Nehemiah 1-5

Today's passage, Nehemiah 1-5: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=nehemiah%201-5&version=NIV

Nehemiah was a cupbearer in king Artexerxes court who led a third group out of exile to rebuild the walls of the city of Jerusalem.

The most notable quality of this cupbearer turned leader is his committment to prayer. In Chapter 1 Nehemiah was informed that the walls and gates of Jerusalem still lie in ruins. He could have acted impulsively. He could have relied on his own wisdom and developed a plan of action. Instead, he spent days mourning, fasting and praying before God.

During this time of prayer, God laid it heavily on his heart to return to Jerusalem to lead the rebuilding process. In chapter 2, Nehemiah approached the king to make his request and look how Nehemiah responded when the king asked Nehemiah what he wanted:

"The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." (Nehemiah 2:4-5)." Before Nehemiah responded, he invited God into the conversation. He wanted God’s guidance and wisdom. He wanted God to touch the heart of the king. He wanted God to lead and direct the conversation. The result was success. The king gave Nehemiah what he needed allowed him to begin his journey to Jerusalem.

Also, in chapter 4, when opposition rose up against the builders, Nehemiah prayed for God’ protection and the people of Jerusalem were able to defend themselves and continue rebuilding – “They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.”(Nehemiah 4:8). Again Nehemiah invited God’s intervention and God responded by protecting the builders from the opposition so that they could continue their work.

Nehemiah shows great reliance on the Lord as he completes his task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Take some time to think about your level of reliance on the Lord. How often do you invite the Lord into a difficult conversation? Do you pray when faced with opposition? Do you ask for guidance and wisdom before beginning a major task? Take some time to assess your own prayer life. Invite God into your daily activities and ask him to guide your conversations. He wants you to trust in Him and lean on Him!