Panic Prayer

Nehemiah 2:1-9
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer . . . present your requests to God.

Bold and boisterous, Tim Lee is just what you’d expect from a Marine. While walking point on patrol in Vietnam, Sgt. Lee stepped on a 65-pound box mine. The explosion took his legs and nearly his life.

God used that cataclysmic event to get Tim’s attention. Now Sgt. Lee is Rev. Lee, and he travels around the country speaking to schools, churches, and patriotic gatherings.

You’d think a man who won a stare-down with death would fear nothing. But Tim recalls the time President Reagan wanted to meet him to discuss a political matter he was lobbying for. Full of confidence before the meeting, Rev. Lee was trembling when the hour arrived. As the President strode up to greet him, Tim did the only thing he could—he prayed.

Although Rev. Lee had been praying about the situation for days, he didn’t hesitate to do a little last-second cramming—panic prayer if you will—when crunch-time came.

Nehemiah saw the king of Persia every day. As a captive from Judah, he was made the king’s cupbearer, a highly trusted position. Yet when the king discerned that his cupbearer was troubled, Nehemiah “was very much afraid” (Nehemiah 2:2). And why shouldn’t he be? He was about to ask his captor for a huge favor—the right to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Prayer wasn’t a last resort for Nehemiah. Half of chapter 1 records his anguished cry to the Lord. But in the crisis, Nehemiah’s instinctive reaction was to pray (v.4).

What’s causing you to panic today? What looming problem obscures the sun in your life? “Do not be anxious about anything,” Paul instructed us, “but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

It’s never too soon—or too late—to pray. —Tim Gustafson

REFLECTION

• What is my first reaction in a crisis?
• Do I have a daily prayer habit? How can I establish one?
• Will I make a short prayer list and watch my requests turn into praises?

Prayer turns panic into peace.

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