Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net.

Nehemiah chapter 1, verse 4.

As soon as I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days,

and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Oh, this just carries on the theme, doesn't it, of what we've been praying through

in Ezra, like right into Nehemiah after seeing Ezra at the end of the book that bears his name

falling on his face and weeping and mourning over sin and praying and fasting and treating God.

So now, at the very beginning of the book of

Nehemiah to read as soon as he heard about how the walls were broken down around Jerusalem

and the people were in disgrace. He sat down and wept and mourned for days and he continued

fasting and praying before the God of heaven. The same themes here again.

And specifically here, in light of the need that Nehemiah was made aware of,

and the verses right before this, he asked about the people who had returned to Jerusalem,

and he hears verse 3 says,

the remnant there, who has survived the exile, is in great trouble and shame.

The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are destroyed by fire.

And in response to that news about how the people were in such need,

Nehemiah sits down and weeps and mourns and fasts and

praise. And I just wonder if it might be valuable for us, not just in this podcast episode,

but in a broader way to pause and reflect on the needs in our local churches, the needs for health

and peace and joy and strength and focus on mission and focus on God's glory and unity,

so many different things.

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