| How do you approach a king who might cut off your head if he does not like what you are asking for? Nehemiah spent about four months in prayer before he made his first request to the king. He had said, 'Today', in 1:11 but the opportunity had not come for all that time. In the meantime Nehemiah kept praying. Now the time to speak suddenly arrived. Nehemiah had tried not to allow his sadness about Jerusalem to show on his face, but one day it just broke through. The king asked, 'What's the matter with you? You look really sad today?'. Then all the emotions of the past few months flooded out as Nehemiah told his story. The king said, 'What do you want to do? What have you got in mind?'. Notice again what Nehemiah did (v.4). 'So I prayed.' It would seem that the king did not want him to be gone too long because Nehemiah had a good testimony as a worker. That is very important for any Christian. Certainly a boss will do more for a good worker. Nehemiah had been planning and working out how long it would take, what he would need and how the job could be done. Faith never shuts out planning. We can plan as well as pray. Then when the Lord moves, we will know what to do next. The king agreed to all that Nehemiah asked for. Nehemiah then added two more requests. He would need letters to the various governors along the borders of each country. Also he would need timber out of the king's forests. God saw that all that Nehemiah needed was supplied by the heathen king. But a different note is heard in verse 10. Whenever a servant of God tries to move ahead, there will always be someone who will oppose him. Opposition does not necessarily mean that you are out of the will of God. It may throw you back on God to make sure you are in his will. When that is affirmed, you must go on with the job God has given you to do, just as Nehemiah did. | 
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