Before the Hammer: The Prayer of a Broken Heart

In 1840, a wealthy English nobleman named Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, and one of the wealthiest men in England, sat down at his desk to read a report that most men in his class would have skimmed over and tossed aside.

The report was about the climbing boys of London. They were young children, some as young as three years old, who were being sold into slavery to work as chimney sweeps. The children were stripped down to almost nothing, shoved up into the inside of narrow brick chimneys, and forced to climb their way to the top, scraping the soot off the walls as they went.

The children’s elbows and knees would often bleed from the brick. And so their masters would rub their wounds with saltwater to toughen the children’s skin Children suffocated in the chimneys. Children developed cancer from the soot embedded in their skin. Children got stuck halfway up, and when they could not move, the masters would light a fire below to drive them up the rest of the way. That was the report Lord Shaftesbury read. And when he did, he could not put it down.

After reading more reports, he went to the workhouses where the children slept. He saw their faces. He saw the burns and scars on their skin. And he went home and wrote in his diary that he was so overcome with sorrow that he could not eat or sleep. And so he went to work trying to save them.

But before he ever stood up in the House of Lords to speak, before he ever wrote a single public word about the climbing boys, he prayed. In fact his diary records hours of his prayers as he took the burden of those children to the God who made them, again and again, over and over again. Before he ever took the burden to anyone else, he took the burden to God.

But Shaftesbury did not stop with prayer. He eventually got up and got to work.

He went before Parliament. And he introduced a bill to try and save the boys. But it failed. And so he introduced another. But it failed too.

This work went on for years… Until, eventually legislation passed and the climbing boys were saved.

Church, have you ever seen something that led you to say: “This is not right!” “Something has to be done!” because whatever it was you saw broke your heart? Have you ever seen someone in need. Or a problem in your community. Or a ministry or charity that you just had to get involved in? Have you ever felt or experienced that feeling of a broken heart over someone else’s hardship before?

Because that’s what Nehemiah is feeling in our passage this morning. He’s heard the report in Susa. He understands the remnant of God’s people are in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down. The gates have been burnt with fire. And when Nehemiah hears it. It breaks his heart.

And so he sits down. he weeps. He mourns for days. And it's not because the walls lie in ruin. But because the Name of God lies in ruin.

But before he gets up and does anything about it. Before he goes to the King. And before a single hammer swings. He fasts and prays to the God of heaven for four months. Because he recognizes that if he’s going to seek restoration from the rubble, he must pray to the covenant-keeping God of heaven first.

And make no mistake church. That truth isn’t just true of Lord Shaftesbury or Nehemiah. It’s true of you and I too.

To seek restoration from the rubble, we must pray to the covenant-keeping God, recognizing:

1. The Person we pray to (1:5-6a)
2. The Problem we face (1:6b-7)
3. The Promises we stand on (1:8-10)
4. The Petitions He hears (1:11)

1. The Person we pray to (1:5-6a)

Last week we saw how Israel was living in exile for breaking their breaking of the Mosaic covenant. First, Israel in the north was taken into captivity by the Assyrians, and then Judah in the south by the Babylonians. And they remained there until 539 B.C. when the Persian Empire conquered the Babylonians.

And unlike the Babylonians, the Persians have a very different policy on how to handle captives. They believed if you let them go back to their homeland and worship their God, then in return they would be loyal to you. And so beginning with King Cyrus, Zerubbabel goes back with the first wave of exiles to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Then the book of Esther happens. Then Ezra returns with the 2nd wave of exiles to restore the law. And now finally, Nehemiah is about to take the 3rd wave of exiles home to rebuild the walls of the city which are in ruin.

Now, maybe you’re thinking: “Why is that such a big deal?” “Why are you getting broken hearted over broken walls of a city that you don’t even live in?”

If you think that, it’s because you don’t understand the ancient Near Eastern mindset. As I said earlier, the reason Nehemiah is brokenhearted and upset isn’t because the walls lie in ruin. But because the Name of God lies in ruin. And why? Because the way people thought back then was that a powerful nation equaled powerful gods. So when Israel was defeated it wasn’t merely Israel’s defeat - it was Yahweh God’s defeat.

This is why Nehemiah is heartbroken. He’s seeing the name of God tarnished amongst the nations and like Lord Shaftesbury, he can’t set the report aside on his desk, he has to do something about it!

So what does he do? Does he rush in before the King and say: “King let me give you the top 10 reasons for why rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls are good for Persia?” “Does he get out his day-planner and start going to work?” No! Nehemiah prays.

