Microwave prayers

With a quick prayer to the God of Heaven…the king granted these requests, for God was being gracious to me. Nehemiah 1: 4, 8

The setting was the throne room of the King of Persia. Nehemiah, the king’s cupbearer, longed to be able to return to Jerusalem, the city of his birth, to rebuild the city walls. Normally an amiable guy, Nehemiah always had a smile and a pleasant greeting as you started your day. But the news coming out of Jerusalem was troublesome and today, he just could not force a smile.

The king asked the same question the bartender asked the donkey. “Why the long face?” Nehemiah seized the moment. It says, “with a quick prayer to the God of heaven” he made his request of the king; to be able to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. That “quick prayer” was answered and the king granted his request.

Now, if that’s all you read, you might think that all it takes is a quick prayer and God will grant your requests. But look at the prequel. In verses five through seven, you see Nehemiah in deep intercession. “I refused to eat for several days for I spent the time in prayer…” O Lord God, I cried out… look down at me and see me praying night and day.”

Two things Nehemiah deprived himself of; food and sleep. The guy meant business, to the point of being willing to forfeit the necessities of life in order to bring his plea before God.

So it may be true, Nehemiah’s “quick prayer” was answered, but that prayer was preceded by days of hunger and nights of deep supplication.

So where am I going with this, I ask myself? I see in my life a tendency to want to go the quick and easy route. Throw it in the microwave, set the dial to “Petition” and turn on the timer for a minute-thirty. Then expect God to move heaven and earth in response to my request. Well a microwave might be fine for warming up pot pies but here in Hawaii, if you want a luau, you gotta dig the imu, fire up the rocks and tend it all night long. It just depends on what you want.