Today's encouragement comes from Nehemiah 1:11b, where we read these words:
" . . . and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man."Nehemiah is making this prayer (above) to God, on his own behalf. He asks the Lord to "let [him] prosper this day." A lot of times it is difficult for Christian churchmen to know exactly how to pray, (cf. Rom. 8:26 in this regard). It seems to me, however, that a good and safe prayer is for success, and vic-tory (all in Christ). After all, if we (in the church) do not succeed, everyone and everything else suffers as a result.
Some people are loathe to pray for themselves—but this is a wrong-headed notion, even though it may come from sincere and even pure motives. In-stead, the best humility makes sure that we *do* pray for ourselves. If anyone has any question about the truth of what I am saying, I would have them find Jesus praying for Himself, in the Garden of Gethsemane, (see Matt. 26:36 ff.).
[Puritan quote of the day: "Satan could not deceive us, unless we deceived ourselves first, and are willingly deceived.” —Richard Sibbes, in, "The Soul's Conflict with Itself"]
