Nehemiah’s name means “Jehovah comforts.” He was a Jewish exile living in Susa, the capital of the Persian empire, serving as “the cupbearer to the king” (Nehemiah 1:1, 11). His brother Hanani and other men came from Jerusalem and reported on the conditions: “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire” (1:3). Nehemiah responded with great concern, “and wept and mourned for days,” “fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Then he prayed this prayer:
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