Nehemiah continues the prayer by saying this “let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel.” We can see from what Nehemiah says that his prayers are such that he wants the Lord to be attentive and God’s eyes be open-meaning, Lord take my words seriously!Here’s the question:  Do we pray with words that we want the Lord to really take seriously?  We live in a world where we say so much, but can mean so little.  The aspect of prayer that we want to learn, is that we want to pray with the heart/desire/passion where we not only want, but need the Lord to take our words seriously.This shows us that a key aspect of knowing what to say is that we are clear of what it is that we are asking of the Lord.To pray ‘day and night’ is a hyperbole to express the deepest desire in Nehemiah’s heart.

What are the things that we pray ‘day and night’ for?  This is a key aspect of effective prayer, that we are able to clearly pray and ask the Lord what it is that we really want and need to see happen.  For example, if you really desire to love and care for someone, you have to really desire and ask of the Lord.  Or if it is healing, or even having an encounter with the Lord, it is about asking the Lord with that clear desire and need.  The issue at times is that we can pray for things that we don’t truly want to happen, or it is not as important to us.

That is a classic definition of ineffective prayer, which is a prayer that is prayed without any expectation or need for the prayer to be answered and heard from the Lord.

Today, what it is that you really need from the Lord?  What aspects of God’s kingdom are missing in your life?  Ask the Lord clearly and truthfully what it is that you are praying/asking.

-GK