And if that doesn’t convict you, you might need to check your pulse! Because how often is our first response to not pray? Instead, we get down to action because there’s a problem WE have to solve. Instead of going to the all-powerful God of the universe and begging HIS RESOLVE!

And here’s the principle. Are you ready for it? As one pastor put it: “You need to get on your knees before you roll up your sleeves.”

You need to pray before you plan. You need to pause before you panic and start trying to solve the immediate problem. Nehemiah understands this. Which is why he sat. He wept. He mourned. He fasted. and he prayed for four months before he did a thing. And yet, His prayer accomplished more than he ever could have alone.

You know the expression: “Measure twice, cut once.” Prayer is the measuring twice part. It’s not a pointless exercise. It’s not in place of planning; IT IS the planning!

Look at Nehemiah. He spends four months in prayer going to the God of heaven about the problem. And during this time, it prepares him for his audience before the king in chapter 2. He knows what he’s going to say. He knows what he’s going to request. Because he’s brought it before God and requested God’s wisdom and aid.

As rumor goes, Martin Luther once said: “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

Do you view prayer that way? Because if you don’t. It’s probably because you aren’t fully grasping what prayer is and Who it is you’re praying to . And by God’s grace. Our Bible records Nehemiah’s prayer to help us grasp both.

⁵ 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

Did you notice how Nehemiah’s prayer starts? Or better yet, how it doesn’t start? It doesn’t start with petition, it starts with praise. Nehemiah starts with God’s greatness, His awesomeness. And his covenant faithfulness. Nehemiah is recognizing and worshiping God for Who He is!

That word awesome is a word we use for things that aren’t awesome. We say: “That movie was awesome.” Or, “our vacation was awesome.” Or even “that restaurant we ate is awesome.” But my friends, only God is awesome.

The word awesome is the Hebrew word nora’, And it means “terrifying awe or wonder” And only God meets that definition. For He alone inspires awe and righteous fear.

That’s who Nehemiah is praying to, and HIs prayer shows he understands who he’s praying to. Do your prayers look like this? Or are just petition after petition. And request after request.

Do you know what will happen if that’s all you view prayer? Several things. And all of them are bad.

First: Prayer will drain you, not sustain you. And it totally makes sense if you think about it. Because who’s the focus in those kind of prayers? ME! It’s about who I am, and what I need. And if that’s the focus of your prayers… you’re not going to walk away with terrifying awe and wonder.

Think about it. When we go to God with OUR petitions first, what are we going to Him with? Panic… Lord fix this. Help this. Solve this… Panic… And so if your prayers begin with panic, don’t be surprised when they end in panic.

The second thing that will happen if your prayers are all petitions, is you won’t view God as awesome, you’ll see Him as necessary. And that too makes sense if you think about it. Because you aren’t going to God because he’s worthy, You’re going to Him because He’s necessary for what YOU want. And that will leave you viewing God as a cosmic genie to who exists to satisfy our idolatry.

But Nehemiah doesn’t view God this way, Which is why His prayer begins with theology of Who God is forged into Worship. And that actually solves our most pressing issue anyways well before we get to our specific petitions. Because when your prayers are anchored in Who God is, it reorientates you to our AWESOME, and loving covenant keeping God. Which is what you need if you’re going to actually get up and start working on the problems you face.

To seek restoration from the rubble, we must pray to the covenant-keeping God, recognizing:

2. The Problem we face (1:6b-7)

After worshiping God for Who He is. Nehemiah still doesn’t get to his petition. Not yet. Because he has a bigger problem to deal with first. Which is the fact that God is holy, and we are not.

⁶ 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. ⁷ 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 pronouns here. “I,” “my father’s house,” “we.” Nehemiah wasn’t one of the original exiles. That happened well before he was even born. And yet, Nehemiah recognizes his guilt and shame before a Holy God.

Nehemiah is recognizing what the Apostle Paul spoke of when he said:

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23 ESV

Or as the Psalmist wrote:

³ They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

Psalm 53:3 ESV

Do your prayers look like this? Because if they don’t… Again, several things will happen, And all of them are bad.

First off, When you go to God about that difficult situation. Maybe that troubled marriage, or that problem with a co-worker or child. Do you know what easily creeps in without confession of your own sin? Pride.

And that too makes sense, Because if I’m praying asking God to FIX THEM without first asking Him to forgive and fix me… My view of reality becomes completely distorted. I see myself as the victim and not the villain. And when I do that, I become prideful puffed up. And that pride only makes the problem worse.

