Thursday - Faithful to Pray

Nehemiah 11:17
“And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer.”

Right in the middle of all these names and assignments, Nehemiah stops on one man in particular. His assignment was to begin the thanksgiving in prayer. That tells us something Jerusalem couldn’t survive without. Jerusalem didn’t just need people present. Jerusalem didn’t just need workers. Jerusalem needed people who prayed.

Notice who this man was. Mattaniah, the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph. That name Asaph should catch your attention. Asaph was one of the chief musicians and worship leaders appointed generations earlier, back in the days of David. This wasn’t a random assignment. Generation after generation, this family was faithful to lead others in prayer. Walls could protect the city from an enemy. But only prayer could keep the people dependent on God.

The same is true for the church today. We need people who will faithfully pray. People who pray for the preaching. People who pray for our families. People who pray for the lost. People who pray for one another. A church can have people, programs, and ministries, but without prayer, we’re trying to do God’s work without God’s power.

James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Notice it doesn’t say the effectual fervent prayer of a pastor. It doesn’t say the prayer of a prophet, priest, or worship leader. It just says a righteous man. Just someone right with God, willing to pray.

It’s easy to read about Mattaniah and think, that’s just not me, that’s for somebody else to do. But Jerusalem wasn’t held up by one man’s prayer life. The gatekeepers prayed. The singers prayed. The workers prayed. Nehemiah prayed. That’s the kind of church we ought to be. Not a church where prayer is one person’s assignment, but a church full of praying people.

Do you faithfully pray? Not just when something goes wrong. Not just when you need something from God. But faithfully, consistently, bringing people before the Lord. Some of the most important work in your church will never happen up front on a Sunday morning. It happens when you pray.

LET ME ASK YOU
Be honest with yourself. Do you pray for your church, your pastor, and the people around you, or only when trouble hits? Who’s someone you could commit to praying for this week?