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Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.(James 1:22)

In Nehemiah 13:10–14, Nehemiah faced a problem I’ll call the problem of financial fiasco. I like the way verse 10 begins: “I also discovered.” That tells me that he was looking. A leader keeps his eyes open! Nehemiah discovered something that was wrong:

Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away. (Nehemiah 12:43)

Nehemiah ordered everyone on the wall and up they came by the dozens. Ezra led the first choir, while Nehemiah directed the second choir; so we have Ezra on one side of the city’s wall and Nehemiah on the other side.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. (Proverbs 17:22)

If happiness were a disease, none other would be more contagious. If you laugh often, if you’re making life fun, if you’re never very far from a smile, you’ll have no trouble encouraging people and making friends. People who really enjoy life are always, always in demand.

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. (Colossians 3:23–24)

For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. (Hebrews 6:10)

There is another body of names and faces equally deserving of our praise. They are the lesser lights, the forgotten heroes, the unknowns, the “nobodies” who paved the way for the “somebodies.” Without these willing unknowns, no leader can ever carry out his or her calling. But how easy it is to forget them.

They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the LORD our Lord....“We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.” (Nehemiah 10:29, 39)

There are some very simple—but life-changing—principles that I glean from the verses in Nehemiah 10. The first is that serious thought precedes any significant change. You never change areas of your life that have not been given serious thought. We need to schedule some quiet times in our lives, times for thinking and reflection.

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5)

How difficult it is to find a person who thinks first and then acts! Most of us usually do the opposite. Equally difficult is helping people maintain proper priorities and to use time wisely.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

As we approach the topic of prayer, let’s begin with an assessment. Carefully consider the following five questions...but before you do, make a commitment. Commit to telling yourself the honest truth, no matter how uncomfortable it feels. Unless you reveal them, no one will ever know your answers except the Lord.

“You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.” (Nehemiah 9:6)

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. (Psalm 119:1)

When we get beneath surface facts and start to traffic in the realm of in-depth truth, two things usually happen: we walk in greater obedience, and we discover genuine happiness. The leaders in Nehemiah’s day experienced both.

They found written in the Law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month. (Nehemiah 8:14 NASB)