Thoughts on Nehemiah's "Arrow" Prayers

It's been said somewhere in Christian literature, or maybe Christian folk lore :), that if Martin Luther had a lot to do in a day he would wake up 2-3 hours earlier JUST to pray! The busier he was, the more he prayed and the earlier he woke up!

Certainly we could all learn A LOT, myself included, about the discipline of prayer from Martin Luther. After all we see in the Book of Proverbs the following:

⁹ How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
    When will you get up from your sleep?
¹⁰ A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest —
¹¹ and poverty will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man (Proverbs 6:9-11).

Didn't Jesus spend the night praying on the mountain before: selecting his disciples (Luke 6:11-13) and before walking on the water (Matthew 14:23ff) and before his journey to Golgotha in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36ff)?

Certainly there is Biblical backing for long prayer times like what Jesus did here and what Martin Luther lived out. But we also see many references for short prayers, what I call (or more likely, I heard this from someone else but can't remember who) "arrow prayers." 

After all, didn't Jesus also say, "and when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:7-8)? After that comment he then went on to teach them "the Lord's Prayer."

So there is also Biblical support for short prayers and I was again reminded of this by Nehemiah's prayer life in Nehemiah 5:19; 6:14.

"Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people" (Neh. 5:19) and 

"Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me" (Neh. 6:14).

Short, sweet, to the point. God, be with me for all the work I have done for your people. And God be with my enemies for vengeance is yours (see Rom. 12:18ff).

What a great reminder it was for me this morning as I was folding laundry and walking our dog that I could say quick, short prayers - arrow prayers.

Maybe you are in a season where you need to be in your prayer closet for hours, leaning into God and asking, seeking and knocking (Luke 11:9)? But maybe you are in a season where arrow prayers to our gracious Heavenly Father would be helpful as you look at your prayer lists?

Either way, I encourage you to pray, pray, pray!