O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, … and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Nehemiah 1:11.
Nehemiah, one of the Hebrew exiles, occupied a position of influence and honor in the Persian court. As cupbearer to the king he was admitted freely to the royal presence…. Through this man … God purposed to bring blessing to His people in the land of their fathers….
The Hebrew patriot learned that days of trial had come to Jerusalem, the chosen city. The returned exiles were suffering affliction and reproach…. The work of restoration was hindered, the temple services were disturbed, and the people kept in constant alarm by the fact that the walls of the city were still largely in ruins….
Nehemiah had often poured out his soul in behalf of his people. But now as he prayed a holy purpose formed in his mind. He resolved that if he could obtain the consent of the king, and the necessary aid in procuring implements and material, he would himself undertake the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem….
Four months Nehemiah waited for a favorable opportunity to present his request to the king…. He had a sacred trust to fulfill, in which he required help from the king; and he realized that much depended upon his presenting the matter in such a way as to win his approval and enlist his aid. “I prayed,” he said, “to the God of heaven.” In that brief prayer, Nehemiah pressed into the presence of the King of kings and won to his side a power that can turn hearts as the rivers of waters are turned.
To pray as Nehemiah prayed in his hour of need is a resource at the command of the Christian under circumstances when other forms of prayer may be impossible…. In times of sudden difficulty or peril the heart may send up its cry for help to One who has pledged Himself to come to the aid of His faithful, believing ones whenever they call upon Him. In every circumstance, under every condition, the soul weighed down with grief and care, or fiercely assailed by temptation, may find assurance, support, and succor in the unfailing love and power of a covenant-keeping God.
Conflict and Courage p. 262
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Prayer Request
—–Please pray for travelling mercies for Ronnie Jay and Wanangwa as they are coming for a visit. Rose
—–prayer requests. a friend of mine asked for prayer for her sister in law who is 76 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. her name is Brenda. and the second request is for my granddaughter who gave birth last week to a baby girl but she was still born.. she only had a couple days before she would of been born. her mothers Blood sugar dropped way to low she contracted diabetes during Pregnancy.. why the Doctor didn’t pick up on it is sad. the mother’s name is Laurie. And I have a teenage granddaughter that has tried suicide several times.. CM
—–I would love to give this praise report regarding my three dear grandchildren. The judge gave my daughter in law another chance and the kids will not be taken away and put into foster homes. She needs prayer though. They keep drug testing her and she is having a very hard time giving up smoking marijuana. Please pray that she will give this up immediately and forever! Connie
—-Please pray for Ann’s daughter who is in the hospital. G
—–Please pray for my little 9 year old nephew. He started having seizures and they just found an abnormality in the left side of his brain. Patti
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Dear Friends,
Spring is here and the weather is so pretty, so we have been able to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Yesterday, my grandchildren brought me some tiny blue flowers they had picked for me. It reminds me of a poem my great-great aunt Aletha Phillips wrote so many years ago.
Arrival of Spring
All nature is alive today
For joyous spring is on the way,
And March, with blust’ring winds, is leaving.
The silent woods no longer grieving
For buds that have been sleeping long,
Awakened by the merry song
Of happy birds that fly about,
While children’s voices laugh and shout.
Sweet violets nod from mossy pillows
To welcome back the pussy willows,
And dandelions dot the ground,
Spring flowers blossom all around,
The meadow brooks are filled with trout
And baby squirrels frisk about,
All nature’s glad for merry spring
Brings back new life to every thing.
Just as the earth awakening from winter’s chill tells us that spring is upon us, so the signs foretold in God’s Holy Word helps us to know that Jesus is coming soon. Our Dear Saviour says, “When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower, and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat, and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it that ye do not discern this time?” Luke 12:54-56 He, Who sees the future gives us signs whereby we may know the end of all things is near. “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. . . . Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. . . . For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. . . . Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree, When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Matt 24:1-33
Just as we can read the signs of spring, so as we see the rapid fulfilling of the great prophecies of Daniel chapters 7-12 and Revelation chapters 13-18, we can know that the King of the Universe is soon to take us to His Heavenly Home as He has promised. May we, as we see these things begin to come to pass, “look up, and lift up [our] heads, for [our] redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28 May we be “sober, and watch unto prayer” making our “calling and election sure: for if [we] do these things, [we] shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto [us] abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 4:7, 2 Peter 1:10,11 May we soon exclaim with enraptured voice, “Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isa 25:9
Rose