Read an Excerpt

A LEADER PASSIONATELY PRAYS OVERVIEW This session is designed to show the necessity of prayer in the life of a godly leader.
During this session students will
* Be able to recognize the priority of prayer
* Understand how to pray effectively
* Practice praying for each other OPENER (5 MINUTES)
OPTION 1: HOW NOT TO DO IT
[IMAGINATIVE, VISUAL]
Start 00:24:00 Exterior view of a house at night; fades to a scene where the family is sitting around the dinner table.
Stop 00:26:16 Jack (Robert De Niro) says, "Thank you, Greg. That was interesting, too."
• Meet the Parents DVD (Universal Pictures, 2000)
• TV and DVD player SESSION 1: NEHEMIAH 1
16 creative bible lessons in nehemiah In this scene, Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) is put on the spot when his girlfriend's father, whom he's meeting for the first time, asks Greg to pray before their meal.
After the clip finishes, start a discussion with the following questions--
* How do you think Greg did with his prayer?
* What was he praying about?
* Does his prayer remind you of prayers you've heard or maybe even prayed yourself?
Transition into the next part by saying something like While this depiction of prayer is funny, the sad truth is that many Christians would not pray with any more passion or purpose. If you are going to be an effective leader, then you need to know how to pray effectively. James 5:16 says, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Nehemiah was a leader who knew how to pray effectively.
OPTION 2: JUST ANOTHER PRAYER
[IMAGINATIVE, AUDITORY]
Have students share some of the prayers they learned in childhood or ones they've heard friends or relativessay--especially around mealtimes. Most students will remember prayers like, "God is great" and "Now I lay me down to sleep," but they may be able to share some other common prayers as well.
After your students have shared a few examples, say something like These prayers are good, but why do we pray them? Do we pray the way the Bible teaches us to pray? While we think of general prayer as a good thing, many Christians pray without even knowing why they pray--or without any passion or purpose. Effective leaders know how to pray effectively. James 5:16 says, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Nehemiah was a leader who knew how to pray effectively.
IN THE WORD (15 MINUTES)
[ANALYTICAL, AUDITORY]
SETTING
* The book of Nehemiah begins in the fifth century B.C.
* The month refers to November and December on our calendars.
* Susa was the capital and royal city of the Persian Empire (modern-day Iran).
* The book of Esther also takes place here.
YOU'LL NEED
• Bibles
* The city was strongly fortified, so Nehemiah would have known how to build a strong wall.
BACKGROUND
* King Artaxerxes I was in power, and he may have been the king during Esther's time.
* Ezra also lived during the time of Nehemiah. Ezra's focus was on the temple, and Nehemiah was more focused on the wall because the city had been without protection for 90 years.
* Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king (verse 11). The cupbearer's job was a risky one. He tasted the king's wine and the food before the king ate his meals. If the food or drink was poisoned--no more cupbearer, and long live the king! The cupbearer was, according to history, one of the most influential people in the king's court.
BASIC OUTLINE I. Nehemiah Provides the Setting for the Encounter (vv. 1-2)
II. Nehemiah Receives the Message (v. 3)
A. The Jews are in great trouble.
B. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down.
C. The gates of Jerusalem are burned down.
(Note: Babylon, led by King Nebuchadnezzar, leveled Jerusalem in 586 B.C.
and took the Jews captive.)
III. Nehemiah Responds to the Message (vv. 4-11)
(Note: Pay close attention to the order of his prayer, as well as what was included in it.)
A. He prepares his mind and heart; he sits, weeps, mourns, and fasts.
B. He prays.
1. He recognizes who God is.
(Note: When God chose Nehemiah to help and protect his people, he picked a man who had a proper understanding of and respect for God. God's protection and provision for his people are the themes of the entire book of Nehemiah.)
2. He confesses sin.
a. Nehemiah confesses the sins of the people.
b. Nehemiah confesses his own sins.
3. He claims the promise of God.
4. Nehemiah asks God to protect him.
(Note: Nehemiah considers himself a servant--or "right before God.")
TAKING ANOTHER LOOK (15 MINUTES)
OPTION 1: PRAYER-LIB [COMMON SENSE, VISUAL]
This is a fun ad-lib activity that will give some perspective on how Nehemiah prayed. Hand each student a copy of the Prayer-Lib repro page (page 20-21) and something to write with. Give your students time to fill in the blanks, and then ask some of your students to share their prayers with the rest of the group.
OPTION 2: THINKING LIKE A LEADER
[COMMON SENSE, AUDITORY]
Have students break into smaller groups. Hand each group a copy of the Thinking Like a Leader repro page (page 22) and something to write with. Allow the groups some time to answer the questions. When most have finished, ask each group to share a couple of its answers with everyone.
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE (15 MINUTES)
[DYNAMIC, KINESTHETIC]
This activity shows in a concrete way how prayer connects us to each other and how God can use our prayers to touch those around us. Have your students remain in their small groups and sit in circles. Give one person in each group a ball of yarn. The first person should share a prayer request with the group and then, while still holding one end of the yarn, toss the rest of the ball to someone sitting across from him. The person who catches the yarn prays for the last person's request and, in turn, shares a request of her own before tossing it back across the circle. As the yarn ball makes its way around the circle, a web formation will appear. Eventually, the yarn should be tossed back to the first person, and he closes in prayer.