The second thing that happens if I don’t have confession in my prayers, is I can easily start thinking God owes me the solution to my problem. Think about it. I’m pretty good… compared to others. And don’t I deserve to be happy? But when you begin your prayers by first recognizing who God is, It should, and must, quickly lead to you recognizing HOW FAR SHORT you fall from the glory of God… and that will not only humble you, but it will lead to an attitude of gratitude, not one of grumbling when God doesn’t answer your prayer in the way you think He should.

If you don’t have confession in your prayer, there’s at least one more bad result from prayer. And it’s this. You won’t grow as you should. See… in prayer that begins with God’s goodness. And then confesses our badness… That contrast does something in us. Right? It should.

Because when I begin praying to God recognizing His steadfast love and His covenant faithfulness, And then I confess my selfishness and dishonesty… That makes me immediately aware of the places in my life I need to grow and change. But if I’m not doing that, I’m not going to see that. Not like I could. And I’ll always be relying on other people to point my failures. Which is not only tiring for them, but for me.

Nehemiah got this, and we need to as well. Because it’s not just Nehemiah’s prayer that lays this pattern out for us. The Bible is loaded with prayers that follow this exact pattern. Worship Confession And then Petition.

In fact, Nehemiah’s prayer echoes Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9, and Daniel’s prayer is echoing the words of Jeremiah, and Jeremiah’s words echo Moses’s words in Deuteronomy. And so if you want to really learn how to pray, you don’t have to figure it out on your own you just have to read your Bible, because it it, we not only find the pattern of prayer, the power of prayer which is grounded in the promises of God. Which is where Nehemiah goes next.

To seek restoration from the rubble, we must pray to the covenant-keeping God, recognizing:

3. The Promises we stand on (1:8-10)

After confessing his sins and the sins of his people, Nehemiah invokes the promises of God before he gets to his petition.

⁸ Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, ⁹ 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.’ ¹⁰ 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

Nehemiah begins by reciting Scripture back to God. And he’s quoting Moses’s words in Deuteronomy which contain the Mosaic covenant of blessings and cursings. And Nehemiah includes both parts. He’s saying: “Remember what you promised Lord?” “You said if we continued to break the covenant you would exile us - and you did, because we deserved that.” “But you also said if we return to you and keep your commandments you would bring us home.”

But Nehemiah doesn’t stop there. He goes on in verse 10 and asks God to remember the Israelites aren’t just any people… They are people that God redeemed by His great power and strong hand. That’s Exodus language! That’s talking about Egypt, Pharoah, the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea. All of it.

Are you picking up on Nehemiah’s chief concern here? It’s not his or the Israelites immediate problem. It’s the problem of God’s name being in ruin before the nations. He’s saying: “God… remember what you did.” “Remember the investment you put into us and how you attached your glorious name to a people.” “For that reason, I ask you now to act.”

The entire focus of Nehemiah’s prayer is GOD-CENTERED, not MAN-CENTERED. And it’s because Nehemiah is completely consumed with the glory of God!

Church, do you realize what this means for us? Look at the language of verse 9 again. “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.’” There is no place you can wander that God’s promises cannot reach. And if they could reach the Jews is Susa, they can reach wherever you wandered to. So return to Him. Confess your sin and and be restored.

Nehemiah is making an investment argument. He’s saying. “God, look at how much you’ve invested in us…” “You wouldn’t let that go to waste would you?” And the answer is: no He would not.

He freed them Egypt. He preserved them through the wilderness. He settled them in the land. He returned them from exile. And Nehemiah is saying: “Lord, are you going to let what cost you so much be lost under Persian rule?” And the answer is no!

And church, We stand on the side of an even greater investment don’t we? Because in Christ, God’s redemptive investment has gone so much further than the Exodus. It went all the way to a cross. and do you think for a second that God is suddenly going to give up on you after purchasing you with His own blood under the pressures of the present age? He absolutely will not!

³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39 ESV

After the investment of Jesus Christ at the cross, nothing will separate us from the love of God. That’s the ultimate promise on which we stand when we pray to our mighty God and bring our petitions before Him that He delights to hear.

To seek restoration from the rubble, we must pray to the covenant-keeping God, recognizing:

4. The Petitions He hears (1:11)

After beginning with worship for who God is, and moving to confession of sin, and then the promises we stand on, then Nehemiah says:

¹¹ O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name

Nehemiah 1:11 ESV

Notice the “we” language in this verse. Nehemiah is not praying alone. There is a community of intercessors with him. He has friends, fellow exiles, prayer partners, who delight to fear God’s name and who are praying for the same outcome. And Nehemiah is saying: “Lord, hear OUR prayers.”

