Nehemiah 2:4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Pocket prayers are succinct conversations with the Lord to align our thoughts, words and reactions. They are quick verbal and nonverbal dialogues to confirm that we are moving in the direction that God wants us to go. Pocket prayers are quick connections with heaven to surrender our thoughts, tongue and tasks to be controlled by the control tower of heaven. When God is in what we are doing, the insurmountable mountain will be flattened and the indomitable giant will be exterminated.
Nehemiah is a Bible hero known for his pocket prayers. Before he answered the question of the king he pulled out a quick pocket prayer. He would have prayed under his nose, “Lord, please give me the right words to speak to the king”. Nehemiah was the cupbearer or the wine server to King Artaxerxe, the King of Persia. He would taste the wine before it was served to the king. It is unusual for a foreigner to rise up to such a trustworthy position in a pagan nation. It must have been his faith in God and his faithfulness to men that would have promoted him to such an integrous position. In the midst of an extremely stressful job and busy day, he used his pocket prayers to align his words with God before he answered the king. As Nehemiah aligned his words with the Lord God, the king granted all of his requests.
Fill your pocket with succinct pocket prayer:
1. Discussion: In an intense board meeting, pull out your pocket prayers before you answer a question that is thrown at you. “Jesus help” is a powerful pocket prayer when we are in a tense discussion. “Jesus, speak through my lips” is a very relevant prayer when we are in an emotional conversation. “Jesus, change the temperature of my home through my words” is a very influential prayer that will alter the ethos of your home.
2. Desolation: In desperation, desolation and depression, “Jesus lead”, “Jesus, teach” or “Jesus show me the way” are powerful prayers. Many people ask “why Lord”. They question God’s love for them or doubt their faith. When we don’t understand why we are facing a desolate circumstance, just pray, “Jesus fill me with your courage and confidence”.
3. Derision: When we face false accusations, hear about ruthless slanderous rumour about us or face demeaning derision, pull out the prayer of peace. Ask for peace to rule your heart and mind. Let God deal with the demeanors and the accusers. Retaliation is not Christ-like and trying to justify does not work. The Lord hates injustice. So, allow the Lord to fight and ask the Lord to cover your mind with the peace of God. “Prince of peace, rule over my mind” is a powerful prayer when we face unjust derision.
Fill your pocket full of pocket prayers every morning to face the challenges of the day.
Nehemiah 6:9 He prayed “Now strengthen my hands”.
Prayer: Father in Heaven, I will fill my quiver full of succinct prayers to shoot through to heaven. Teach me to be connected with you throughout the day. Amen
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