Discover His heart: He is always attentive to our prayers
Leaving our church youth pastor position of six years to transition to a state youth position several years ago was a difficult move for us. We dearly loved our pastor, our youth and youth leadership, and it was a tearful time. On our last Sunday morning at the church, the youth choir sang, “Friends are friends forever if the Lord’s the Lord of them…” by Michael W. Smith. Most everyone cried with us that day as we listened, but, thankfully, we have remained “friends forever” with these dear ones.
Life has kept us running and has afforded little time for fellowship with these friends, but when we have the opportunity to meet, the friendship is still there. We remember our history together, but now all the new details have to be filled in. This is sometimes how we feel when our relationship with the Lord has grown distant, but today we read about a man whose friendship with God was fresh and up to date.
Nehemiah was a Jew born in captivity in Persia, but he had a profound knowledge of God’s laws and a deep affection for the land of his ancestors. He was a godly man. Deeply distressed about the safety of the Jews who had returned to a defenseless Jerusalem, Nehemiah knew exactly Who to talk to about it, “When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact for days I mourned, fasted and prayed to the God of Heaven.” (1:4) Nehemiah had an intimate relationship with God. It wasn’t a casual or distant friendship, and he didn’t need to re-introduce himself to God, so to speak – it was fresh.
In his prayer, Nehemiah asked God to give him favor with the King of Persia as he went to speak to him on behalf of Jerusalem’s broken walls. “The king asked, ‘Well, how can I help you?’ With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, ‘If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.’” (2:4-5) Right there amid the dialogue with the King, Nehemiah offered a silent prayer to God for His ears only. There really wasn’t time for getting caught up in the relationship or exchanging sentiments. No, their friendship was spontaneous and current.
It isn’t as though God doesn’t hear or care about the prayers of a long-lost friend because He knows our prayers before we even pray. (Matthew 6:8) It’s more about our comfort level in asking something from a friend we haven’t talked to for a long time. We feel awkward and unworthy to make a request. We have a tendency to struggle through the situation alone, without help from someone who could assist us. I can’t count the number of hurting souls I have talked to through the years who felt too distant to approach God for help.
Just like our friendships with distant friends, our relationship with God is but a call away. He misses us in our absence, and He is ready to hear our heart’s cry. But I want to be like Nehemiah, ready to offer spontaneous prayers even in the middle of a conversation, at a second’s notice without regret or an apology for my neglect. I often find myself praying throughout the day to Him, offering a word of thanks, a request or a praise. And He’s one friend who never seems to get tired of hearing from me.
Moving Forward: “With a prayer to the God of heaven” I move through this day with confidence that He is listening and answering.
Tomorrow @ Psalm 137-139
Phyllis Benigas 