Nehemiah: A Model Prayer WarriorSample

A few weeks ago, God led me back to Nehemiah, a book I have loved for years. To me, it speaks more like a story- like I can shut my eyes and watch the scenes unfold.

The characters are vivid: Nehemiah the heartbroken cupbearer and King Artaxerxes, the pagan king.

The story begins as Nehemiah prepares to request significant time off work and significant materials to take with him. He wants to leave the prestige of directly serving the pagan king and head to Jerusalem in an effort to rebuild the wall. He needs to ask for support to go forth and begin to make the God-dream in his heart into a reality.

The beginning of Nehemiah’s story has something to teach us today. Sometime soon, the world will begin a rebuilding process of sorts - and it's likely that none of us will be the same. Forever changed...and y’all that’s maybe not a bad thing.

Perhaps, before we experience our own rebuilding process, God wants us to recalibrate, regroup, and renew ourselves in Him. I imagine the whole world sitting in time out, just as the Hebrews sat in a variety of time outs in the Old Testament. As we sit here, we have a choice:

Will we abhor this waiting time, will we use it, or will we conform?

My prayer for our family and yours is that we don’t miss the treasures hidden in the secret places of this waiting time (Isaiah 45:3). Nehemiah didn’t miss those treasures, and we don’t have to either.

The first treasure that Nehemiah discovered was how to act in the waiting time. Before he moved- Nehemiah prayed. As he acted- Nehemiah prayed. For example, in Nehemiah 2:4, King Artaxerxes called for his wine. Perhaps he was ready to relax with his wife after a long day of decreeing and doing other kingly things. Then he noticed that his cupbearer, his close friend, Nehemiah, looked sad. So, he asked, “What is it that you want?”

And get this- Nehemiah didn’t immediately plead his case. He didn’t break down in tears. He didn’t yank his big boy pants on and say, “No, everything’s fine.” He PRAYED. Actually, it says in Nehemiah 2:4, “Then I prayed to the God of heaven...and I answered the king.”

For all of you English teachers out there, it’s a “First, Then” situation. First, he prayed, then he spoke.

I don’t know about you, but for much of my life, I spoke first and then dealt with the consequences later. Next, I went through a period where I tried to pray as I spoke. Yet, this was often only an attempt to “holy-up” my defense, justification, or need. But now God is teaching me how to pray first- then act. The pastor at our local church once said this phrase, which I love, “What happens after prayer? Everything!”

Ask God to trade your fear and anxiety for hope and peace. The King of Kings is speaking to us. He’s calling out to His people. He is calling out to you and to me. He is calling us to act, but one of the greatest acts of faith is to be still. The next command is often, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). In your flesh, this may feel like the opposite of action. However, in God’s economy, we often find that our definition of natural is the polar opposite of His. When you begin to sense God calling you -First be still and pray, then act with His full leading and blessing, just as Nehemiah did.