For What Do You Make Request? - Nehemiah 2:4

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah shared how the king asked him, “Why is your countenance sad, seeing you are not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, and said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchers, lies waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?”, and in chapter two and verse four of Nehemiah, Nehemiah shared how the king asked him, “for what do you make request?”, where we read,

Then the king said unto me, For what do you make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

The verse reads, “Then the king said unto me, For what do you make request?”. Nehemiah began with the words, “then the king” or “at that time the royal ruler and leader uttered, declared and proclaimed to me, Nehemiah” “said unto me”which means “uttered, declared, proclaimed to and asked me, Nehemiah, ”, “for what do you make request” or “on behalf of whatsoever do you, Nehemiah, seek, desire, exact and request”? Nehemiah shared how the royal ruler responded to him by asking what he desired. 

The verse continues, “So I prayed to the God of heaven.” Nehemiah added the words, “so I prayed” or “therefore, then and on this account I, Nehemiah, intervened, interposed, interceded and made intercession” “to the God of heaven” which means “toward the Supreme Deity belonging to the visible skies, atmosphere and sidereal heaven where God dwells and other spiritual beings”. Nehemiah shared how he made an oration toward the Supreme Deity belonging to the sidereal heaven where He dwells. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Nehemiah how the royal ruler responded favorably to him by asking what he desired, and before he answered the “king”, he said a quick prayer to God. God wants us to come to Him in every situation and circumstance, and before we make requests or decisions, we are wise to seek Him. God loves us, and when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead three days later, He provided the way for us to be forgiven of our sins and granted everlasting life with Him. Let all who consider Nehemiah's prayer learn to appeal to Jehovah God prior to making an appeal to any authority who rules over us. 

Next time Nehemiah shares how he told the king, “send me to Judah” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".