When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Neh 1:4
In our women’s bible study we’re studying the book of Nehemiah. We’ve just covered chapter 1 which opens with the bad news about the people of God. Devastation, destruction and despair describe the condition of Jerusalem and those who lived in it. As Nehemiah hears how this once great nation has crumbled in the ruins, his first reaction is to pray.
Prayer has always been a subject of great interest to me! I’ve read books on faithful men of prayer such as E.M Bounds and F.B Meyer. Godly women such as Evelyn Christensen and Susanna Wesley have also inspired me. The life of our Savior is by far my constant source of learning, gleaning and hope of becoming like Him a woman who prays. I never cease to be amazed at how often in the gospels we see Jesus away from the crowds, away from His disciples and alone with the Father. Could it be that our Lord knew that His actions here on earth could be accomplished according to the Father’s will only through His transaction with heaven?
Nehemiah seemed to grasp this truth centuries earlier at a low point in bible history. The odds of renewing and rebuilding not only the walls of Jerusalem but the spiritual condition of God’s people were stacked against him. Keep in mind that this was not the first time the Jewish nation was in peril. The track record shows that time after time God’s people turned their backs on Him and ended up defeated by the enemy, defiled by their sinful idolatry and ended up ashamed in their captivity. How was it that Nehemiah would find hope in the midst of this hopeless situation? The bigger question is, where did he begin to see that God not only wanted to restore His great name in the lives of His people but that He would use Nehemiah as His instrument? Prayer!
Ladies, I wish I were the prayer warrior I’d like to be. After all the reading about prayer, my prayer life is still something I need to make greater effort toward. But if there were ever a time when we need to re-think our priorities the time is now. What are the things that we spend our time doing that are the very things that keep us from praying? What can we begin to say “no” to in order to make time to pray? Look at your daily activities, time spent on social media, talking on the phone, shopping, or running needles errands that just keep you busy. Since the beginning of time men and women of God who’ve been greatly used by Him have all had to battle busy-ness. In Bible times it was no different but somehow they made a way to pray.
The question is… do we long to see our country restored to the spiritual values it was once founded on? Do we have a burden to see the church renewed in making a stand for truth and righteousness. Is your personal life in ruins but you want the great name of God to shine in and from you once again? Will we like Nehemiah to get down on your knee’s and pray? Oh what great things God will do when we as women will make our first transaction with the Lord in prayer, to live the lives He’s called us to here on earth.
