Nehemiah: a study of prayer before action

Nehemiah is often remembered as the man who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem after Israel’s exile to Babylon and helped renew the faith of the Israelites as they returned. He is the last of the Old Testament historical  books. His book records the history of the third return to Jerusalem. He saw a problem and set out to solve it. He organized, managed, supervised, and encouraged. He was met with opposition, confronted injustice and kept going until the job was done. He was a man of action; however, he was also a man of prayer. He came to God in prayer in many situations. Long, focused prayers and even brief, quick prayers before responding to questions or taking action. Through his story, we learn that prayers and action go hand in hand. Through prayer, God guides our preparation, teamwork and diligent efforts to carry out His will. What were his prayers? How can we model his example? 

In his first prayer, recorded in Nehemiah 1:5-11, occurs when he hears about the state that Jerusalem sits. After he fasts and mourns, he turns to God in prayer. There are elements to his prayer that we can model for our own prayers. First, he praises God. In verse 5, he prays “ O Lord, God of Heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands.” Second, he seeks repentance. In verse 6b-7, he confesses “the sin we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.” Lastly, he prays for his specific request. In verse 11, he asks for favor as he brings his plans to the king. As the cupbearer for Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, Nehemiah had a great access to the king. To do what he wanted, he needed the king’s permission. Nehemiah asks that God work on the king’s heart to fulfill his request. In his prayer, Nehemiah recognizes God’s holiness and asks for a hearing, confesses his sins and asks for specific help. By including God in his plans and concerns, it prepared Nehemiah’s heart and gave God the room to work. The elements of his prayers are similar to the way Jesus teaches us how to pray during the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4). 

Not only did he pray before approaching the king, Nehemiah prayed before taking other action. In Nehemiah 2:4, Nehemiah prayed for strength before answering the king’s question. I picture the scene as Nehemiah brings the king his wine, his heart is heavy about the state of the city, and the king asks him what is troubling him. Before answering, he takes a deep breath and prays silently, “O Lord, give me strength.” How many times have you prayed quickly for strength, patience or favor? Prayer doesn’t always have to be on your knees and long. It can be the moment before you leave your car to go into work or school. It can be during the final steps before an important meeting or a big exam. It can be any moment when you need to call on God for help. Nehemiah’s plans were met with great opposition which resulted in threats. Instead of acting impulsively, Nehemiah prayed first. In Nehemiah 4:4-5, 9, he prayed for help against those who despised them and insulted their efforts. He prayed that their guilt or sin would not be erased from God’s sight (verse 5) and prayed before posting a guard to watch over the day’s work and meet with any threat that may come (verse 9). When the opposition and insults continued, Nehemiah prayed for strength to prove the opposition wrong (Nehemiah 6:9). Instead of running and hiding, he prayed for strength to continue doing what he knew God wanted him to do. We can do the same! 

Nehemiah prayed for favor and remembrance. In Nehemiah 5:19, he prayed “Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.” He wasn’t seeking recognition or reward from the people; but from God, for whom he did the work. Hebrews 6:10 tells us that “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” It is easy to be discouraged as we think our efforts are not being seen. While people may not see our efforts, God does and he will remember. Nehemiah prays for remembrance again in Nehemiah chapter 13, verse 14. 22, and 31. He prayed to be remembered for his faithful service (verse 14), to be shown mercy according to God’s great love (verse 22), and to be remembered with favor (verse 31). As he reflected on his efforts to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and bring the people from captivity, he asked God to remember his works. As he worked, toiled, fought opposition, Nehemiah remembered it was for God that he worked. Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” We are to turn our worries into prayers, just as Nehemiah did, and our prayers can turn into action. 

In conclusion, Nehemiah was a man of prayer and action. He was a man who held a passion for God, a concern for God’s people and a zeal for the house of the Lord. He prayed before he took action. He prayed for guidance, for strength and for remembrance. Essentially, there was nothing he wouldn’t pray for. How often do we pour out our hearts to God? How often do we give him a specific request to answer? What stops us? Nehemiah did not let the impossible stop him from approaching God for help. We can do the same. In today’s society, prayer is often looked down on and seen as a cop out instead of real action. However, I have seen prayers answered many times in my life. While the world may scoff at your prayers, God does not. He listens and he responds. Let us follow Nehemiah’s example and be a people of prayer and action.