The God to Whom We Pray

NEHEMIAH 1:1-11

Nehemiah demonstrates power in prayer. As a servant to King Artaxerxes of Persia, he had no right to request leave to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, much less to requisition materials and protection. Yet Nehemiah could act boldly since he understood the nature of the God to whom he prayed.

His prayer begins, "I beseech you, O LORD God of heaven." LORD, when it appears in all capital letters, denotes the word Jehovah (a form of Yahweh, the Hebrew name for God). It means "God who is eternal in His being"——everything everywhere is in His presence. So, when God makes a promise, He already knows exactly how He will keep it. That is why Nehemiah called Him "the awesome God who preserves the covenant." He knew God was committed to bringing repentant Israelites back to their homeland to dwell in His presence. (v. 9)

The next Hebrew word, Elohim, is translated "He who is absolutely sovereign." This name refers to the Creator and speaks of His omnipotence. If He spoke the world into being, then He is certainly more than able to provide Nehemiah with a little wood and time off from work.

There are many other names for God, such as Adonai ("master"), Jehovah-Jireh ("provider") or Jehovah-Rapha ("healer"). Since the Hebrew language is precise, it can help believers to better know who He is——when we need solace, we call upon the God of comfort; in our confusion, we have the God who teaches. The foundation of all prayer is our view of God.