Daily Thought

Nehemiah and his small band of followers had run into all sorts of problems as they set about the task of rebuilding the shattered walls of Jerusalem.

The physical problems they faced were immense, for Nehemiah’s reconnaissance of the site prior to commencement of repairs had revealed that unprecedented damage had been done by the invaders years before; ‘walls broken down’, ‘gates consumed with fire’, Jerusalem lying ‘waste’, 2. 13, 17.

Once the repair work had commenced, there had been diligent support rendered by most of the people, but even then, not all had offered their services, 3. 5, so undermining the general effort.

Then there was the problem of ridicule coming from their adversaries in a calculated attempt to undermine the morale of the workers. To be ‘mocked’, to be insulted, and to have the product of their labours demeaned in the most scathing of terms must have been altogether demoralizing, 4. 1. Even Nehemiah must have been affected by the barrage of insults and jibes that came from this quarter, so that altogether there was a very real risk that the enterprise might falter at this early stage!

As on other occasions, Nehemiah’s reaction was to resort to prayer. The God who had brought them thus far, opening up the way whereby ‘this good work’, 2. 18, might be pursued, would doubtless enable them to triumph in a campaign of psychological warfare. But His help must be sought, and His intervention for the discomfiture of their enemies must be enlisted. So, without delay, Nehemiah utters his prayer, stating in succinct terms what the problem was, and praying for a positive answer from God.

It is interesting to note that, as in his first recorded prayer, in his approach to God, Nehemiah identifies himself with the people, 1. 4. Many of God’s great servants have followed the same line of approach, and it is one that becomes us all in our method of intercessory prayer. We have a great responsibility towards others of the Lord’s people to support them in their failures and problems by praying for them. So, we identify with their situations and accept their problems to be our problems. Here we have another example of answered prayer, for we read that the work continued with workers remaining in good heart, having ‘a mind to work’, 4. 6.