Nehemiah: God's Invitation to RebuildSample

Arrow Prayers

When you know you have a big decision or a big request to make of someone else, what do you do first? Do you make a list of pros and cons? Do you call all your friends and ask their opinion? Or do you stop and pray to the God of heaven?

In Nehemiah 2, the king asked Nehemiah for his request, and before he made his request known to the king, he prayed. It was not a generalized prayer that he threw up to the Lord, but a particular request that the Lord had revealed, which he passed along to the king. You may have heard this referred to as an arrow prayer. An arrow prayer is a specific prayer request that we shoot up to the Lord, asking for an answer to a specific situation. Nehemiah didn’t try to make his request of the king on his own, but instead, he sought the wisdom and guidance of God.

In our lives, we often find ourselves in situations in which we are uncertain or in need of discernment and wisdom. Nehemiah models approaching the Lord and seeking his wisdom first. When we follow this example, we’ll learn that he is ready and able to answer our prayer exceedingly and more abundantly than we could have ever imagined.

Prayer: Lord, may my mind permanently be fixed on you and your will in every situation.

Bonus Reading: Jeremiah 29:11-14; Romans 12:2; 1 Chronicles 16:10-11; Ephesians 3:20