In the month of Chislev, which represents the months of November-December, Nehemiah, while in exile, received troubling news about the state of his home country. His response revealed the quality of his leadership. First, his response was identity-based (Nehemiah 1:4). He identified with his fellow Jewish people, and judging from the characteristics of his response, he was not motivated by the forces and drivers of tribal sentiments. Rather, the socio-political news and spiritual state of his nation and people touched him profoundly. Jerusalem was not just a capital city for the Jews but the center of gravity for their spirituality.

Second, Nehemiah was in a place of esteemed position, power, and prosperity. Yet, despite the glamour and trappings of power around him, he never lost his spiritual identity. He was the king’s cupbearer, a position of esteemed eminence in the palace and state functions. He never hid his spiritual identity in the palace, and the king noted it (Nehemiah 2:2). His response showed him as a high government official who never compromised his spiritual identity. Remarkably, he was unashamedly a godly public witness. The palace could have been a hostile context as in the case of Mordecai. But God’s favor was at work for Nehemiah as it was in the case of Esther.

Third, Nehemiah responded with a powerful and exemplary blend of prayer and action. His prayer started with confession, repentance, humble submission to, and dependence on God, the Creator of Heaven and earth. Nehemiah responded in what others have described as a snappy arrow-prayer (Nehemiah 1:2) and the long-stretching arrow-prayer, recorded in chapter 9. He prayed and was willing to be God’s answer to his own prayer.

Fourth, his was a God-centered prayer (Nehemiah 1:5), which mentioned God 34 times by name and pronoun. He equated the state of the nation with obedience to God (Nehemiah 1:4). Nehemiah responded spiritually because he heard and saw things from God’s perspective regarding the state of Jerusalem and her people.

Fifth, Nehemiah revered the King of Heaven above the earthly king. In the month of Nisan, which represents March-April, Nehemiah’s prayer to the King of Heaven led to the earthly king asking him what the problem was, and he prayed again, first to the God of Heaven, before responding to the earthly king (Nehemiah 2:4). His response led to the release of God’s favor, through the earthly king. This teaches us that as believers, our first port of call when confronted with life’s personal and national challenges is to knock on heaven’s door as God has His ways of opening closed earthly doors.