Nehemiah 2 Devotional

A Prayer Between Two Sentences

““What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven”Nehemiah 2:4 (BSB)

Nehemiah is serving wine to King Artaxerxes when the king notices his sad face (2:1-2). Badly afraid, Nehemiah tells the truth about the ruined city of his fathers. The king asks what he wants, and before answering, Nehemiah prays to the God of heaven (2:4). The prayer is not recorded. It fits in the space between the king's question and the reply. Then he asks for leave to rebuild, letters for safe passage, and timber. The king grants it all, because the gracious hand of God was on Nehemiah (2:8).

In Jerusalem he inspects the ruins by night, telling no one what God had put on his heart (2:12). When Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem mock the plan, his answer points away from himself. The God of heaven will give success, and his servants will build (2:20). Paul urges believers to bring every request to God with thanksgiving instead of anxiety (Philippians 4:6). No moment is too brief to turn toward God. Even the breath between two sentences can become a prayer.

To think about: What conversation or decision ahead of you today could you pause over long enough to pray, even briefly?