Nehemiah was living in a foreign land yearning for a way to return to Jerusalem. He knew God wanted him to motivate the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.
He did not just complain or wallow in self-pity or make mournful remarks about how bad the situation was. He took action, but notice what he did first.
The king saw that he was sad—“The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’ Then I PRAYED to God of heaven, and I answered the king—” Nehemiah 2:4,5.
He prayed right in the middle of a conversation—spontaneous prayer, emergency prayer.
But Nehemiah did not limit his prayer life to on-the-spot praying.
In Nehemiah 1:5-10 he prays an emotional, tearful prayer that mentions the elements of all effective prayers—praise, thanksgiving, repentance, request, and commitment.
Nehemiah knew that God is always ready to answer prayer, because he had built an intimate relationship with God through many times of extended prayer.
If we want God to hear our emergency prayers, we must do as Nehemiah did. We must give God quality time and build a strong relationship with Him through intense prayer.
Have a blessed day!
In Christian love,
Diane