Denver Seminary

The book of Nehemiah is often approached as a “leadership” book. To be sure, those formally charged with leadership of any group of people do well to learn lessons modeled and taught there. At the same time, as is true with most writing on leadership, most if not all of the principles taught are applicable to anyone wanting to live a life of service to God for and with other people.

Nehemiah 4:9 reports that, faced with a looming threat of attack, the people of God “prayed to [their] God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.”  Consider this response through particular attention to the words “prayed . . . and posted.”

They prayed and posted guards. As is so often the case with biblical wisdom, the posture here is one of both-and, rather than either-or. They prayed and posted. They turned to God and they took action directly toward earthly opposition. They acknowledged their reliance on God and they accepted appropriate responsibility.

Very often—most of the time?—our response to a challenge or threat is best one which combines humble, prayerful resting in our Father with responsible, deliberate action. To be sure, there are times when such action is simply not possible, and all we can “do” is pray. And, when this is the case we should never minimize the value of “only” praying. However, when responsible, deliberate action is possible, this can be a grace-filled accompaniment to prayer. Indeed, it can be an extension of, perhaps even another form of, prayer.