WHEN NEHEMIAH heard about the conditions in Jerusalem, he did not immediately go to work to rebuild the walls, but he cried. He mourned. He fasted. He got ready to pray and he prayed that God would hear his prayer.

He began by praising God for His love and faithfulness in keeping His word. He asked God to hear his prayer. He confessed his sins and the sins of his people. Then he reminded God of the promise He made to Moses to bless the Israelites if they were willing to return to Him. Finally, he asked God to give him favor as he went before the king.

There is a message for us in Nehemiah's procedure. Do we prepare for our time of prayer? If we only talk to God on the run, we miss the being still, the thinking through.

Let us learn to be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).