A world in crisis — isn’t that what we see all around us. I am not just talking about geopolitics and pandemics, if we look around us we find a world grappling with poverty, exploitation, corruption, etc. There is hurt and suffering all around but then again we are well aware of these things. So much so that it has become the norm — unfortunately.
Nehemiah, on the other hand, isn’t like us. He sees the need around him and responds to it. In Nehemiah chapter one we find the following report about Jerusalem.
They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”[1]
Now, remember Ezra had led a group of Israelites back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. But now the need is to rebuild the wall, without it the city is defenceless. Nehemiah is burdened to respond to this need.
We also feel like this when certain issues touch our hearts or affect our lives. We want to do something about it. We get passionate but then it all fizzles out but Nehemiah is different, his passion doesn’t fizzle out.
Nehemiah isn’t the first person to be passionate about something. We are also passionate about issues but more often than not we let it remain inside. Nehemiah takes it to the Lord. He recognises his limitations and seeks the Lord’s help. He fasts and prays for some days.
Are we praying about the issues that touch our hearts or affect our lives? Have we ever prayed seriously and regularly for the things we don’t like in this world?
Have we taken the ills of exploitation, corruption, crime, poverty, pollution, discrimination, etc. to the Lord? Not once in a while but regularly, that’s what sets Nehemiah apart.
Take your battles to the Lord. The more time and effort you spend in prayer the better equipped you are to deal with your battles.
This simple exercise will guide you towards getting to know your commitment towards that cause. As you pour out to God and listen to him, this conversation will bring you face to face with your fears and worries, which in turn will help you to be better prepared to handle them. Prayer helps us to be a better person. It also allows us to listen and learn from the best leader of all time - God.
Seeking God’s counsel helps us to discern and make better choices. Each of us face various choices and issues – some of them are important, while many others aren’t. Even among the important ones, we can’t give our entire attention to each of them. A leader has to know which battles to fight and at what time. Prayer helps us in setting our priorities right.
[1] Nehemiah 1:3
Extracted from Rebuild by Shashank S. Rawat
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