Praying Boldly

Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 9:31-32

Nevertheless, in your great mercies, you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship some little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day…

Nehemiah’s prayer is instructive. His pleading with God for grace is founded upon solid ground. He is not merely tossing words into the air and hoping against hope that God might arbitrarily decide to answer. We would be wise to pay attention to and follow Nehemiah’s example in our prayers.

Nehemiah was praying boldly, with faith and confidence that his prayers would be heard and answered because his ask was based on God's character and nature. Yes, God is great, mighty, and awesome. These attributes might evoke feelings of reverence, but they also do not necessarily inspire confidence that God will listen to us. After all, we are sinners who deserve the wrath of a holy God.

Nehemiah doesn’t jettison his understanding of God’s holy awesomeness. He doesn’t say stupid things like, “That was the God of pre-exilic times and our understanding of Him is more sophisticated now, and we believe God is love and would never judge us for our sin.” He doesn’t do what apostates have always done and echoed Satan’s words, “Did God really say…?”

Nehemiah acknowledges with zeal the awesome greatness of God. But he goes further. He also confesses that this God is a keeper of covenants and a God of steadfast love, grace, and mercy. The great God is also gracious. Nehemiah leans into that as he prays.

Today, we have a more solid ground upon which to pray boldly. We have the New Covenant established in the blood of Jesus Christ. We have the promise of grace to forgive all our sins and mercy to meet all our needs as sons and daughters of God.

No wonder, then, that Jesus taught us to begin our praying with, “Our Father,” and the writer of Hebrews told us to come boldly before the throne of Grace. We can pray with confidence, not because God owes us anything, but because in Jesus Christ we are praying to a God who is both holy and full of grace, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love.