Be Still And Know

Nehemiah 2.4-5 NLT 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 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 then read that Nehemiah prayed. It must have been a quick one, indeed it is often described as an arrow prayer. In the previous chapter we saw Nehemiah praying at great length but now time is of the essence and he can only offer up the briefest prayer to God. Arrow prayers are good. It is a blessing that in the midst of our busy lives we can offer to God brief prayers knowing that he will hear us. But it would be tragic if those were the only kind of prayers