OK…I’ll be blunt about this. Where is prayer on your ministry or personal To Do list? I’m not talking about the prayer before a meal or at bedtime. I mean, amid plans, preparations, and execution…all the busyness and activity of life and ministry…where and when do you pray?

My morning Bible reading has been in Nehemiah recently, and I was struck by the prayer life of this amazing leader. Many have gleaned great leadership principles from Nehemiah’s account of rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem. If you haven’t read it in a while, I would encourage you to do so.

This time my attention was drawn to Nehemiah’s prayers. Within the first verses of the Old Testament that bears his name, Nehemiah prayed several times and in several different ways. Upon learning of the condition of the walls in Jerusalem and the spirit of the people, here is what this great leader did:

When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.

Nehemiah 1:4 NLT

So, this leader fasted and prayed for days. What follows is a rather long prayer to God, acknowledging His greatness and reminding the Lord of His promises to His people. Then Nehemiah asks for success and favor with King Artaxerxes.

At some point later the king asks Nehemiah what is wrong, and inquires what he, the King, can do to help. Nehemiah flings a very brief prayer to God and responds to Artaxerxes. I imagine Nehemiah saying, “God, help me.”

Do you wonder if this pattern of prayer in the life of Nehemiah had anything to do with his success as a leader? Of course, it did. When you spend time thinking through a situation and praying deeply about it, God is faithful to grant His wisdom.

By the way, the little brief prayer of Nehemiah’s? It was backed up by his extended time with the Lord. Don’t overlook that.

So… look over your To Do list. Where is prayer on that list? More importantly, where will it be for the days to come as you lead?

God’s best,