Written by Suzanne Benner
“O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people Israel.”(Nehemiah 1:5-6a)
In these verses Nehemiah’s heart breaks over the state of his beloved people and homeland. In the first chapter of this book, we hear his heartfelt prayer; his words teach us about prayer.
In the verses above, Nehemiah acknowledges God’s greatness and asks for His help. Let’s listen to the rest of his prayer: “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.” (Nehemiah 1:6b-7)
