Pelajaran 10 _Khamis 1 September_

Thursday
September 1
Nehemiah’s Prayer
Despite all the promises of restoration, things were not going well in Jerusalem. The people faced obstacle after obstacle, many of them as a result of their own disobedience. The prophet Nehemiah, while serving the Persian king, received word about the situation there and responded with fasting, mourning, and prayer. His passion and concern for the situation clearly are revealed in the first chapter of the book that bears his name.
Read Nehemiah 1, his prayer in response to what he heard, and then answer the following questions:
1. Why would Nehemiah, who as far as we know was faithful, include himself among those who had sinned against the Lord? See Dan. 9:5, 6.
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2. What kind of prayer is this, and why is this kind of prayer so important? See Exod. 32:31–34, James 5:16.
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3. In what ways is the conditionality of prophecy revealed in this prayer?
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4. On what basis does he make his appeal to the Lord on behalf of the people? In other words, why should the Lord listen to this appeal? See Gen. 12:1–3; Exod. 6:4, 5.
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Write a prayer of intercession for the Seventh-day Adventist Church today and bring it to class on Sabbath and compare what you write with the other class members. What do our answers tell us about the way in which we perceive the various spiritual needs of the church? More important, how can we help to bring about whatever reforms we deem necessary?