Nehemiah was very troubled by the news from Jerusalem. Things weren't going well there. He was in exile hundreds of miles away from his homeland and yet he wasn't powerless. He turned to God in persistent prayer. He waited and waited and after around four months God gave him the opportunity to do something practical about it. God gave him hope and so he persisted.
As we pray we should not give up. Allow God to give you hope in your life, by keeping close to Him. Let the perspective of God's immense strength and holiness be seen next to the situations that we all face. Remember Christ in you, the hope of glory.
