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Ezra 9:1-10:44
Nehemiah 1:1-2:20

Nehemiah 1:5-6a, “Then I said, ‘O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of unfailing love with those who love Him and obey His commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel.’”

Think

Imagine hearing the news that the home your family grew up in was being torn down and destroyed. What would be your response? That was the situation Nehemiah found himself in. The city of Jerusalem was in danger, and the people who had returned from captivity were in trouble.

There is something to say about Nehemiah and how he responded to this challenging situation. He didn’t get angry or rush to Jerusalem to try and fix the problem on his own. Instead, he mourned for the city and — his greatest response — immediately turned to God. Nehemiah knew the vast power of prayer.

When trouble came, Nehemiah didn’t just sit on the sidelines and wait for someone else to address the problem. And he didn’t immediately jump into action. He stopped and took His grief to God. After prayer, he found the strength to step up and be a leader for the people in Jerusalem. Because of his faith and dependence, God used Nehemiah in mighty ways and answered his prayer by granting him favor with the king, who not only allowed him to go to Jerusalem to fix the wall and rebuild the city but gave him the resources to do so — and it was a massive job!

What are you facing in your life that you need to take to God in prayer? There’s power in bringing your requests to God — who doesn’t want to be the last resort, but a part of your first action steps each day. Is prayer a priority in your life? Learn from Nehemiah’s response and the favor his obedience granted him. Start today, and see God’s guiding hand upon your life!

Pray

Dear God, Thank You for being a personal God who listens to my prayers whenever and wherever. Remind me to bring my requests to You. I want You to be my first response to whatever comes my way. Amen.