Nehemiah 1:6—“Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.”
Nehemiah prays from the Persian capital, far from Jerusalem yet deeply bound to its condition. Having acknowledged God’s covenant mercy, he urgently pleads for the Lord to listen and to look upon his prayer. Nehemiah speaks not with presumption, but with holy urgency. He knows that the ruin of Jerusalem is not merely political or military; it is spiritual. Therefore, the first work of rebuilding must begin with a confession of the sins that caused the city's ruin.
Strikingly, Nehemiah prays “day and night” for “the children of Israel.” Though he himself is not responsible for the specific sins that led to exile, he fully identifies with God’s people. He does not distance himself from their failure. Instead, he says, “we have sinned… both I and my father’s house.” True intercessory prayer stands in solidarity with sinners rather than in judgment over them.
Nehemiah names sin honestly. He confesses at the heart, not discomfort in the circumstances. Israel’s trouble is traced back to covenant disobedience, even their failure to keep God’s commandments, statutes, and judgments given through Moses. This is no vague apology; it is a clear acknowledgement that God has been righteous in His discipline. Confession aligns the heart with God’s verdict before seeking God’s mercy.
This prayer teaches us how spiritual renewal begins. Restoration does not start with plans, strategies, or complaints, but with humble confession. God listens when His people stop excusing sin and start owning it. When we pray like Nehemiah—persistently, personally, and truthfully—we place ourselves where grace flows freely. Far from weakening faith, confession expresses trust in God’s restoring work that alone can transform the damage of disobedience into an opportunity for His glory and the good of His people.
