In Nehemiah chapter one, we see that Nehemiah was brought a very bad report on the city of Jerusalem.  The city lay in ruins.  A burden rose up in Nehemiah and he became passionate about the need of the people.  We must feel a burden for people in order to be effective in prayer.  God wants us to go beyond normal prayer and be intercessors.  That means to stand in the gap for the person we are praying for when they cannot stand in the gap for themselves.  Not only did Nehemiah catch the burden but he acted on that burden.  We must be willing to step out and act on the burden.  Nehemiah caught a burden to reach the city.  This is a burden we too should carry.

     Another thing we must do in order to be effective in prayer is to find favor with the King.  Nehemiah found favor with the king and was sent to act on his burden.  With God’s favor we will find favor with men and everything else will fall into place.  

      Nehemiah knew what Jerusalem could become.  When we look beyond the circumstances and look through God’s eyes things look different.  Then faith will rise up inside of us.  In chapter four we see that opposition began to rise up against Nehemiah.  There will always be opposition when we are rebuilding something for the Lord.  The enemy will do anything he can to destroy it.  Our God is bigger than anything that the enemy sends our way.  We need to begin to pray like never before.  2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”