his sake. He "reminded" God that He had delivered Israel from Egypt before and it was not because of Israel's righteousness. Surely God will do it again because of his merciful character. Daniel also appealed that for God's own sake, Israel's deliverance will bring worshippers back to God's desolate sanctuary, and will bring God glory. Daniel also reminded God (not that God needed any reminders) that the desolated nation of Israel is also known as God's city. It is as if to say - how can you not forgive your own city, your own people? How did God answer the prayer (see Daniel 9:20-23)? God answered Daniel's prayer immediately. Whilst he was still confessing and praying, the angel Gabriel appeared and told him that as soon as he (Daniel) had begun to pray, an answer was given!

Since Daniel is such a righteous man in his generation, why does he identify himself with the sins of his people? He didn't commit them. Daniel was overwhelmed and burdened by the sins of his people. Even though he was not the one who sinned he was a part of the nation which did. He took ownership of the sins to repent on behalf of the nation. How does this compare to how Jesus sought forgiveness for his people? Daniel interceded for his nation but he did not take their sins upon himself. He was not a sinless man. Jesus on the other hand was sinless. However he took ALL our sins upon himself and died in our place to save and redeem us.

What is Daniel's demeanor as he prays? Daniel was indeed a very godly and humble man. He could have just waited and see what was God going to do with Israel. Instead, he prayed non stop as though he was the one who sinned and he pleaded for mercy as though his life depended on it. His demeanor was one of repentance, humility and determination. How does he prepare? Daniel fasted, put on sackcloth and applied ashes. Why is this so important in this case? He came to God in abject humility. Although he knew that God was merciful and forgiving, he does not take God for granted. In what ways might you and I prepare for intercession? We should learn from Daniel. We should fast and pray fervently, having faith that God will hear and answer us in His own righteousness. In order for us to have the faith and trust, we must spend time reading the Word of God and worshipping Him. If we do not know His character, we will not know how to pray.

What encourages Daniel to seek God for the forgiveness and restoration of Israel to its homeland? As Daniel studied the scriptures, he realised that the 70 years of Jerusalem's desolation would soon come to an end. Daniel knew that the God he served was merciful and forgiving. Therefore he prayed and appealed to God to forgive and restore Israel to its homeland. What trait on Daniel's part brings this encouragement to pass? Daniel was a prayerful man and he trusted in the power of prayer. He believed the scriptures. He trusted God wholeheartedly.

Everyone wants to have complete control over their own lives. The prayer of surrender is so difficult to pray because we release the control and we now submit totally to God. This can be a painful process because we may not understand or even like the things God wants us to do. But if we are willing to obey, the process of surrendering becomes easier. I prayed this prayer only a couple of years ago, after being a Christian for over 20 years. I am a slow learner. We cannot be a genuine disciple if we want to continue to cling on our old way of life and not giving it to Jesus.

How is an awareness of God's involvement in your prenatal development meant to encourage you? This means my being on earth is not an after-thought or an accident. God has a divine destiny for me. There may be setbacks but it will come to pass because He is Lord over my life. I feel encouraged because I know that my life will not be wasted. I may not be a success in the eyes of the world but because God's plans for me are good, I am a winner! What might this mean to a young woman carrying a child? A young father-to-be? Most young or first time parents are afraid and unsure of the pregnancy, the birth, and the care which is natural. But if they believe that God is involved in the development of their child, they can rest assure that He will watch over the child and take good care of him/her. I had 2 very very difficult pregnancies. Although I did not really enjoy the state I was in, I was never afraid because I knew God's hand was on my children and they will be safe. Today both my children are teenagers and I am grateful for God's hand upon their lives. I pray that they will realise the His Hand is upon them too. Why is such knowledge overwhelming to us? It is overwhelming to know that we were put together by God. Furthermore we are not put on this earth just for population growth. We all have a divine destiny. Some bigger than others but we all contribute one way or another.

