It was a remarkable scene. A sea of people filled the streets and maybe the concourse of the temple. They had been standing for hours. No one was eating snacks or sandwiches. They were focused and didn’t want to be distracted by food. They were covered in coarse black cloth made from goat hair and had clay on their heads. They were trying to outwardly express their repentance before God for their failures and sins. For three hours, there was a public reading of the Scriptures. For another three hours, they confessed their sins and worshipped.

And then Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said to all the people: “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting.” Nehemiah 9:5

If I were asked to pray, how much Biblical substance would my prayer contain? As you read snippets of their prayer below, think about how much you could personally say about the character of your God, who is from “everlasting to everlasting.” If you read the entire chapter, you will see these eight Levites were well-versed in the history of God’s dealings with His people. Theirs was no superficial or shallow prayer. Specific episodes from the past were woven into their prayer of confession, praise and petition.

Allow yourself to be challenged by the rich content and the confessional nature of their prayer as you reflect on your typical daily prayers and communications with the Lord. With each passing year, is the substance and nature of your prayers growing richer and deeper and more Biblical?

In addition to the challenge, allow the content of their prayer below to saturate your troubled, uneasy and restless heart today. Personally, apply what they said about their God to the circumstances you are in right now.

Here, then, are some excerpts compiled from their public prayer as these eight men reflected on the faithfulness of their God despite their own unfaithfulness over multiple centuries.

Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise… You are the LORD, You alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and You preserve all of them; the host of heaven worships You… You have kept your promise for You are righteous… You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love… You, in your great mercies, did not forsake them… In the time of their suffering, they cried out to You, and You heard them… Many years You bore with them and warned them by your Spirit… yet they would not give ear… Nevertheless, in your great mercies, You did not make an end of them or forsake them, for You are a gracious and merciful God… our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love… You have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for You have dealt faithfully, and we have acted wickedly…”  Nehemiah 9

These eight men seemed truly broken over the persistent failures on their part and overwhelmed by the consistent character of their God. A paraphrase of the thoughts of their hearts might go like this: “You are from everlasting to everlasting. You are the Maker. You are the Preserver. You are a covenant maker and a promise keeper. You always hear, see and respond. You always faithfully warn and never strike out randomly or chastise for no reason. You are incredibly patient, loving and forgiving. You give and give and give, and then you give some more. You graciously bless us when we deserve no second chances. You are an amazing God.”

Take a moment just now to talk to your God – your Heavenly Father. Embrace their prayer of confession and worship as your own personal prayer today. Change some third-person pronouns (them, they) to first-person pronouns (I, me). Maybe it will encourage your heart and give you a fresh appreciation of your God.

Don’t hesitate to share a thought from your personal experience or a verse that has been a blessing to you –  in the comment section below. Or, if you would like to reach out privately, click below.