Humility in Prayer

Nehemiah 1:4    Nehemías 1:4
    "Al escuchar esto, me senté a llorar; hice deulo por algunos días, ayuné y oré al Dios del cielo."
    "So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven."

    Nehemiah was heartbroken for his people. Hearing the news of their hardship genuinely caused him grief and suffering. He fasted and prayed, not before men, but before God.
    There is something very humble in this first chapter of Nehemiah. It begins with simply his name and the fact that he’s writing this. Then he fasted and prayed no doubt silently, and without show or boast before men.
    His prayer which is recorded, is also very humble. It is very respectful and exalting to God. He does not deny his own guilt, or that of his people, and then he gently begs God to remember His promise to the Isrealites.
    He ends the chapter with his station, cupbearer to the king. Apparently, this is a very high position to be in at the time. Had this been written in modern times, no doubt, the author would have seen his position of power as an important tool of rhetoric. The modern author would have put his station at the beginning when introducing himself, and maybe would have added a little something of the power that job involved. But we don’t see that here. In fact, it’s kind of thrown in there in a way that makes me think that it would not have been added except that it was necessary to understand the story.
    I need to be careful not to boast, and to be humble before man--but more importantly before God especially in my prayers.