"So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king..." (Nehemiah 2:4-5).
So I can't say that this verse has ever stuck out to me before tonight, but it definitely hit me when I read it this time. Nehemiah was in the process of grieving for his people, who had turned away from God, and the broken down wall of Jerusalem. He was cupbearer to the king, who noticed his grief and asked him what was wrong and what Nehemiah was requesting. The verses following these say that Nehemiah was "very much afraid." I suppose he was in a rather precarious situation, grieving over the state of his people--a people that was under captivity of the king with whom he was discussing the matter. But I love Nehemiah's response in this situation. When the king asked him what he was requesting, first, He "prayed to the God of heaven." Then, he "said to the king..." As I read these verses tonight, it just hit me that we should live life this way. No matter what we're facing, no matter how scared we are, no matter how much grief we're struggling with, no matter how immediately we need to respond to a situation, we can pray to our precious Father before and during facing each and every one of those situations. It doesn't say that Nehemiah left the room and fell on his face before God. Don't get me wrong, he had been doing that before this conversation ensued, so that is crucial for us to do. However, Nehemiah also prayed to God right then and there right as he faced the situation as well. God just needs to be this involved in our lives... or rather, we need to involve Him this much! He is so good... and He wants to be this involved. If you keep reading, you see how faithfully God answers those prayers Nehemiah lifted up to Him. Let's give Him the opportunity to show Himself so faithful in our lives as well as we seek His face, shall we? ;)
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