Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of the God who answers prayers, even when our prayers are nothing more than prayer-breaths. This is how I think of Nehemiah’s prayers. Nehemiah’s prayer-breaths are brief and spontaneous, flowing freely from his heart whenever he sensed the need.
This certainly does not mean that Nehemiah took prayer lightly. Quite the opposite. It meant that prayer was a central part of his life, something that was habitually incorporated. In fact, Nehemiah’s first prayer lasts for several days. Nehemiah 1:4 gives the impression of serious and devoted prayer, but I suspect that over those several days, there were many prayer-breaths during times that he could not give himself to intensive prayer.
This first recorded prayer is seven verses, by far the longest. Nehemiah says, in part, “I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven … let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night. … Remember, I beseech thee. … O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant” (1:5-11). Nehemiah repeatedly asks God to hear him on behalf of His people.
The words of the second prayer are not recorded, but they were brief enough to be completed between the king’s question and Nehemiah’s response (2:4). The assumption would be that Nehemiah prayed for wisdom in speaking and for favor from the king.
The third prayer comes when Nehemiah and the workers faced early opposition from Sanballat, who ridiculed the effectiveness of their work. The prayer lasts for two verses, but it begins with this prayer-breath: “Hear, O our God; for we are despised” (4:4).
The words of the fourth prayer are also not recorded. They probably were ongoing prayers in the face of the conspiracy and threatening attack by Sanballat and company. In this case others joined Nehemiah in praying. Even the description of the prayer has the essence of intimate prayer-breath. “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God” (4:9).
The fifth prayer is also just one verse. It comes after Nehemiah has had to do some corrective exhortation, and it comes in the midst of the monetary demands on Nehemiah as he lives by faith. “Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people” (5:19). Nehemiah trusts God to meet his personal needs.
The sixth prayer comes after threatening letters from Sanballat try to pull Nehemiah away from the work. Fear and discouragement threatened, and Nehemiah’s prayer-breath was, “Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands” (6:9).
The seventh prayer comes when a false prophet tried to influence Nehemiah to do wrong in order to save himself. Nehemiah’s one-verse prayer begins, “My God, think thou” (6:14).
The eighth prayer comes after the work is completed. Nehemiah had instituted reforms and had established proper procedures according to God’s laws. He returned for a time to Babylon and then returned to Jerusalem to find abuses and neglect that had started during his absence. As he worked to reverse the evils, he breathes out another one-verse prayer. “Remember me, O my God, concerning this,” he prays, regarding his faithful service (13:14).
The ninth prayer follows Nehemiah’s reestablishment of the sanctity of the Sabbath. His prayer-breath is “Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy” (13:22).
The tenth prayer follows a purification regarding mixed marriages, even among the priests. Nehemiah breathes out, “Remember them, O my God” for their sin (13:29).
The eleventh and final prayer comes in the final verse, after Nehemiah arranges additional provisions for worship and supplies. The final words of the book are Nehemiah’s prayer-breath: “Remember me, O my God, for good” (13:31).
Nehemiah’s requests or reasons for praying were varied. He prayed concerning a potential project, an important interview, the attacks of enemies, personal finances, discouraging attacks, attempted deception, his own testimony before God, the sins of others, and for personal blessing.
Over half of Nehemiah’s prayers have a common request, that of asking God to remember him (or someone else), sometimes translated to “think” on the person. He wanted God to pay attention to the person, to accurately know and evaluate the person’s situation, and to respond accordingly. This is a good request, because God is loving and just. He will do the right thing in every situation, so if He focuses on the person, the result will be right.
What a great example Nehemiah is. He is an example in the frequency of his prayers, in the heart earnestness of those prayers, in the types of things he prayed about, and in his particularly common prayer that counted on God to do the right thing whenever He focused on someone who prayed.
Obviously, there is a need for regular and extended prayer, but I like this idea of prayer-breaths. Of just whispering out a quick prayer to God for whatever needy situation arises. “God, remember me.” May you sense the nearness of our attentive and just God as you carry your requests to Him.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
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