Prayer in Nehemiah (5)
“Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, ‘”Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me …,’” (Isaiah 37:21, NKJV)
The first chapter of Nehemiah sets the stage for the work of rebuilding to come. We are introduced to Nehemiah, an exile from Israel who found himself in a foreign land. Nehemiah held a position as cupbearer to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, which gave him access to the king’s ear.
We are also introduced to Nehemiah’s aspirations. Upon discovery of the plight of his people and the condition of the capital city of Judah, the place where God would build His temple and cause His name to dwell, Nehemiah was crushed in spirit.
The stage is set. But the first chapter of Nehemiah is not just background information for the account that follows. Rather, it is foundational for the mission to be undertaken and the work to be done.
Before making request of the king, Nehemiah first makes request of the One who raised up the king, as He did preceding kings like Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus for His own purposes. As a fellow deportee would put it: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Dan. 2:20–21).
Now in chapter two, Nehemiah enters the door of opportunity that God had opened in response to his prayer. In the course of doing his job as cupbearer to the king, the king remarked that Nehemiah looked sad and he asked him about it. Evidently, his gloomy demeanor crossed a line because we are told that Nehemiah became “very much afraid.”
Yet Nehemiah did not shrink back. In the boldness of faith, he opened up to the king. “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?” (Neh. 2:3)
Nehemiah had crossed a line from professional to personal. How would the king respond? The king had a favorable disposition to his cupbearer, likely made kindly by the hand of the God of heaven. The king did not rebuke Nehemiah but could discern that Nehemiah had something on his mind and in his heart. So he asked him, “What do you request?” The word for request has the sense of “seeking,” perhaps asking what he as king could do or what Nehemiah was yearning for that would relieve his sadness.
Before Nehemiah responds to the king, he first touches base the King. “So I prayed to the God of heaven” (Neh. 2:4). He gathered himself in prayer. He had turned to the God of heaven when he received the news of his homeland. He had wrestled with the God of heaven in prayer of praise, lament, confession, and supplication. And now, he turns again to the God of heaven before taking the plunge of petition. He is the God who directs the hearts of kings.
The notations about prayer in Nehemiah 1:3 and Nehemiah 2:4 act as an inclusio of sorts, encompassing the time that had passed and the timing present as coming from the hand of God. We see in Nehemiah not only a man of prayer but a leader who recognizes the necessity of prayer. He was fully aware of his dependence upon God and that all he accomplished, God would do through him.
Why is prayer to be pervasive in our lives? Ask God to lead you to pray without ceasing.
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
