Di Prayer of di King Cupbearer

One servant dey pour wine for di most powerful king for earth. Im hands steady. But im face show wetin dey im heart. Di king look up and ask, why you dey sad like dis? And di servant get only about one breath to pray.

Nehemiah na Jew, wey dem born for exile, wey dey live far from Jerusalem for Susa, one of di royal cities of di Persian empire. E get one important work. Na im be cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. Na im dey serve di king wine, and dem trust am to stand near di king every day. Na di month of Kislev, for di beginning of winter. Some men come from Judah, and one of dem na Nehemiah own brother, Hanani. Nehemiah ask dem quick: how our people wey survive di exile dey? And how Jerusalem dey? Di answer break im heart. Di people wey dey there dey for big trouble and disgrace. Di wall of Jerusalem don break down, and dem don burn im gates with fire.

When Nehemiah hear dis one, e sit down and cry. For many days e mourn. E fast and e pray before di God of heaven. And we get im prayer. Lord, God of heaven, di great God wey dey make person fear, wey dey keep im covenant and im love wey no dey fail with di people wey love am and keep im commands. Make your ear dey open and your eyes dey open, to hear di prayer wey your servant dey pray, day and night. Then e confess. We don sin against you. Me and my papa family don sin. E no blame other people. E include imself. And then e remind God of im own promise to Moses. If your people no dey faithful, I go scatter dem. But if dem return to me, even from di farthest end of di sky, I go gather dem and bring dem to di place wey I don choose. Lord, e pray, make your servant succeed today. Give am mercy for di presence of dis man. Dis man na di king. Because na me be di king cupbearer.

Months pass. Kislev turn to di month of Nisan, for spring. Nehemiah don dey pray for all dat time. One day, e bring wine give di king. And for di first time ever, e look sad for di king presence. Di king notice. Why your face dey sad, when you no dey sick? Dis one fit only be sorrow of heart. Nehemiah write: fear catch me well well. Servant suppose look happy for di king front. But e answer with truth. Make di king live forever! Why my face no go dey sad, when di city where dem bury my ancestors don turn ruin, and dem don burn im gates with fire? Then di king ask di question wey Nehemiah don dey pray about for months. Wetin you want? And Nehemiah write one short line. So I pray to di God of heaven.

One silent prayer, for one blink of eye. Then e talk. If e please di king, and if your servant don find favour for your eyes, send me go Judah, to di city where dem bury my ancestors, make I build am again. Di queen dey sit near di king. Di king ask: how long your journey go take, and when you go come back? E please di king to send am, and Nehemiah give am time. Then Nehemiah, wey don clearly think am well, ask for more. Letters to di governors for di other side of di river Euphrates, so dat dem go allow am travel reach Judah safely. And one letter to Asaph, di man wey dey keep di king forest, so dat e go give timber for di gates of di fortress near di temple, for di city wall, and for di house where Nehemiah go live. And di king give me wetin I ask, Nehemiah write, because di good hand of my God dey on top me.

Royal cupbearer for Persia no be ordinary servant. Di Greek historian Herodotus talk about one Persian nobleman wey im name na Prexaspes, wey im son serve as cupbearer to King Cambyses, and e call am honour wey no small. Di cupbearer dey stand near di king every day, dem trust am with di king life, and sometimes e fit talk to di king when other people no fit.

Di prayer of di king cupbearer. You go find dis story for Nehemiah chapter one, and chapter two, verse one reach eight. Months of prayer for secret, one quick prayer for di moment wey matter, and one king wey talk yes. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin dey break your heart, and you don pray about am before you act?