Charles Spurgeon Commentary Nehemiah 1:7-10

"we have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples: but if ye return unto me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there. Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand." — Nehemiah 1:7-10 (ASV)

We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me and keep my commandments and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

You see what an admirable prayer this is. There is a full confession of sin—an acknowledgment of the justice of God in having punished his people; but then there is a quoting of the divine word—a putting of the Lord in remembrance that he had made such and such a promise. That is the very backbone of prayer. If you go to the bank, the main part of the transaction is to put the cheque—the note of hand—upon the counter. Otherwise, you get no money.

So when you go in prayer, the main part of prayer must lie in pleading the promise, "Thou hast said it: thou hast said it." Hold God to his word with a sacred daring of faith. "Thou hast promised: thou hast declared. Now be as good as thy word."

Then notice another plea he has. He says he is pleading for God's servants—his redeemed—redeemed by great power. Oh! It should always make us feel strong in prayer when we recollect that God's people are very dear to him. He has done great things for them; therefore, he loves them. And for those whom he loves, surely, he will work great deliverances.

These are arguments. There ought to be great argument in prayer if we hope to prevail.