God's hand was upon the psalmist to protect him from falling and to guide him along paths of righteousness. Yes, God's hand has been on me and my family for the as long as we can remember. We look back and always marvel at how he has orchestrated many incidences (even the ones that looked very very bad at that time) in our lives for our benefit.

Hezekiah asked for healing on the basis that the righteous are blessed with long life. He reminded God that he had always been devoted to God, living a life faithful and obedient to Him. Personal righteousness and holiness are important in getting our prayers answered because they put us in the right standing with God. The prayer of a righteous man will see good results. Of course, God is a god of grace and mercy and He does answer the prayers of those living in sin. However He knows our hearts and he answers those prayers because He knows that we are desperate and this could be the turning point of our lives. Unrighteousness prevents answered prayer because it is the very thing that removes us from the presence of God, in the very first place. A sinful life blocks out God's blessings.

Hezekiah was a godly leader. If he succumbed to his illness, his country would be without a godly and righteous leader. At that time, he had no son to inherit his throne. God had earlier promised that one of David's sons will always inherit the throne. This promise will not be fulfilled had Hezekiah died without a son.

Hezekiah's Prayer :- "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. The Lord's Prayer :- Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name Like the Lord's prayer, Hezekiah's prayer started with a proclamation that that God alone is the God of Heaven and Earth. He is the creator and ruler of heaven and earth. When we remember that the God whom we worship and serve is the creator God, the only one and true God and yet He is our Father, we know we just cannot fail. We have Him on our side. This will increase our faith because we know we can approach Him and He will help us according to His will. They are important to God answering prayer because we surrender everything to him, giving him full control to help us.

He recognized that the enemy's message was an insult to God, not to him personally. He therefore gave the matter up to the Lord to fight for the battle is the Lord's. He does not try to solve the matter himself. We should do the same when we face difficult times. We must always remember that we have a powerful God who will help us fight our battles. This does not mean we do nothing or we will not worry one bit. We will do what is necessary but we will not fret over the outcome because we know that God is in control. If we insist on being self-reliant, it may come to a point where we feel discouraged, anxious and will ultimately give up. This will give the enemy an open door to atttack us even more.

When we give willingly, we recognise that 1) God is the one who enables us to produce wealth 2) All that we have comes from him and belongs to him 3) Just as we have been blessed by God, we should also bless others. An attitude of possessiveness gets in the way of worship because we do not attribute our ability to produce wealth to God ie it was not God who bless us with knowledge, skills, employment, favor but we made it all on our own. When we think this way, we are not able to praise God for his goodness. Possessiveness also shows a lack of faith because we do not trust God with what we need in the future so we hoard instead of give. Our possessions belong to God because we came into this world with nothing. He is the one who equips us with the necessary skills and knowledge to earn a living. Our relationship to our possessions must be that they are temporal and all that we have belongs to God. We do not own them and they certainly should not own us. These truths should re-energize our giving because we are giving to God what rightfully belongs to Him and we have the faith to believe that He will take good care of us. We should be praising Him non-stop.

How might you begin to mention God's greatness in your own prayers? I tell Him He is magnificent, He is the Lord of lords, He is Almighty God, He is good. I thank Him over and over again for all He has done and all He is going to do in my life and in the lives of my family. Sometimes I dont have too many words but I just keep on saying Thank You LORD, Praise You LORD, Bless You LORD, You are good. I also acknowledge that He is the only one true God and He is LORD over everything and one day, every knee will bow down to Him and every tongue will confess that He alone is LORD. Where is this kind of praise found by example in the Lord's Prayer? 1) Hallowed by your name 2) Your Kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven 3) For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen What are your favorite songs that point to God's greatness? 1) Majesty (Jack Hayford) 2) There is none Holy as the Lord 3) Your Name (Paul Baloche) 4) In Your Presence 5) Jesus shall take the Highest Honor, and many many more

In what way does praise exalt God? God is enthroned in the praises of His people. He is lifted up, glorified and His name is magnified. Why should we exalt God? We should exalt God because only He deserves our praises, respect, honor and gratitute. What does this exaltation do in us? Our faith is increased. He is the only one true God who created everything and we have Him as our heavenly Father. What does it say about us? Praise brings us to the realization that we are highly blessed - we are children of God and only He is Lord over our lives.

