Nehemiah 9:1-2 "Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. (2) And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers."
As I read through the book of Nehemiah, I am realizing the impact of prayer.
Nehemiah prayed when he heard the news concerning the devastation that was in
Jerusalem. He prayed before he went in before the king. He prayed before he
answered the king. He prayed when he saw how the wall lay in waste and the
gates had been burned. He prayed when the enemy attempted to stop the work. He
prayed. He prayed. He prayed!
Now the people are called upon to pray. They have gathered themselves together,
humbly seeking the face of God. They are confessing their sins before God. As
you read the entire 9th chapter, you see the Levites standing on the stairs of
the walls and they begin to pray. Their prayer is not a short one, consisting
of these words, "Lord, I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" No,
their prayer is recalling the history of the nation. They go all the way back
and give thanks unto the Lord for choosing Abram and bringing him out of his
homeland to give a land promised to him and his seed. They recall all the
history, both good and bad, in their prayer unto the Lord. Their heritage
was of great importance to them. It was necessary to go back and "count
their many blessings, naming them one by one."
Why was it necessary for them to remember what God had done for them in their
nation? Why is it necessary for us to remember what God has done for us in our
great nation? For Nehemiah and the people, it was an important action to bring
them back to reality. Their history helped them remember both the good and the
bad that had occurred throughout the time of their existence. It helped them to
remember that great blessings were experienced when they walked in the path of
the Lord. But also, the chastisement of God was upon the nation when they
strayed from the ways of the Lord.
Yes, every nation has a history. It is important to remember where we were and
where God has brought us. It is important to learn from both the good and the
bad in order to maintain a consistent walk with the Lord. Erasing the bad from
memory does not erase the fact it happened. Israel had strayed. America has
strayed. Israel repented and the Lord forgave. Is it time that we also humble
ourselves, and truly pray, and truly seek His face, and actually turn from our
wicked ways?