In the last lesson, we touched briefly on Nehemiah's response when he heard that his people were in great distress
and reproach, the walls of Jerusalem were broken, and the gates of the city were burned:
I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days.… And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome
God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your
ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now,
day and night.” (Neh. 1:4–6)
Nehemiah was experiencing a prayer burden.
A prayer burden can be defined as a strong motivation to pray for others and to carry the needs of others
before God in prayer until God responds.
The Bible has a great deal to say about burdens. We are to bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2). We are to
go the second mile in helping another person (Matt. 5:41). We are subject to God's punishment if we place burdens
upon others (Amos 5:11; Matt. 18:6–7). Much of our ability to bear natural burdens is derived from developing our
ability to carry spiritual burdens in prayer.
A burden of prayer is marked usually by a sense of spiritual weight—a heaviness of heart, a drag on one's emotions,
a spirit of mourning, or a feeling of restlessness that arises because we can't seem to shift ourselves away from
a problem or need that has come to our attention.
What the Word Says
Bear one another's burden, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal. 6:2)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. (Matt. 5:41)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in
the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion,
making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. (Jude 20–23)
What the Word Says to Me
• Can you recall a time in your life when you have experienced a prayer burden? How did the burden feel to
you? How did you respond? What was the result?
The Source of Burdens
Burdens tend to arise from one of three sources. First, a burden may be the result of a self-inflicted error,
sin, or guilt. This type of burden could be called a “burden of conviction.” The Holy Spirit allows us to feel
the full weight of our sin and guilt. The antidote for this type of burden is to confess our sin to God, receive
His forgiveness, and move forward in our lives, relying on the Holy Spirit to help us turn away from the error
or sin that has weighed us down.
Second, a burden may come from the negative thinking or behavior of another person. We may find ourselves
depressed under a load of guilt that another person tries to lay on us, or angry over another person's negative
behavior. Our best response to this type of burden is to ask God to deal with the other person, to forgive us for
anything we may have done (known or unknown), and to help us withstand the persecution. Jesus gave clear instructions
about how we are to deal with those who persecute us: we are to have an attitude of love toward them, pray for
them, speak well of them, and do good to them. (See Matt. 5:44.)
Third, a prayer burden may come from God. In these cases, God is desiring to get our attention about
something so we will pray about it. The burden may be triggered by something that somebody else says or does. In
the case of Nehemiah, God used messengers from Jerusalem to tell Nehemiah about the brokenness of God's people
and city. The burden to pray, however, came directly from God. God was calling Nehemiah to zero in on the problems
at hand and to pray … so that God could act!
God does not act in many situations because we do not pray. God gave us free will and He will not override our
free will, which includes our ability to choose sin and evil over righteousness and goodness. God waits for either
someone who is a co-instigator of the negative situation to cry out to Him for forgiveness or for someone who is
the victim of a negative situation to cry out to Him for mercy. Then He will act.
If you are burdened to pray for another person, God desires to act on that person's behalf. He places the burden
to pray on your heart so He has an opening in the spirit realm through which to move. As you pray, you are allowed
to get in on the blessing that God has for you and for that person through an answered prayer.
All prayer is threefold:
This triangular aspect of prayer is the way God builds up His people to be a people, and not just isolated
individuals who are in relationship with Him. God wants us not only to communicate with Him and be in relationship
with Him, but to communicate and be in relationship with other people. The hallmark quality of this triangle is
to be love.
If God is burdening your heart, He is calling you to get involved in other people's problems and heartaches.
This is part of God's teaching you how better to love others. In turn, God will place a burden on other people's
hearts to pray for you.
Some people who experience prayer burdens may feel physically sick. When they feel down or weary, they turn
to their medicine chest or their easy chair when the proper response would be to pray.
• What new insights do you have into prayer?
The Weight of the Burden
The weight of a prayer burden is determined by two things: first, the magnitude of the situation or need. A
prayer burden may hit with tremendous force, or it may be of lesser intensity but with a nagging persistence over
several days and weeks. Second, the weight of a burden is determined by how quickly God desires to deal with the
situation. Some problems are resolved immediately, others take time.
In either case, our response to a prayer burden must be immediate. We need to turn away from our daily routine
and pray! Nehemiah's response was to sit down and weep as soon as he experienced his prayer burden. If God burdens
your heart to pray about a matter, you may need to excuse yourself from the presence of others, change your itinerary
or schedule, or cancel an appointment or meeting. Don't let anything keep you away from prayer.