Do you realize that prayer is a team sport? It is. It’s not just something to be done in isolation. And if your prayer life is something you only do in isolation. Again, several things will happen, And all of them are bad.

First off, Your prayer life shrinks to the size of your own concerns… Which means, when that letter shows up on your desk detailing the suffering of others, you toss in the drawer, because your focus is all on yourself.

Secondly, That leads you to living in isolation from the body of Christ. The very body that Christ died to purchase. But if you view prayer as a team sport, you will see that we are one body, Not merely individual parts. That will lead you love your brothers and sisters in Christ more. Serve them more. Rejoice in their rejoicing And have sorrow in their sorrow. Just like Nehemiah had.

Third, If you don’t view prayer as a team sport you will fight spiritual battles with one arm tied behind your back. When Roman soldiers would go into battle, they would lock their shields together in a formation called the testudo, which means 'tortoise.' The shields covered the front, the sides, and even overhead. Which made so arrows and rocks would bounce off the shell. But the formation only worked if every soldier held his shield.

That’s what corporate prayer does for us. And if you aren’t a part of that. Not only are you the spiritual equivalent of the soldier running off by himself, But you’re leaving a gap in our armor that leaves us exposed.

Do you see what this means? It means our church’s prayer ministry is not optional bonus event. It is where this body locks its shields together. And if you are not there when you could be, your shield is missing. The body is more exposed because of your absence.

Finally, we get to Nehemiah’s petition.

¹¹ and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah 1:11 ESV

Finally, after months of prayer, Nehemiah is ready to go before the king. and don’t miss the theological significance of that phrase “this man.” Because after spending time in true biblical prayer, Nehemiah sees clearly now. Yes, Artaxerxes is the king. But Nehemiah has just gone before the King of Kings who has heard his plea. And before the King of Kings, King Artaxerxes is but a man….

This reminds me of what Jesus said before Pontius Pilate.

¹¹ You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.”

John 19:11 ESV

Church is your God this big? This awesome in power? Is He a God who can turn the heart of a king as the Lord turns streams of water in his hand wherever He pleases? Because if He is, It will not only change your prayer life, It will change your life!

Look at Nehemiah. The very last words of this verse look like a bad chapter break at first glance. But they aren’t! “Now I was the cupbearer of the King.”

That’s no small position! This isn’t a glorified butler, As we’ll see next week, This is a position that the king trust his life with!

And yet, Even though Nehemiah lived a cushy life in the palace, when that letter came across his desk that told him about the problems of the city of Jerusalem He could not sit idle by and do nothing about it. Because it broke his heart.

Does that remind you of anyone? Because it should. For Nehemiah is not the last person who will weep over Jerusalem.

Centuries later, in the last week of Jesus’s earthly ministry, He looked out over the same city and what was His response? He wept.

⁴² saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

Luke 19:42 ESV

Nehemiah was foreshadowing this. In other words, Nehemiah’s broken heart for Jerusalem is previewing what will happen hundreds of years later with Jesus, When He looks upon the brokenness of Jerusalem and weeps. But not because the walls are in ruin, but because their hearts are. And that’s what breaks God’s heart.

This is why the Bible says:

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 ESV

When Lord Shaftesbury received that letter on his desk, his broke for the young boys, and he knew something had to be done. When Nehemiah received word of the condition of Jerusalem, his heart broke, and and he knew something had to be done. But even more than that, when God our heavenly Father looked upon us and saw our ruined life by sin, it broke His heart, and he did something about it.

And so this morning, I ask you, What breaks your heart? Because if the answer is nothing, then you need to check your spiritual pulse, And then ask God to give you a new heart, so that you, like Nehemiah, might be consumed by the glory of God.

LET US PRAY O Lord, the great and awesome God, Creator, sustainer, and giver of all life Who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, We confess that we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, We have turned aside from Your commandments and rules. We have coveted, We have lied, We have given into sinful anger, And lived in pride for our vainglory and not your holy name. To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, but to You, O Lord our God, belong mercy and forgiveness. We do not brings our pleas before You because of our righteousness, but because of Your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for Your own sake, O God, because Your church and Your people are called by Your Name. We pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

This is the manuscript the sermon was preached from, so the recording may differ in places.