THE PATIENT PRAY-ER
Today's reading: Nehemiah 1-7

Nehemiah.

The name evokes awe. The account of his life stands as one to be admired. He's been called the wall-building, bending God's ear man.

He was a pray-er. Not just a before mealtime pray-er, but a from the bottom of his heart and about everything he did, pray-er.

I've always assumed, because he talked and walked with God, his prayers were answered immediately...and therefore gauged my own prayers (and the answers I'm still waiting for) against his and came up lacking. Sorely lacking.

But this morning God shone a light on a few words that reminded me that praying has less to do with the pray-er than it does about Him.

The first few lines of chapter one begin with, 'In late autumn...' That's when Nehemiah became aware of the trouble in Jerusalem. The last verse of chapter one tells us he prayed immediately for an opportunity to go before the king and seek help.

As I sometimes do, I jumped to the conclusion that because by the first verse of the second chapter he was standing before the king, holding his royal cup, his prayer was answered immediately.

But the first verse of chapter two says, 'Early the following spring...'

In my estimation that is a span of approximately, now this is based on the seasons in southern Illinois, at least 4 or 5 months. I'm thinking October to March or November to April.

Two thousand years ago or today, that's not immediate.

That encourages me.

That tells me that my own prayers need not just be persistent and based upon God's will--but also patient.

I'm going to keep praying. I'm going to keep seeking God in regards to some requests I'm wanting to see answered. I'm going to keep trusting that He will answer--in His time, in His way, in the season He believes to be best.