praiseGod

Q1. (1:1-6) Why does Nehemiah pray day and night for four months? Why does he fast and weep? Isn't that excessive? I believe that Nehemiah prayed continuously because of his sorrow for the desolations of Jerusalem. In this prayer, he addressed God,he recognized God's character and made requests (6) to Him. He confessed the sins of Israel and his own sins as well as other short comings. Prayer is also a way to draw near to God. He was a man of prayer praying four months before making his request to the king. Badnews has emotional effects on those who possess a caring heart. To sin against God is reason to weep. If one wants God's blessing and a close relationship with Him, this was not excessive. Pray without ceasing.

In verses 5 and 10, how does God's hand touch the psalmist? God's hand protects the psalmist in verse 5 and it is a guide and acts like breaks to grasp and stop him in verse 10. Have you ever felt God? I have felt God's hand on me many times...Examples: to problem solve, to deal with sickness, to deliver messages, for protection on the dangerous highways, to deal with grief, to help others through tough times, etc. I thank God for the presence of His hand to guide me daily. I've learned to lean, depend, and wait for His guidance and to listen to Him and recognize His touch. Was it for your good? Certainly! All the time. What was it like? When the hand of God is upon me, there is a peace that whatever will turn out okay!

God is a spirit....not visible like our brothers and sisters in Christ. His knowledge of who we are and our every movement is unmatched by anything that anyone else can do or anything that we can relate to in terms of understanding. Our lives are ultimately in His hand. He knows things about us that we do not know about ourselves......We grew up thinking that our parents had a sixth sense, but God's knowledge of us is so much greater. I think that the mystery causes us fear.... Fear that makes us want to walk the straight and narrow and obey the will of God. (That's a good thing!) I believe that most people know that God knows what they do;however, they have not a relationship with God where they have learned the importance of solitude and listening to Him. Their faith is weak! I, like all have sinned and come short;however, I have never felt that God was not aware of my behavior. I have also asked for forgiveness at the end of the day, if not before, for my wrong. We had to pray in my house as a child before we went to sleep and forgiveness was a component that my parents taught us to implement or exercise.

Why do we seek to be independent of asking anyone for help? Independence is a skill that we are often taught from childhood. We have learned it as a good skill to possess. I am personally glad that our educational systems are promoting cooperative learning and team approaches today. This could make a difference in our attitudes toward independence. Why do we seek to be independent of God? I don't believe that we fully understand that He wants us to ask Him daily for our needs, especially when it appears that we are experiencing prosperity. I've heard the phrase, "Here I am Again God" as if He may become tired of hearing a request. That's why Bible Study is so important! Why should we ask God to "give" us daily bread so long as we can earn a living ourselves? God is our provider........We do not earn a living by ourselves. "Without Him we can not do anything!"