“Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.” Nehemiah 5:19

One of my most favorite books in the OT is the book of Nehemiah.

As we consider Nehemiah the scribe we find he is in Babylon, he was taken captive, but now rises up to a high position serving as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. A cupbearer was appointed to taste test the king’s drink and food to assure it was not poisoned. He was like the president’s bodyguard who was willing to take the bullet to protect the president. It’s the year 445 B.C. and in the first opening chapter of this amazing book, Nehemiah has just heard from a fellow Jew coming from Judah about the devastation, affliction, and reproach of the remnant who were left from the captivity back in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah is told of Jerusalem’s walls that are torn and broken down and the city’s gates that have been destroyed by fire (1:3). Immediately Nehemiah’s heart of compassion is pierced and he feels the grief and pain of those he loves back in his homeland hundreds of miles away. He’s the cupbearer to the King—he just can’t get up and leave—he has an essential job position!

What is he to think? How is he able to help God’s people?

I want you to consider how you can be an effective servant of God. Here are three principles to keep you moving forward when life is getting you down.

1. God honors prayer that is out of deep concern!

In Nehemiah 1:3-4 we find the intensity of the report given to Nehemiah. Then in verses 4-6, we clearly find Nehemiah’s response to the bleak situation at hand.

The Bible tells us when Nehemiah hears this distressing report “he sat down and wept” (verses 5-6). I don’t visualize Nehemiah leisurely sitting down with such horrific news, but he must have fallen back into his chair, overwhelmed by the verbal and mental impact as it knocked the air out of him like so many of us have experienced in life when grief of great magnitude has fallen upon our ears.

I can only imagine that as soon as Nehemiah’s guests left his presence he cried out to God! The Bible tells us he then wept (a deep emotional cry) and fasted and prayed for a number of days before the awesome God of heaven. And then, after offering prayers in the midst of great stress, the Bible says, Nehemiah petitioned his God for direction-setting purposes.

Gene A. Getz , in his book, When Your Goals Seem Out of Reach, emphasizes the power and effectiveness of our prayers when we’re most caught up in deep concern and needing relief:

And prayer was not something Nehemiah simply talked about. He prayed! He demonstrated with his life the effectiveness of our communicating with God our deepest needs—particularly in times of crisis, difficulty, and tribulation. It is in these moments of pain and helplessness that we need to remember that we have access to the One who can help us make our way through life’s periods of deep difficulty.

If you find yourself lost in turmoil and stress, feeling crushed and weighed down, do as Nehemiah did—pray deep from within your heart; seek God’s face; expect to receive God’s directional peace with power (Philippians 4:6-7) to carry out His will in that very moment of turmoil and depression. Don’t fear any wall of opposition…knowing, “no weapon forged against you will prevail …” (Isaiah 54:17a).

Nehemiah’s life, like yours, can be full of challenging circumstances; critics at every turn; Satan may be throwing all his tactics of spiritual warfare at you to wear you down (Daniel 7:25); evil people’s hearts may be coming against you to set up walls of opposition in your life (Nehemiah 4:1-6). These are sure indicators you belong to the Most High God and you need to take your concerns to Him in order to receive protective covering and supernatural relief.

2. When you can’t go forwards or backwards—pray for God’s directional peace and vision.

Have you ever found yourself between a rock and a hard place, as the expression goes? Do you feel as though you can’t go forwards or backwards and you’re just plain stuck where you’re at and you’re frustrated and feeling everything is meaningless and unattainable?

Deep trials, overwhelming circumstances, indecision, can put us all in the same place: in a valley of depression. However, this great valley of depression can become your blessing when given to God!

Sometimes when you’re looking in one direction, God is telling you to be looking in the other direction.

It was 15 years ago, but I still remember the grief-stricken report like it was yesterday. We received news from my wife’s oncologist that she possibly had stage 4 breast cancer as doctors believed it had also metastasized in her liver. Our hearts sank. It was as though our joy was momentarily robbed of its entire splendor. We were motionless.

Where oh God, do we turn? How do we escape such a lamenting report? Lord, our prayers are filled with your love and our deep concern.

Upon further tests, I remember when we left the doctor’s office we were praising God that it was “just Stage 3 breast cancer!” (click here: Fan Into Flame). God heard our cries that night and joy came in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Nehemiah could have easily wallowed in his misery. He could’ve thrown his hands up in the air and ended it there, saying, I just can’t worry about people in their predicaments, anymore. And then, as you’ve probably experienced, you get a nudge on your shoulder and God says to you through His Holy Spirit, “Hold on—have faith in Me—am I not the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of loving kindness with those that love me and keep my commandments.” (Nehemiah 1:5). Immediately, Nehemiah is infused with God’s Holy Spirit and his power from above as he receives new directional peace and vision on how to proceed.

To get our life back on course remember Nehemiah’s approach. He fell on his knees, fasted, prayed and mourned with great weeping trusting his God would lead the way—and he did!

There’s a song you might be familiar with today called “Way Maker”. It says,

You are here Touching every heart

I worship you I worship you You are here Healing every heart I worship you I worship you You are here Turning lives around I worship you I worship you You are here Mending every heart I worship you I worship you

Take notice of the key phrases I’ve bolded that tell you what God will do when you turn your heart toward him! God heals and mends hearts like only he can do and this is God’s desire when he is allowed to work in your life. Then a song of refreshment will come to your heart that you can offer back to God in worship.

The Apostle Paul and Silas knew this secret of truth—having been beaten with rods for doing a mighty work in Jesus’ name, they were cast into prison. “But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once, all the prison doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose” (Acts 16:25-34). As a result of Paul and Silas’ faith and worship, many believed that night and were baptized…and they rejoiced greatly.

When you find yourself in a valley of uncertainty, depression, pain, or distress and unable to move in any direction, take your deep concerns to God in prayer and praise. He will remove your chains, setting you free, and as a testimony others will see and believe! What a blessing you will receive from out of your valley of depression!

3. Emulate the life of Nehemiah.

As we go through life let it be our goal to emulate Nehemiah’s theme that echoes throughout this historical book: “Remember me with favor, Oh my God, for all I have done for these people” (Neh 5:19; 13:14, 22, 31). This is a worthy and powerful theme for each of our lives today. Nehemiah isn’t boasting or bragging – he’s talking with God.

Just like Nehemiah, you don’t need to be apologetic when speaking to your heavenly Father asking him to remember you with favor for the work you do for His children. Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40). Serving others has a psychological way of freeing us from our own burdens.

What attracts me most to Nehemiah’s character and faith is that we too can be just as courageous with God on our side! I love his pure devotion and faith toward God that he exerts in troubling times. He doesn’t run and hide from stress, nor does he cower beneath Satan’s attacks from those who are evil (sound familiar as we face crisis in our country today)! He never tolerates evil or sin, but rather rebukes and exposes it (Ephesians 5:11). We need this same spiritual aptitude and determination in our life.

In each account, Nehemiah always chooses to turn to the Lord! I love how Nehemiah seeks Godly guidance throughout his life as we find him in quiet solitude often before the living God. We find Nehemiah practicing those spiritual disciplines of prayer and fasting that provide direction, insight, and courage when difficult situations arise. Nehemiah is a wise and discerning spiritual leader who brings the hearts of the people back to God.

For Nehemiah, God was his most trusted advisor.