Pray First
Nehemiah 1:4; 2:4–5
Hello and welcome to Van Life Devotions.
When your heart is broken, what do you do?
Perhaps you are like me; you spring into action and try to mend, healing, or fix the situation.
Nehemiah, a biblical leader, sprang into action but in a different way.
History tells us that Babylon destroyed much of Jerusalem and took many of its inhabitants as captives to its country. Fast forward 90 to 100 years while some of the captives were allowed to return, they weren’t living the way God desired and the walls weren’t rebuilt.
When news about these important walls and its people reached Nehemiah, we are told that he wept and mourn for days (Nehemiah 1:4).
Nehemiah could have immediately started making plans or looked for solutions. Instead, he began seeking God. Nehemiah chapter 1 verse 4 tells us that he wept, fasted, and prayed. His first response to his brokenness was to seek God.
Prayer was not Nehemiah's last resort; it was his starting point.
About 500 years later, when Jesus talking about anxiety, He said, “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33 NIV).
Nehemiah needed God's guidance and help.
But prayer didn't mean Nehemiah simply sat back and waited for something to happen. In chapter 2, when the king noticed Nehemiah's sadness and asked what he wanted, Nehemiah shot up what I think was a quick prayer before answering (Nehemiah 2:4).
That brief prayer reveals something powerful. Nehemiah had spent time seeking God privately, but he also knew how to depend on Him in the pressure of the moment. His prayer was followed by action. He asked the king for permission to return to Jerusalem, and God opened the way.
Prayer prepares our hearts to recognise God's opportunities and gives us courage to respond when they come.
Bring your concerns honestly before God. Seek His wisdom. Trust His timing. And when He provides an opportunity to act, step forward in faith.
Before you pick up the tools to rebuild, make sure you have first knelt before the Lord.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, teach us to make prayer our first response, not our last resort. Give us faith to trust You, wisdom to know what to do, and courage to act when You open the way. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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