What a Burden Will Do (Part 1)

Read Nehemiah 1:1-2:10 for context.

What will a burden do? A burden will cause you to...

• Listen (1:1-3). You may not have a burden that you know of, but one way to identify it is to see what captivates your attention. What do you keep talking about? What do you keep asking about? You listen so you can learn and understand.
• Feel (1:4). What you hear stirs emotion in you. Compassion at first, aggression later. You are moved so much that you must do something.
• Fast and pray (1:4-11). You're not above the people in the situation. No, it's as if you're one of them. Prayer removes pride and exposes false motivation. Prayer positions you to be God's servant instead of man's hero. This prayer is based upon God's Word. That's the source of your authority.