Articles
Nehemiah Prayed
Nehemiah Prayed
As Jerusalem lay in ruins another godly man arises to the situation and leads God's people. Nehemiah is a child of the captivity. He lived concurrently with Ezra and Malachi around 450 BC. The return took place in 536 and the temple was finished in 516. It is probable then that he was born even after those events.
As you read through the book look for the prayer life of Nehemiah. As a result of his godly lifestyle it says that the 'good hand of the LORD was with him'. Part of this lifestyle is his love for God and his praying.
The book starts with a beautiful prayer in chapter 1. Then, when in the middle of a conversation with the King he is asked a question, it says "I prayed to the God of heaven and said to the king…" (2:4-5). Pete Wilson called this an 'arrow prayer'. It would have been spontaneous, quick, and short. Such prayers are the praying constantly.
Later when they face danger, his response is to pray and then act (4:9; 6:14; etc.) Under his leadership the people publicly confessed their sins and gave thanks unto the LORD (ch. 9; 12:24; etc.). Scattered through the book are other short prayers.
Nehemiah would have felt at home with the instructions of Jesus and Paul. "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1). "…pray without ceasing…" (1Thess. 5:17).
Hugh DeLong
