Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
The Speed of Prayer
“So I prayed to the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 2:4)
When Nehemiah prayed this prayer, it was as he stood before the king of Persia. It is doubtful that he had time to step aside and head to his inner room for a lengthy petition with the Almighty. This prayer would have been short, silent, and spoken straight from his heart to heaven’s throne.
Which is a good reminder that length of a prayer doesn’t increase its effectiveness. As Jesus says in Matthew 6:7, more words don’t mean greater piety. Instead, let us “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), so that in the moments where we must make a quick decision like Nehemiah, we will instinctively pray one last time as we stand at the crossroads of decision. A lifestyle steeped in prayer is ready at all times.
After all, the rest of the story is that Nehemiah received what he asked of the king for “the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.” (Nehemiah 2:8)
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites
This Week’s Reading: Ezra 7-10; Nehemiah 1-5; Psalm 50; Proverbs 19
This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament. Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon. If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision
