I spent most of my life doing what I was asked to do, for the most part. Without giving it too much thought, I’d hear there was a need, and try to deliver. I’d show up at places I didn’t necessarily want to be out of obligation or appearance, or I’d be quick to say yes when there was a hint of disappointment if I’d first said no. I’d talk about things I didn’t really want to talk about because that’s where the conversation went and I didn’t want to upset anyone by shutting them down.
But the Lord has been challenging this default setting in my brain, which was deeply rooted in a fear of man. Is my giving in to do something I don’t feel right about a good challenge or something I’m simply not called to do? It’s becoming clearer to me lately that the best way to handle these points of decision is to pause and pray–about every single thing, every single time. This has been an exercise both of re-wiring my own mindless default to be intentional, and of trust that I will hear from the Lord when I ask for this guidance. While it is a needed work, it’s still a work in progress.
In the book of Nehemiah, we read that this exile felt passionately when hearing about the destruction in Jerusalem, his former home. There is this staggering verse, “Then the king said to me, ‘What are you requesting?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 2:4). I don’t know about you, but that verse hit me between the eyes. It casually documents how Nehemiah dialoged with God in the middle of a conversation!
Nehemiah, even though he feels strongly about the situation, doesn’t act out of impulse. Even in the moment of speaking to a foreign king who could easily accuse him of treason and punish or kill him, Nehemiah prays to God for how to answer the king’s question in that very moment. He had spent days in prayer and fasting before having that conversation with the king. But in the moment, he again seeks the Lord’s input on how to gain the king’s favor. He keeps the dialog with God that he’d started days before going and speaks to the king, even though he admits that he was “very much afraid” (Nehemiah 2:2).
God was with Nehemiah, and blessed his mission. In preserving this story for us in His Word, I hear God inviting us all to pray, listening to Him, seeking His will. He invites us to follow His prompting, as Nehemiah did, instead of going with what we may “feel” is right. To ask ourselves how something will affect our relationship with God can be helpful in knowing what is right for us. In praying and receiving wisdom and strength from the Holy Spirit we can know what is ours to do, or what God has ordained for us to accomplish according to His will. We don’t have to say yes to things that aren’t from God. In fact, those things can and will distract from His will for us if we let them. We all have a unique calling and purpose in Jesus, but it’s in the everyday moments, and in-the-moment conversations, that hold the opportunities for living it out.
Nehemiah teaches us that both prayer in earnest and preparation, and prayer in the moment are important. Before I do anything, I have to pray. While I am in the middle of my mission, I have to pray. Without God’s guidance, I can’t do a single thing that’s right. Believe me, I’ve tried. These are dark days, and the light of Jesus is desperately needed. Prayer puts us in the presence of God. The more we are in His presence, the more we are able to reflect His light in this world. Let us remember with intention and purpose to pray, both in the long, extended quiet, and in the moment of action. Let us remember that deep relationship with God invites us to both. May God help us all to deepen our walk and relationship with Him!
I invite you to pray the Lord’s Prayer with me today:
“…’Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ And he said to them, ‘When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation‘” (Luke 11:1b-4).
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