“The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied,”
Nehemiah 2:4-5 NLT
The book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament is an amazing account packed with things we can learn and apply as Christians. Last fall, I spent time taking a closer look at the book. Since then, I’ve continued to go back to it. Each time, the short verse above jumped out to me. In this section, Nehemiah finally has an opportunity to speak with the king about some major troubles. This meeting is pivotal and not easily scheduled, even with Nehemiah's role in the kingdom. It is also key to point out that Nehemiah prayed for this opportunity many days beforehand.
As the timing and moment arrived, you can imagine the nerves and emotions Nehemiah was experiencing. However, before he jumps into telling the king all that’s on his mind and heart, he prays.
“With a prayer to the God of Heaven..”
Recently, my son scheduled a meeting with someone to discuss an important opportunity. The meeting had the potential to open a path for him to move toward a role and career God has put on his heart. As a family, we were praying for this meeting, and it was exciting to hear my son give the positive details afterward. As we spoke, my son told me, “Dad, just before I went into the meeting, I remembered the verse in Nehemiah and said a quick prayer.”
God answered, and my son’s perspective and example greatly encouraged me. My prayer and encouragement for each of us is that we develop and maintain the habit of continually bringing things before the Lord first. This is often counterintuitive. My tendency is to respond quickly and pray after, but there is significant power the other way around.
Here are three takeaways:
Take a look at Nehemiah, and consciously make a point to pray prior to meetings, briefings, calls for service, and other interactions with coworkers, the public, and even criminals.
As you move through the weekend and week ahead, take time to consider what short prayers do for your mindset. Watch how God answers and write down some of the details.
Pause and consider our power, privilege, and access through prayer to God. As Christians, we routinely minimize and overlook this.
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