Day 10: 31 Days in Prayer

Day 10: 31 Days in Prayer

Verse:

Then the king said to me, "So, what do you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king: "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, so that I may rebuild it." (Neh 2:4-5 - TB)

Reflection:

I love the book of Nehemiah. In it you find a man moved by prayer and an unshakable faith in God, which led him to live with steadfastness, courage, and conviction. He wholeheartedly inspired an entire nation to rebuild the city their forefathers had conquered, where God's chosen people lived and flourished for several generations. It is very clear that in everything Nehemiah did, he depended fully on God in prayer. In the verse above it is stated that Nehemiah was in a difficult situation, where he was facing the king who asked him what Nehemiah wanted. Nehemiah's first instinct was to pray to God. What remarkable self-control - to pray to God even before answering the question! That is what stands out most to me. Nehemiah knew that he was potentially risking his job as the king's cupbearer, and even his life, by making this request as an advocate for the Jewish people. But the courage and clarity of mind he had when he answered the king came from this moment of prayer. In our lives, we face many complicated situations every day. Challenging conversations, unexpected phone calls, our faith being questioned, our integrity being tested - in these situations, it is very easy to rely on our own strength and look for quick solutions. God is rarely glorified when we do that. Nehemiah gives us an example to approach every situation prayerfully and in full dependence on God. Even in that brief prayer before answering the king, Nehemiah surrendered his situation to the Lord.

Challenge:

As you go through today, try to think more deeply and approach every situation with prayer. Whether with your family, at work, with friends, or on the phone, pray before and during every interaction. That is how God will be lifted up and glorified. Let us follow Nehemiah's example today and bring every event, every situation, to the Lord in prayer.

Translated from the article “31 Days of Prayer: Day 10” by Will Lambert