Responding to Trouble: Prayer as the First Step

By Dean Collins

There is trouble. But there is beauty as well. Trouble is sometimes obvious, while we might have to wait to see the beauty. Nehemiah heard reports of the condition of Jerusalem many weeks before he allowed the king to see and hear of his burden for his homeland and people. Nehemiah did the wise thing when he learned of the trouble in Jerusalem. He prayed.

Sometimes when we see or hear of trouble, we want to jump in and fix it. And some trouble does demand immediate action. Medical emergencies, for example, require a quick response. Calling 911 and providing CPR to someone might be an automatic action. You may or may not say a prayer in that moment, but I suspect that God often prompts those nearby to action even when they may not even believe he exists!

Trouble comes in all sizes and with various levels of complexity. Nehemiah knew that the trouble in Jerusalem began long before he heard of the condition of the temple, the walls and gates, and of the sadness of his community. When Nehemiah did hear of the trouble, he prayed. It appears he prayed for weeks before he made his request to King Artaxerxes. When we become aware of trouble both close to us and far away from us, prayer is a wise and powerful first response.

Prayer may be the only role we are to play in addressing someone’s trouble. However, we shouldn’t be surprised if God prompts us to take further action to assist those who are experiencing trouble. The Holy Spirit may prompt us to call, give resources, lend a hand, or even lead an initiative to help a person, a family, a business or organization, or a city in some season of trouble.

Equipped with permission and resources, Nehemiah took a few days to assess the situation in Jerusalem before engaging the help of others nearby. When we are in trouble, we need to show some restraint in providing solutions ahead of assessing the problem. The condition of the infrastructure of Jerusalem was a serious problem and required thoughtful attention.

Once Nehemiah had a plan, he engaged the community leaders with a plan to rebuild. Immediately, the nearby opposition began to try and stop Jerusalem from being rebuilt. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem were all leaders of areas that surrounded Jerusalem. A weak Jerusalem was better for them, and they jumped in to stop Nehemiah with verbal threats and political maneuvers. They were a constant irritant to Nehemiah. But Nehemiah was strengthened by the Lord and supported by the king, so he would not allow the enemies to stop his work.

Anytime we are involved in the kingdom work of redemption, renewal, and restoration, the enemy will stir up opposition. This is why followers of Christ must develop their spiritual disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, and meditation. Without these tools, we will find ourselves both limited and exhausted, and even feeble. Nehemiah knew what we must always remember, that the God of heaven will allow us to prosper and succeed in all our kingdom efforts. We cannot secure kingdom results without the resources the King offers us.

Nehemiah made it clear to the local leaders that God was with them. He also made it clear to his enemies that they had no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem. When we surrender our plans to God and prepare ourselves spiritually for our assignments, God will give us the strength and the resources to complete our assignment.

And what about the beauty? The beauty is the work of renewal that God brings as we surrender our lives to him. It is a beautiful thing to see someone surrendered to God and allowing God to use them to bring healing and restoration to the world around them. This beautiful work is the work of all Christ followers. When the people of God surrender to the will of God and do the work of God, the beauty of God’s plan will be seen, and Jesus will return in glory.

Father, today as we see both old and new trouble around us and even far away, we stop to pray to you for wisdom. We ask that you step into every situation where there is trouble today. We know that you are a God of love, grace, and mercy and that you seek all of mankind to come into a relationship with you. Guide us to do whatever you ask today with situations around us. We ask that your Holy Spirit direct our steps. Protect us from the enemy and strengthen our hands to do your will. Make your beauty visible in us today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Nehemiah 2:17-20 ESV

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