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What do you do when faced with a situation that makes you feel nervous, even afraid? Yet it must be addressed in order for something you want very badly to be accomplished?
Maybe you want to talk to your immediate supervisor about being transferred to a different section, or maybe even a raise.
Perhaps you feel God calling you to go to school half-way across your country, or maybe even take a job half-way around the world, but you need the approval of your parents, or you are worried your spouse won't agree.
Or maybe you feel God calling you to talk to your pastor, because you have evidence that he is leading the church astray.
Or just maybe, you desire to build a wall around Jerusalem, a wall that has laid in ruins for decades, and you will need for the Persian emperor to come on board with the idea...
Okay, so maybe you'll never find yourself in scenario #4, but Nehemiah did. And perhaps we can glean something from his story that will help us in our own dilemmas…
Nehemiah, who served the Persian emperor, had just heard some very bad news from a brother who had just returned from Jerusalem: “Those who survived captivity are in the province. They are enduring serious troubles and being insulted. The wall of Jerusalem has been broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.” (Nehemiah 1:3 GW).
Although Nehemiah was in the service of the Persian court, he loved his homeland and the news sent him into depression: "When I heard this, I sat down and cried. I mourned for days." (Nehemiah 1:4a GW) But Nehemiah was a man of action. After hearing this news, he couldn't just continue his former life. He wanted to do something to help his people. This, however, would require the permission of his employer, the emperor Artaxerxes.
In his shoes, I might have just had a few conversations with myself, like: "Well, it doesn't hurt to ask! After all, the worst that can happen is he'll say 'no'"! I would have prayed, yes, but mostly I would have done a lot of self-talk to bolster my courage.
Not Nehemiah. In his words, "I continued to fast and pray to the God of heaven." (Nehemiah 1:4b GW).
Even if I did decide to fast and pray, my prayers would probably be along the lines of, "Please God, give me courage. Open his heart. Help him to want this as badly as I do. Make my efforts successful!"
Nehemiah's prayer didn't go quite that way...
First Nehemiah reminded himself of God's loving kindness and of how He keeps His promises: “Lord God of heaven, great and awe-inspiring God, you faithfully keep your promise and show mercy to those who love you and obey your commandments." (Nehemiah 1:5 GW).
Next, he prays for Israel and he confesses their sin: "I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against you as well as the sins that my father’s family and I have committed." (Nehemiah 1:6b GW).
Nehemiah then reminds God of His promsies: "Please remember what you told us through your servant Moses..." (Nehemiah 1:8a GW).
Only at the very end does Nehemiah present his request: "Please give me success today and make this man, King Artaxerxes, show me compassion.” (Nehemiah 1:11b GW).
That is some serious preparation!
No, my prayers don't go quite like this. Yet, perhaps if they did, maybe I wouldn't feel so much anxiety going up against something that I would really rather not have to do! Maybe if I made my prayers less about what I wanted, maybe if I focused my prayers more on Who God is, and in doing so, reminded myself of Who God is… Maybe I would feel more confident— not in my own abilities, but in the God who I am asking to go with me!
Yes, the next time I'm faced with trying to convince someone of something, perhaps I will remember Nehemiah's prayer and do my own "serious preparation! Want to join me?
Oh, and in case you're curious as the result of such prayer, join me next Saturday to see!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
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