“Remember me, O my God, for good!” (Neh 13:31). Three times in this prayer, Nehemiah asks the Lord to remember him. Did he think God would forget him?
No. This idea that God remembers His own is common in Scripture. “God remembered Noah” (Gen 8:1) after the flood; He “remembered Abraham” (Gen 19:29) after the destruction of Sodom. “God remembered Rachel” (Gen 30:22) and Hannah (1 Sam 1:19) in giving them sons. When the Israelites groaned in Egypt, “God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (Ex 2:24). What does this mean?
The Hebrew verb is zakar, used in these passages to mean “turned His attention to someone and acted on their behalf.” We know God perceives us at all times. He numbers the hairs of our head; He sees our tears; He knows our thoughts. But there are times when we seek His special intervention. Is this one of those days for you? Then pray with the saints from the past, “Lord, remember me today!”