Christian Devotional – January 4, 2020

Day 4 – Know what you are requesting. Read Nehemiah 2:1-4.

And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?” Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 2:1‭-‬4 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/neh.2.1-4.NASB

Four months have passed since Nehemiah was told by his brother about the conditions of Jerusalem. During that time, he had been praying and fasting and seeking the Lord about what he should do. Now the king has noticed and is directly asking Nehemiah what he would like.

What would you ask for? It’s been 4 months, so you would think that Nehemiah had some idea of what he would like. Yet what does he do? Nehemiah prays.

When we are faced with any decision, even a decision that we are sure we know what we are to do, we should stop and pray and ask God. Do we continue to pray and ask God for his direction and his guidance? Do we take the time in the middle of the situations to ask about that? Never forget to continue praying to God for guidance and answers to every question that we get asked.