PRAY BOLDLY

“Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man. At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer” (Nehemiah 1:11).

Nehemiah was king Artaxerxes’s cupbearer. Before the king took a drink or before he tasted his supper, the king’s cupbearer would take a sip or a bite. He wasn’t tasting it to see if there was the proper seasoning. He was making sure there was no poison. If the cupbearer didn’t drop dead, then the king would eat his supper.

Now, after hearing about the conditions in Jerusalem, Nehemiah was preparing to ask the king for a leave of absence from his trusted position. The king might have had Nehemiah executed on the spot; or he might have dismissed Nehemiah with a laugh.

“Hey king, can I take some time off? Oh, maybe a year or two…” Bold, courageous, audacious! And that’s not all… “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it” (Nehemiah 2:5). To top it off, Nehemiah asked for a blank check, for letters from the king to all the authorities in “the region west of the Euphrates River” (Nehemiah 2:7).

Nehemiah made a bold request!

Our God owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). “Nothing is too difficult for (God)” (Jeremiah 32:17).

So, why do we pray little prayers?

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).