Rhythms: Prayer of Confession
Nehemiah 1:4-10
January 14, 2024
Jay Haugh

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. —Nehemiah 1:3-4 NIV

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. —Nehemiah 1:4 ESV

“This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” —Mark 9:29 ESV

Prayer unleashes the power of God.

The power of Nehemiah’s prayer.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. —Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 NIV

God is sovereign and almighty.

And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments.” —Nehemiah 1:5 ESV

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. —2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV

The confession of Nehemiah.

“Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.” —Nehemiah 1:6-7 ESV

Notice the heart of Nehemiah’s prayer is that we are sinful, but God is faithful.

“Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.” —Nehemiah 1:8-10 ESV

The practice of confession.

“Confession should not be done simply as a response to a sin about which you are already aware and convicted. Our prayer life is the place where we should examine our lives and find the sins that otherwise we would be too insensitive or busy to acknowledge. We should have regular times of self-examination, using guidelines that come from biblical descriptions of what a Christian should be.” —Tim Keller, Prayer

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. —Galatians 5:22-25 ESV

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” —John 15:9 NIV

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. —Titus 3:3-7 NIV

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. —1 John 4:4 NIV

Big Idea:

Confession is a proper response to a heart posture that does not trust God’s power.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Memory Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The goal of these questions is to foster meaningful discussion and to encourage participants to reflect on God’s Word to lead to heart transformation. Feel free to modify or expand upon these questions based on the dynamics and needs of your Small Group.

Read Nehemiah 1:3-10

What things tend to make you emotional or make you cry? Has anything recently triggered tears? Have you ever cried about how our country has forsaken the greatness and glory of God? Where do spiritual matters register for you?

In what ways can you relate to Nehemiah’s deep sense of sorrow and mourning for the spiritual and physical condition of God’s people? How can we cultivate a heart like Nehemiah’s, characterized by compassion, humility, and a deep concern for the things of God?

Nehemiah spends time fasting and in prayer. Throughout the Bible, we see a connection between fasting and prayer. In addition to Nehemiah, we see it in the Old Testament in books like Esther, Daniel, and Jonah. We also see this in the New Testament in the Gospels and Acts. Why do you think these two items are practiced together? Have you ever practiced fasting? If so, share about your experience and how it impacted you. If not, what has kept you from practicing this spiritual discipline?

We can take a posture of “I can do it on my own” or believe that a solid methodology will produce results. Have you ever placed your confidence for success in something other than God? What are the heart issues that lead us to believe we can do things without God? How can we turn this sin of self-reliance into a prayer of confession?

How does Nehemiah’s acknowledgment of God’s faithfulness in verse 9 impact the way we approach confession and repentance? How does trust in God’s character influence our prayers? If we realize that confession and repentance are for our benefit, how can this impact our view of confession?

How can you integrate regular confession and repentance into your daily prayer life? What obstacles might hinder you from consistent confession and repentance? What steps can we take as a small group to create a safe environment where confession and vulnerability are welcomed and supported?

How and when do you identify aspects of your life that require confession? Do you ever spend time in self-reflection to help with this? How can you use the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24) as a guide to help you practice confession?

Provide time at the end of your discussion for the group to practice quiet self-reflection and confession through prayer to God. If anyone feels led to share/confess anything aloud, provide space and time to do so.