Tip of the Tongue

"The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king"- Nehemiah 2:4-5a (NIV). 

Nehemiah had been distressed after hearing the temple was in ruins. He was a man who wore his heart on his sleeve. King Artaxerxes noticed the change in Nehemiah's countenance and asked what was wrong. Before Nehemiah answered the question he prayed about his answer. I'm sure Nehemiah had the answer on the tip of his tongue, but he knew God was in control of all things; and He still is. God wants us to look to Him before we act, before we even speak. He has all the answers and all the best plans (Jeremiah 29:11). The king ended up allowing Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, gave him the lumber for the building of the temple, gave letters to provide secure passage through other territories, and sent along troops to protect him (vs.7-9). Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer, a servant, a slave...not his son, his relative, or any person deserving notable respect of position. But Nehemiah was God's own and God reacted to Nehemiah's prayer. The next time you are in a position to make a statement, pray before you answer, even if the answer is on the tip of your tongue, and leave the rest to your Heavenly Father. Let us pray as King David did: "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).