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Q4. (2:4) What danger is Nehemiah in?

Nehemiah is a cup bearer, in a sense, a slave or servant to the king. If Nehemiah's request bothered or offended the king, it was not unusual in cases like that for the offender to loose his job, be put in prison or even loose his life.

Why does he pray quickly and silently before he answers the king?

This is big opportunity to present his request to the king and he can't mess it up. He is depending of God to prepare the King's receptivity as well.

How does this quick "arrow prayer" relate to the four months of prayer he has just finished?

The "arrow prayer" is not the extent of the past four months, it is the overflow of it. It is the final, most urgent SOS for help from His God. A final plea for guidance.

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  • 8 months later...
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Q4. (2:4) What danger is Nehemiah in?

The danger that Nehemiah is in is that when he makes his request the king could dismiss him from service, banish him forever from his presence, or kill him.

Why does he pray quickly and silently before he answers the king?

Nehemiah prayed quickly and silent before he answers the king, because he wanted God to direct him when he reply to the king.

How does this quick "arrow prayer" relate to the four months of prayer he has just finished?

This quick “arrow prayer” related to the four months of prayer he has just finished is a continuation of Nehemiah’s conversation and partnership with God about this issue.

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  • 1 year later...

Q4. (2:4) What danger is Nehemiah in? Why does he pray quickly and silently before he answers the king? How does this quick "arrow prayer" relate to the four months of prayer he has just finished?

Nehemiah is in a vulnerable position. His position before the King is as a servant at this time. He must weigh his words carefully before speaking. He knows the danger of offending the King and the chance of losing his position as the King’s cupbearer. He prays silently and quickly so that God can assist him in this request. Nehemiah and God had already spoken and covered this and many other grounds together in prayer before this moment came. They knew each other’s heart for sure. It was up to God to help open a door for the restoration of His land for His people. Nehemiah stood in this gap and shot an arrow of prayer to let God know that this was it, the time they spoke of, the opportunity, and he needed His power in this moment.

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  • 2 years later...

Nehemiah is not acting as a true servant. He is going to blatantly answer the king. He can actually be let go from his position or he can be put to death. He gives a quick prayer to the Lord for the right words, strength, bravery, success, or all the above. But he knows what he has to do. It is a final push for help. A lost minute plea for all of God's guidance, help and understanding.  

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The danger that Nehemiah is in is that he is about to irritate the king with his request. He does a quick pray because he what all the help that God will provide. Therefore the “arrow prayer” is just the topping on the cake of what Nehemiah has been building up to.

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  • 5 months later...

Nehemiah was sad in the presence of the king. This word is used three other times to describe how he looked when he was in the presence of the king. He is expected to be content just to be in the presence of the king. Servants who were sad around the king were usually executed or banished from the king's court.

Nehemiah was afraid as he was about to ask the king to reverse an order made several years earlier about Jerusalem's reconstruction (Ezra 4:21).

This has to be a short prayer because it happened between the time the king asked his question and nehemiah's answer.it's like sending up an arrow prayer to God,

Nehemiah didn't have the time to kneel down or even bow down his head. His arrow/emergency prayer was backed up by four months of fasting and intercession.

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  • 4 years later...

With little time to think, Nehemiah immediately prayed. Eight times in this book we read that he prayed spontaneously. Nehemiah prayed at any time, even while talking with others. He knew that God is always in charge, is always present, and hears and answers every prayer. Nehemiah could confidently pray throughout the day because he had established an intimate relationship with God during times of extended prayer. If we want to reach God with our emergency prayers, we need to take time to cultivate a strong relationship with God through times of in-depth prayer.

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  • 3 years later...

Q4. (2:4) What danger is Nehemiah in? Why does he pray quickly and silently before he answers the king? How does this quick "arrow prayer" relate to the four months of prayer he has just finished?

Nehemiah is in danger of losing his life if he does not find favor with the king.  He prays silently and quickly before answering the king because he wants God's purpose in this interaction.  The quick arrow prayer relates to the four months of prayer Nehemiah did in demonstrating that his heart was turned toward God; Nehemiah wanted what God wanted.  Nehemiah's character had developed the pattern of prayer, the pattern of always turning to God first.

 
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