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Nehemiah 4:1-6 – Praying through the Bible #149 – A Prayer For Failure Against Failure
Not everyone wants others to succeed. Some wish and work for the failure of others for no good reason, maybe even for no reason at all. They are unreasonable in their reasoning. Sadly, they look at the achievement of others as indicative of their own personal failures. Evilly, they are envious of accomplishment. What should we do when others desire our failure? Pray for their failure.
Did that answer startle you? Admittedly it does me. Is such against the code of the Christian? Nehemiah and God’s remnant are rebuilding the wall (4.1). Such a work is the plan of the King of All, and the command of the Persian king, Artaxerxes. When Sanballat the Horonite, one of the inhabitants of the land, hears about this, “he became furious” (4.1). Cruelly, he mocks the Jews before his colleagues and the powerful Samaritans: “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” (4.2). Tobiah the Ammonite, who is beside him, joins in sarcastically: “Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!” (4.3). It is easier to mob hate in a crowd of haters.
Nehemiah discovers this and prays: (4) Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. (5) Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from Your sight, because they have provoked the builders (4.4-5). Nehemiah has not done anything to provoke these haters; and will not act out against them in hatred. Nehemiah goes to God for God to mete out the justice. Nehemiah is wishing on them what God did to the nation of Judah. The result for Judah is national repentance.
Ever pray like Nehemiah, for God not to forgive? Let’s ask some important questions: Whose people are they despising? God’s. Whose people are they insulting? God’s. Whose people are they calling incompetent? God’s. Whose people are they wishing to fail? God’s. These enemies of the Jews are more importantly enemies of God.
While there are times to pray, “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing;” Jesus prays this after His enemies crucify Him, unknowingly according to God’s plan. A difference is this; in Nehemiah, God’s plan is still being worked by His people. While we might think it better to pray that the enemies repent; in their unrepentant state the prayer is that their craving for God’s failure will fail. Nehemiah is asking for God to remove the stumbling blocks (Mk.9.42). Just as the enemies were enemies of God when against God’s people; praying for the failure of those wishing our failure is praying for Satan to fail. That is very Christ-like. Who knows, it might even lead to their repentance.
Prayer Challenge: When others wish our failure when doing God’s work, they are wishing for God’s failure. Pray for their failure and eventual repentance.
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