Nehemiah 2.1-10

Nehemiah boldly petitions King Artaxerxes for leave, safe passage, and supplies to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, receiving all requests. His prayerful approach mirrors Jesus' surrender to God's will in Gethsemane, emphasizing divine purposes over selfish desires. Reflective Scriptures and discussion questions prompt emulation of Nehemiah's boldness and Jesus' surrender in prayer.

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Nehemiah: A Memoir of Restoration, Conflict, 

After making his request to God, Nehemiah makes his request to Artaxerxes, the king of Persia. Artaxerxes notices Nehemiah’s sadness. After Nehemiah expresses his concern for Jerusalem and the Israelites, he asks Nehemiah: What do you want?

Because Nehemiah’s heart is devoted to noble, godly things, when he gets the opportunity, he makes three bold requests:

1. Permission to leave the king’s service for a season to rebuild the city walls of Jerusalem.

2. Letters for safe passage

3. Supplies for the rebuilding effort

The king grants all Nehemiah’s requests, even exceeding what he asks for by sending guards with him for protection.

Jesus teaches us to pray boldly. While it must be according to the will of God for God to do what we ask, he invites us to ask for what we want.

Jesus modeled this bold prayerfulness, submitted to the will of God, in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his death.

In the case of Nehemiah and Jesus, their hearts were devoted to things that matter to God. They did not use their opportunity to receive something for selfish purposes. This is a good example of how we should approach praying boldly.

New Testament Scriptures to read:

● Luke 11:5-13

● Matthew 21:18-22

● Luke 18:1-8

● Mark 14:35-36

● James 4:1-3

● James 5:13-20

Questions for Discussion/Reflection:

○ If the most powerful person in the world asked, “What do you want?” what would your response be?

○ In what ways could your prayers be bolder?

○ What are some things you could ask God for right now that you haven’t previously asked him for?

Session 02

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