As we’ve noted on previous days, Nehemiah became aware of the broken down state of Jerusalem and the despair of its inhabitants, and his heart was moved—he cared. His grief over the city and the Jewish people drove him to his knees. He pleaded with the great and terrible (awe-inspiring) God. When He prayed, He reached out to the covenant God, the One who promised to never leave nor forsake His people. He begged for mercy (compassion) for the ones who loved Him and strove to follow His commandments.

I love that Nehemiah didn’t run off making plans on his own to rebuild the city. For him, prayer wasn’t a last resort when all human efforts failed; prayer was his first course of action. What a wonderful example for us to follow. We can get caught up emotionally, as Nehemiah obviously was since he wept and mourned, but we must exercise caution not to let emotion lead the way. So this is step three in making a difference: Seek God’s guidance.