In what way do our prayers of praise "bless" God? Our prayers of praise bless God because we acknowledge His Lordship over our lives and over the entire universe and all that is happening around us. Our praises glorify Him and magnify His name. Even when times are bad or not so good, we ahould offer prayers of praise because we recognize He is still sovereign and He will make things right. What do we mere humans have that God desires in a blessing? We have the aptitude to be grateful and thankful, sincerely. . What are prayers like, that don't include blessing God? When prayers do not include blessing God, they are selfish and demanding prayers, putting us in the place of God and God is to answer at our every beck and call, which is not right.

To have a broken heart and spirit means we have come to a realisation of our own wickedness. We are deeply saddened and regret our actions. Guilt surrounds us all day. A broken heart and spirit is essential in the prayer for pardon - its as though we have to the end of the road - we dont where to go and what else to do to make things right. We can only go to God to be forgiven. If we offer other forms of offerings, its like a cop-out. It is a very easy and convenient way to pay for our sins. A broken and contrite heart will make us choose to walk away from the sin/sinful way of life that binds us. It is a sacrifice because we may have to give up something. We tend to resist a broken and contrite spirit because of our pride and sinful nature. We do not enjoy acknowledging that we are in the wrong. Instead we justify our sins. Some of us would even like to continue in the same sin again once we have got over the initial sadness and guilt.

It is only possible to have a pure heart but first like David, we must acknowledge our sinful ways and ask God to do a heart surgery on us. But we must be willing to be corrected and disciplined which is a necessary step in creating the pure heart. We must also recognised that we cannot create a pure heart on our own. Only God can help us.

David did not minimize or maximise his sins. He did not justify his actions. Very importantly, he recognised he had sinned wilfully and acknowledged that he was in the wrong. He did not even involved Bathsheda when he admitted his wrongdoing. Most men would have blamed the women for seducing them (!!). We cannot hide our sins from the God who knows and sees everything so its best to humble ourselves before Him and acknowlege our wrongs and weaknesses. Like David, we should also recognise that when we sin, we are not only sinning against others but more importantly we are sinning against God and He is the only one who can forgive and cleanse us.

In what way does a prayer for pardon require faith? A prayer for pardon requires faith because most of us cannot forgive ourselves for some of the sinful acts we have committed. If we being human and sinful cannot forgive ourselves, how can a Holy God forgive us? Therefore we must believe and have faith in His promise in 1 John 1:9 that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness". The faith is based on his character - He is just, faithful, merciful, His desire is to restore us and His love for us is from everlasting to everlasting. Faith is gained by reading His Word and claiming His promises, and having the coonfidence that He is God and He does not lie. If He says he will do something, He will.

Abraham appealed to God over and over again, not to wear Him out but His appeal magnified God's graciousness and righteousness. Persistence is necessary because we really have to humble ourselves to pray persistently. Its not right for us to expect God to answer our prayers according to our timeline. He is God - He will answer our prayers according to His will, His time and His way. Persistence in prayer also reveals our desperate need for God. My experience with "praying through" was very very tiring and draining. I was almost bored hearing myself pray the same prayers over and over again. I was so afraid that after so long, my prayers werent going to be answered. But God is good and He was not bored with my prayers. He answered my prayers and throughout the years of praying, He revealed more and more of Himself to me.

Yes Abraham's boldness pleased God because he clearly understood where he stood with God - God was his father and he could trust God with anything. God takes delight in our prayers to him because he loves us and wants to answer our prayers and help us. When we pray we are also recognising his Lordship over our lives, and that apart from Him, we can do nothing.