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. 

Priscilla: a wife, a disciple, and an example of spiritual maturity and understanding of the faith

This post is the last of my Women in the Bible series. I started in 2020 and it has been a great learning experience for myself and I hope that it has brought some insight for you, my readers. We end with Priscilla. Priscilla is one of the first missionaries and leaders of the early church. Along with her husband, Aquila, she risked her life for the apostle Paul. A woman of spiritual maturity and understanding of the faith, she helped build the early church. While she experienced opposition to the gospel from both Jews and Gentiles, she had the great joy to spread the gospel and nurture the church. What is her story? Why is she and her husband always mentioned together? What lessons can we learn from her example? 

Forced to leave Rome after Claudius ordered all Jews out of the city in 49 AD (Acts 18:2), Priscilla and her husband, Aquila, took their tentmaking trade to Corinth, a wealthy seaport, famous for its commercial might and appetites for vices. There they would become leaders of the church there. Her faith had begun many years prior in an atmosphere of strife and controversy in Rome and would be tested time and time again. In Corinth, she and her husband met Paul and witnessed the spread of the gospel as well as strife and opposition. After eighteen months, the Jews of Corinth would have Paul detained for spreading an illicit religion. Priscilla and Aquila would follow Paul to Ephesus (Acts 18:18). There, they would meet a Jew named Apollos, who was speaking with great fervor about Jesus (Acts 18:24-25). When Priscilla and Aquila realized Apollos wasn’t teaching the gospel fully, they invited him into their home and instructed him on salvation and “the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:26). 

There are some couples that when one is mentioned, so is the other. They are a unit, never really without the other. They know how to make the most out of life. They complement each other. They capitalize on each other’s strengths and pick up the slack where one is weakest and form an effective team. Priscilla and Aquila were such a couple, never being mentioned without the other. In marriage and in ministry, they were a team. They worked as a team in their trade and in their church. They were partners in all they did. In an age when the focus is on what happens between a husband and a wife (i.e. conflicts, issues, etc), Priscilla and Aquila are an example of what can happen through a husband and a wife [emphasis mine]. Their effectiveness together speaks volumes about their relationship together. They didn’t stay in Ephesus. They would go back to Rome and continue to preach the gospel. Paul mentions them in his letters. First in Romans. “They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them” (Romans 16:3-4). Second, he instructs Timothy to “greet Priscilla and Aquila” (2 Timothy 4:19). 

There are a few lessons we can take from Priscilla’s story and example. First, she worked with her husband in life and in ministry. Couples can have an effective ministry together. Through prayer, support and encouragement, couples can learn how to work within their strengths for the Lord. Second, the home is a valuable tool for evangelism. Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 16:19 that “the church that meets at their house.” Any believer’s greatest ministry is within their home with their spouse, with their children and then can extend to the greater community outside. Third, every believer needs to be well educated in the faith. Studying the Bible is how we learn to apply its principles and we teach others about Jesus. How can we spread the gospel when we don’t know it? It would be like teaching someone how to cook without all the ingredients. 

In conclusion, Priscilla was a valued disciple being mentioned several times in Paul’s letters. One who made a difference in Paul’s life and in the lives of those around her. She was a woman of wisdom and faith. She is an example of a wife working alongside her husband for the Lord. She may not have realized that each task she completed, great and small, was an opportunity to spread the gospel and work for the Lord. We often don’t realize the influence we create as we interact with those in our lives. Our lives are meant to have a rippling effect from one person to another through our influence and faith. May God make a few waves, rock a few boats with our acts of faith and spread His love, grace and gift of salvation.