What happened as a result of Nehemiah's silent prayer before the king?
While standing before the king, Nehemiah silently prayed to the God of heaven. God, who reads thoughts like an open book, saw and heard that prayer. As a result, the king granted Nehemiah permission to go back to Jerusalem, answering the request he made in the king’s presence.
Les explains that Nehemiah stood before a powerful oriental king and was afraid, especially when the king noticed something was bothering him. The king asked Nehemiah what request he wanted to make. Nehemiah then prayed to the God of heaven, but he did not pray audibly in front of the king; he prayed silently. Les points out that God reads our thoughts and knows them like an open book, so God saw and heard Nehemiah’s silent prayer. As a result, Nehemiah was given permission to go back to Jerusalem.