A story is told about an English preacher of the 1600s named Thomas Watson. On a certain occasion, a well-known bishop joined the audience as Watson preached. The bishop enjoyed the message so much that he went to Watson’s home afterward to thank him for it. In particular, the bishop had been touched by the preacher’s closing prayer, and he earnestly asked Watson to give him a copy of it. “Alas! that is what I cannot give,” Thomas Watson replied. “It was no studied thing, but uttered as God enabled me from the abundance of my heart and affections.”

It seems evident that Nehemiah had such a prayer life. Over and over in his writing we are privileged to listen in to his moment-by-moment prayers to the God of heaven. When the ruler of Persia asked him a question, Nehemiah prayed before answering (2:4). When the enemies of the Jews conspired against them, Nehemiah led the people in prayer (4:9). When he was slandered publicly, he prayed privately (6:14). After he forcefully rebuked sinning priests and failing people, he prayed quietly for God’s mercy (13:14, 22, 29, 31). Nehemiah would have agreed with Thomas Watson that his prayers were “no studied thing.” They came from the abundance of his heart as he simply told the Lord what was happening at any given moment.

It is wonderful to appreciate that sort of simplicity—to live in the atmosphere of prayer. Prayer should be as natural to the child of God as breathing. Certainly it is good to have a set time for personal prayer; Nehemiah prayed that way too (1:4). It is also essential to meet regularly with God’s people for collective prayer, as the first Christians did (Acts 2:42). But if we cultivate the habit of talking frequently and conversationally with God all through the day, it will be no strange thing to speak with Him on these other occasions.