• In your experience, have you ever felt an immediate need to pray? What did you do? What was the result?
An Immediate Response
Let me warn you that the devil will launch every temptation to get you to stop praying and go on about your
business. You'll suddenly be reminded of a thousand “important” things you need to do. The phone may ring repeatedly.
You may feel guilt pangs because you are not doing your daily chores. If you have a burden to pray, however, the
most important thing you can do before God is to obey Him and to pray.
What the Word Says
Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, Casting all your care
upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith. (1 Peter 5:6–9)
What the Word Says to Me
The Difference Between Worry and a Prayer Burden
You are experiencing worry when the focus of your concern is on your need, or on how a particular problem
or situation affects you. Worry is always self-centered. A prayer burden is focused on God and what He wants to
accomplish in the life of another person or the lives of a group of people.
If you don't know whether you are worried or feeling a prayer burden, ask God to reveal to you the nature of
what you are experiencing. If your attention is directed to a particular person or situation, God is calling you
to pray for that person. If your attention is solely on yourself and how a problem might affect your life, that's
worry.
• Have you ever experienced a sudden urge to pray for another person? How did you feel? What did you do?
What was the result?
How Long Does a Prayer Burden Last?
The length of time we experience a prayer burden is partly up to us. If we respond immediately to the burden
to pray, then God can begin to work in us and through us more quickly. If we disobey or balk at God's prayer burden,
the burden is likely to linger on and on … until we obey. Sometimes a prayer burden will rest on our hearts for
hours, sometimes for months. Nehemiah's prayer burden lasted “many days.”
A prayer burden will last as long as it takes for God to get us into a position to hear clearly what He desires
us to pray about and toward what end. When we experience a prayer burden, we must listen keenly for Him to tell
us how to pray and what to pray for. A burden lifts when all of the preparation is completed so that God can act.
If the burden is related to a situation in our personal lives, then the process may take some time as God sifts
us and sands us and prepares us and changes us. If the burden is related to a situation in another person's life,
then the burden is likely to last until we pray for precisely what God desires to do and until He has removed all
obstacles from the path. That process may involve important interim changes in the life of another person or in
the course of a circumstance. In Nehemiah's case, the burden lasted until Nehemiah had prayed precisely for the
things God wanted to do and God had changed the heart of the king, through whom the provision was going to be made
for Nehemiah to return and rebuild the city.
Always keep in mind that God has good in mind. Prayer is a good work performed on the behalf of others. It yields
good results because God works all things for good to those who love Him (Rom. 8:28). A prayer burden is an invitation
to be involved in a good process—one that yields a good harvest in both your life and the lives of those for whom
you are praying.
What the Word Says
In my distress I called upon the LORD,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. (Ps. 18:6)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore,
as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Gal. 6:9–10)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning. (Ps. 30:5)
What the Word Says to Me
When to Share a Prayer Burden
If God gives you a burden to pray for a specific person, then you are to pray, not gossip about the person.
You must not share the nature of the burden on your heart until you are free of any criticism related to the person
for whom you are praying, and until God gives you a green light to go to the person for whom you have felt a burden.
Nobody else should be involved. The matter is between you and God and the third party.
Some burdens, however, are collective in nature. For example, each of us should feel a strong burden to pray
for the spiritual state of our nation, as well as for groups of fellow believers whom we know are facing trouble,
crisis, or a major challenge.
Moses and the children of Israel experienced a collective need in the battle they faced with the Amalekites.
Moses knew that his role in the battle was to pray. Aaron and Hur were joined to Moses in this prayer burden. The
benefit came to all of God's people as Joshua defeated Amalek. (See Ex. 17:8–13.)
What the Word Says
Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight
with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses
said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when
Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands
became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands,
one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So
Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. (Ex. 17:8–13)
What the Word Says to Me
The Results of a Prayer Burden
A prayer burden is one of God's methods of cleansing us. As we yield to His call to pray, we will become stripped
of self-centeredness. As we pray, we put ourselves in a position to receive a blessing and to have our faith renewed
and strengthened. We grow in our awareness of God's methods and His plans. Ultimately, we become a force for bringing
about the victory of God over evil. We become agents for good change and increased righteousness.
• What new insights do you have into God's use of prayer burdens?
• In what ways are you being challenged in your prayer life?
From Talking With God: Discover New Insights to Help Deepen Your
Prayer Life by Charles Stanley. Copyright 1997 by Charles Stanley.
