Permission to Rebuild

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, Nehemiah took the wine and gave it to the king. Four months had passed since he first heard the news about Jerusalem. Four months of prayer and preparation.

Nehemiah had never been sad in the king's presence before. But this day, his face betrayed his heart. The king said to him, 'Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.'

Nehemiah was seized with fear. Showing displeasure before a Persian king could mean death. But God's timing had arrived. Nehemiah replied, 'May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?'

The king asked, 'What is it you want?'

Nehemiah's response revealed his preparation: 'Then I prayed to the God of heaven.' Even in that critical moment, he shot up an arrow prayer. Then he answered the king: 'If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.'

The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, 'How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?' It pleased the king to send him, so Nehemiah set a time.

Then Nehemiah made specific requests. He asked for letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates to grant him safe passage. He asked for a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, to give him timber for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the city wall, and for the residence he would occupy.

Every detail had been thought through during those months of prayer. Nehemiah knew exactly what he needed. The king granted all his requests, 'because the gracious hand of my God was on me,' Nehemiah wrote.

Nehemiah went to Jerusalem with royal letters, timber, and authority. But not everyone was pleased. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

Opposition was already forming before the work even began. But Nehemiah had learned to pray first and act boldly when God opened the door. He had permission, resources, and divine favor. The wall could be rebuilt.

This moment teaches us that God's timing is perfect. Four months of prayer preceded four minutes of conversation. But those four months prepared Nehemiah's heart, clarified his plan, and positioned him for success. When we wait on God and pray, we're never wasting time—we're getting ready for the moment when the door opens.