Be Still And Know

Nehemiah 2:4-5 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.” This was a terrifying moment. King Artaxerxes noticed that Nehemiah was looking sad. He could tell that there was something troubling his wine taster but Nehemiah had to be very careful with what he said. The king was extremely powerful and if he didn’t like the answer it could have been the end for Nehemiah. We read that Nehemiah prayed. In the previous chapter we saw Nehemiah praying at great length but, at this point, time was of the essence. He could only offer up the briefest prayer to God. These ‘arrow’ prayers are good. It is a blessing that in the midst of our busy lives we can offer God quick prayers, knowing that he will hear us. But it would be tragic if those were the only kind of prayers that we brought to God. It’s the same in any relationship. If the