Then the king said to
me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And
I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found
favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’
graves, that I may rebuild it.”
THE STUDY:
Obviously
Nehemiah had prepared for this moment he had prayed for. Besides
seeking God’s help in prayer, he utilized all the human resources available,
including his intellectual capabilities, his past experiences, his accumulated
wisdom, his role and position in life, and people with whom he came in contact
(in this instance, the king of Persia).
Between
the king’s question (v. 4a) and Nehemiah’s answer (v. 5), the cupbearer
“breathed” a brief prayer to the God of
heaven (cf. 1:4-5). This short prayer—whatever its unvoiced words—was built
on his praying for four months. No doubt he asked for wisdom in stating his
request properly and for a favorable reply from the king.[1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
- We walk away this morning with the understanding that quick prayers are possible and valid if one has prayed sufficiently beforehand. In this case Nehemiah’s prayer is evidence of a life lived in constant communion with God. Nehemiah had prayed for months, but he knew he was completely dependent on God’s work in the king’s heart at this moment.[2]
APPLICATION:
Sitting in my
office working on the upcoming Sunday’s message I would have people stop in to
see me. By knowing who the individuals were, I could be able to determine if
this was a social, counseling, or complaining visit. The social visit was one I
always look forward to. The counseling and complaining visits were the ones
that I had no time to prepare for in prayer. I start my day off in prayer and
generalize it with, “Lord, whatever I encounter today please go before me and
prepare the way.” As the meetings would progress I find myself saying “underthebreath”
prayers while I am listening to the person or people. I found that God hears
those prayers and answers them just as he does our verbal, lengthy prayers.
Today, you are ready to face the day! But you
don’t know what’s around the corner. It could be a pleasant experience or one
that calls for God’s immediate guidance. Whichever it may be, saying an “underthebreath”
prayer will be heard and honored by God. Just Keep Praying!
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An
Exposition of the Scriptures (Ne 2:4). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2]
Breneman, M. (1993). Vol. 10: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed.).
The New American Commentary (176). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
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