Nehemiah 1

“As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned …” (v4). Nehemiah reacted dramatically to the fact that God’s people in Jerusalem were in “great trouble and shame.” First, he wept “for days,” and then he prayed. He confessed (v6-7) his own and Israel’s sins, admitting that their unfaithfulness had landed them in this terrible situation. Nehemiah then asked for help based on Israel’s relationship with the Lord: “They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand” (v10).

When we humbly ask for help, God hears us because He is “the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love …” (v5).