THEN PRAY. Nehemiah 1:5-6a Effective, earnest prayer includes praise, thanksgiving, repentance, and specific requests that involve the supplicant's commitment. Prayers from the heart define the problems we face, recognize our need for God's help, and express a willingness to do what He says. When prayer is clear and plain, the answer is often clarified to us by the time we conclude the prayer. Then it is our responsibility to take action on the answers we have been given.
Nehemiah had learned the value of prayer when he was young, perhaps from someone who remembered Daniel. A man of prayer has an impact on others, who can tell whether prayer is merely a form or real and heartfelt. Fasting indicated that this matter was far more important to Nehemiah than the usual activities of the day. For several days, the seriousness and urgency of the state of God's people led him to earnest prayer to "the God of heaven." This matter went far beyond a mere Jewish matter. The very testimony of God was linked to the state of affairs in Jerusalem, and Nehemiah knew that the God of heaven was the only One who could change things.
Reverence and respect are essential as we approach the great God of power, who is awesome (terrible) in His being and authority. The covenant of mercy and love that God had with His people formed the basis of Nehemiah's appeal in his prayer. That remains fundamental to fervent prayer today. God is just and holy, but when our confession of guilt and need is genuine, the word of God assures us of divine forgiveness.
In Nehemiah's prayer, there was praise and thanksgiving, as well as confession and repentance. There was a clear, direct request and a commitment to act. He interceded for people he didn't even know, yet he knew the scriptures, knew who they were, and knew who he was. He knew God's promises, even though he was bound to the authority of an ungodly government. In faith, he prayed and believed what he had been taught. Now was the time to put faith into prayer and action. He spoke to God on behalf of his people, God's servants, the people God had redeemed.
One man put it well when speaking of prayer: "Prayer puts people, problems, plans, prosperity, personalities, potential, and purposes into proper perspective plainly to perceive." The book of Nehemiah begins and ends with prayer. Nehemiah was in the presence of the Supreme Authority of the universe when he prayed, so he knew that to the Lord God, the king was simply "this man." He prayed and waited. He sought God's guidance and was willing to wait for the right opportunity to make his request to the king. When that time came, it would be in accordance with God's plans.
God doesn't always answer our prayers on our schedule. The word of God, fellowship and advice from other believers, and the timing of circumstances are all essential when taking action that will affect many people's lives. Our conscience needs to be clear and our faith strong as we move forward in the name of the Lord.