Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Nehemiah 9 is a long prayer that reveals a complete history of God’s dealing with His people in the Old Testament. It begins with creation and ends with the moment Nehemiah is experiencing in 445 bc. As we come to chapter 9 we find ourselves in the same month as is described in chapter 8. It is now the 24^th day of the seventh month.

And by the way, Chapters 9 and 10 form a unit – they all happen on a single day. What is the scene: They have been hearing the Word of God for days on end, and they see the errors of their ways and so they are what Jesus called, “poor in spirit.” They are broken over their sins. And so they confess their sins 9:1-5, and then the Levites lead them in a long prayer recounting God’s goodness toward them. Here is one critical matter that we learn from chapters 9 and 10 – making your way home means that you acknowledge God and your condition and His mercy – much like the prodigal son. Notice that they first remembered God’s greatness in their prayer. 

Following is an outline you can follow to see the contours of this prayer… which helps us to know how to pray.

1. Prayer of confession, v1-5
2. History of redemption in the Old Testament, v6-37
3. Creation, v6
4. Covenant with Abraham, v7-8
5. Exodus and wilderness wandering, v9-21
6. Conquest of the promised land, v22-25
7. Judges, v27-28
8. The prophets – the reign of the Kings to exile, v29-30
9. Their current situation in slavery and difficulty, v36-38

III. Covenant renewal, v38

Prayer will be at the Noah home.

Remember Women’s Mentoring this week, September 13, 2017, at the Brown’s barn from 10-12 noon. We will be starting in chapter 1 in the book “Letters to Pastors’ Wives” by Catherine Stewart. Excellent book!! Childcare will be provided for preschool children.

• To God All Praise and Glory
• Great Is Thy Faithfulness
• Great King of Nations
• In Christ Alone
• Arise, My Soul, Arise

To God All Praise and Glory
All praise to God, who reigns above,
The God of all creation,
The God of wonders, pow’r, and love,
The God of our salvation!
With healing balm my soul He fills,
The God who every sorrow stills,
To God all praise and glory!

What God’s almighty pow’r hath made
His gracious mercy keepeth;
By morning dawn or evening shade
His watchful eye ne’er sleepeth;
Within the kingdom of His might,
Lo, all is just and all is right,
To God all praise and glory!

I cried to Him in time of need:
Lord God, O, hear my calling!
For death He gave me life indeed
And kept my feet from falling.
For this my thanks shall endless be;
O thank Him, thank our God, with me,
To God all praise and glory!

The Lord forsaketh not His flock,
His chosen generation;
He is their refuge and their rock,
Their peace and their salvation.
As with a mother’s tender hand
He leads His own, His chosen band,
To God all praise and glory!

Ye who confess Christ’s holy name,
To God give praise and glory!
Ye who the Father’s power proclaim,
To God give praise and glory!
All idols under foot be trod,
The Lord is God! the Lord is God!
To God all praise and glory!

Then come before His presence now
And banish fear and sadness;
To your Redeemer pay your vow
And sing with joy and gladness:
Though great distress my soul befell,
The Lord, my God, did all things well,
To God all praise and glory!

Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be

   Great is Thy faithfulness!  Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!

Great King of Nations
(tune of O God, Our Help in Ages Past)
Great King of nations, hear our prayer,
While at Thy feet we fall,
And humbly, with united cry,
To Thee for mercy call.

The guilt is ours, but grace is Thine,
O turn us not away;
But hear us from Thy lofty throne,
And help us when we pray.

Our fathers’ sins were manifold,
And ours no less we own,
Yet wondrously from age to age
Thy goodness hath been shown.

When dangers, like a stormy sea,
Beset our country round,
To Thee we looked, to Thee we cried,
And help in Thee was found.

With one consent we meekly bow
Beneath Thy chastening hand,
And, pouring forth confession meet,
Mourn with our mourning land.

With pitying eye behold our need,
As thus we lift our prayer;
Correct us with Thy judgments, Lord,
Then let Thy mercy spare.

In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!

Arise, My Soul, Arise
Arise, my soul, arise,
Shake off thy guilty fears:
The bleeding Sacrifice
In my behalf appears:
Before the Throne my Surety stands,
Before the Throne my Surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above,
For me to intercede,
His all-redeeming love,
His precious blood to plead;
His blood atoned for ev’ry race,
His blood atoned for ev’ry race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears,
Received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers,
They strongly plead for me;
Forgive him, O forgive, they cry,
Forgive him, O forgive, they cry,
Nor let that ransomed sinner die!

My God is reconciled;
His pard’ning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child,
I can no longer fear;
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And “Father, Abba, Father!” cry.