Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
Last week, my reflection centered around Luke 9:1: Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. I shared my conviction that just as Christ gave the Apostles power and authority for their situations and encounters, so does the Risen Christ give us resurrection power by the Holy Spirit for our moment-by-moment living and loving. Today, I’m moved by Nehemiah’s lifestyle of prayer in his intimate relationship with God. Nehemiah seems to have gone about his life with a keen awareness of the presence of God with him, and his deep dependence on God to help and comfort him. Nehemiah reminds me that through prayer, God gives power and authority, strength, comfort, conviction, wisdom, guidance – whatever charism, grace, or word I need. More importantly, through prayer, God gives Godself. Prayer, intimate communion with God, becomes more than a channel of communication, it becomes a medium for deep awareness of God’s love, presence and power within, upon, and around us. Through prayer, we nurture our relationship with the God who loves us.
In chapter one we discover that Nehemiah, the official cupbearer for the King Artaxerxes, had received word that the Jewish exiles who had returned to Jerusalem found the city wall destroyed and its gates burned. After days of mourning, fasting, and praying, Nehemiah apparently sensed God’s call to lead the rebuilding effort in Jerusalem. In the midst of the dramatic conversation between Nehemiah and the king in today’s text, one verse stands out to me: I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king . . . Nehemiah no doubt felt intimidated, he reports being terrified, and he spoke boldly as a servant typically would not dare. Before he spoke, Nehemiah prayed. How often do you and I speak without thinking, let alone speak without praying?! Nehemiah is a powerful witness for living a life of prayer, not just having a prayer life. Throughout the book of Nehemiah, we find more of his prayers offered in the moment (see also 4:4-5; 5:19; 6:9,14; 13:14,22,31). I wonder if Jesus had Nehemiah in mind when he said, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you (Matt. 10:19-20). Can you and I take Jesus at his word and trust that this promise is true for us?
Recognizing his dependence upon God, Nehemiah seems to have cultivated a lifestyle of prayer. I’m reminded of St Paul’s exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Some translations state, “pray without ceasing.” To pray without ceasing is to maintain prayer “running in the background,” an undercurrent of prayer that flows constantly like a river. Cultivating such a lifestyle takes practice. Such a lifestyle of prayer finds its basis in one’s recognition of deep dependency on God and a desire for deep intimacy with God. It goes hand-in-hand with practicing the presence of God – living life with a continual awareness of God’s presence within and around us.
Today, let us practice this lifestyle of prayer. What steps might you take to go about your life more keenly aware of God’s presence? Perhaps set reminders to yourself to pray before speaking, or to just pause and acknowledge God’s presence several times throughout the day. Ask God to help you move from wherever you are right now in your prayer life to a next step of deeper intimacy. Imagine how much more powerful and loving our lives will become as we nurture a lifestyle of prayer. Come, Lord Jesus. To God be the glory!
- Elizabeth Wourms