"O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer."

God loves it when we pray and ask for His help and direction. This is especially true when our efforts are focused on making His people and kingdom stronger. Nehemiah comes as a man who works for God. He isn't using prayer to make God his servant by giving God a list of things to do. Instead, God's people's needs make Nehemiah's heart burn. The rest of the book of Nehemiah shows that God loves it when His children pray, when their hearts are set on His people and doing what He wants.