Pray and Work, the Inspiring Example of Nehemiahናሙና

Nehemiah’s response: prayer!

“I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 1:4)

Mourning, fasting and prayer belonged together for Nehemiah. In the coming days, we will discuss the content of his prayer. But the very fact that he prayed is already significant.

Many people, when faced with adversity, tend to curse God. They blame Him or wonder in despair, ‘How could God let this happen; does He really exist?’ Bad news can plunge you into a deep crisis - emotionally, but also in the realm of faith.

Other people roll up their sleeves and get right to work. They do their utmost to improve the situation. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don’t.

A third group gives up hope of improvement and stays put. This is understandable, especially when a situation goes on for a long time....

But Nehemiah responded differently. He brought his grief to the Lord God. We read that he fasted as an expression of his sorrow and to humble himself before God. In addition, Nehemiah prayed passionately for his people. Not just quickly, but for several days.

How is the relationship between ‘bad news’ and ‘prayer’ in your life? Could you follow Nehemiah's example by praying intensely (and maybe fasting) for the difficult situations you hear about?