Broken, then Busy

When I heard these things I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven (Nehemiah 1:4)

“For some days . . .”

These three words from Nehemiah 1:4 are misleading. We are likely to read right over them; blow right by in our rush to get to the real drama of the book – the work of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. Our failure to grasp what’s happening in this little phrase is only reinforced when we read the words of Nehemiah’s prayer as recorded in verses 5-11. I just finished reading the prayer out loud at a deliberate pace. It took me one minute and twenty seconds. You could easily get through it faster.

What only takes eighty seconds to read is given to us as a sample of what Nehemiah did “for some days.” And what’s more, the “some days” is actually closer to four months. Nehemiah learns of Jerusalem’s condition in the month of Kislev (1:1). He finally presents a plan and request to King Artaxerxes in the month of Nisan (2:1). That means Nehemiah’s prayer is no meager “Please help us God” offered up in an eighty second interlude before getting down to business. No, Nehemiah’s weeping and fasting and praying covered a period of four months.

This was said a couple of days ago, but it’s worth repeating: before Nehemiah presents a plan to the King he offers prayer to God. Lingering prayer: repetitive, passionate, heart wrenching petition. Brokenness precedes busyness. Those who are broken before God will be used by God to change the world.

I am particularly challenged by Nehemiah’s example at this point. I never fast. I see plenty in the world to weep over, but my tears are slow to come. And then there’s the praying. I wish I were better at it, more consistent. I’m afraid I give up on prayer to easily, or I’m quickly satisfied that I’ve said all that needs to be said to God. No need to go on for four months, or a year, or four years. God knows my heart. Make the request clear to God a few times and then let it go at that. Mine is not a problem of belief, but a problem of will. I believe in prayer, but I don’t wrestle with God for as long as it takes.

Getting our arms around the city begins with kneeling before the God who loves the city far more than we do. In fact, getting a handle on anything that matters deeply to us starts with prayer. Prayer is not a substitute for action. It is the soil out of which meaningful action grows. Maybe you’re facing something today that confronts you with two temptations. On one hand, you may be tempted to despair and you’ve stopped talking to God about whatever it might be. On the other hand, your fear may be driving you to take immediate action, to get busy and get busy now.

Maybe this morning God is simply inviting you to linger in his presence; to linger and to listen. In his presence you may weep, you may complain, you may question. Our confidence to pray, and keep on praying, comes from knowing that God gladly hears it all and is already at work in those things that concern us.

Prayer:
Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation (Psalm 5:1-3).