How was Nehemiah called by God?

Answer 1

Upong hearing from his friend that his home land had been destroyed, Nehemiah immediately recognized his role in rebuilding the city of Judah. He confessed and repenteted of his and of the children of Israel's sins before; fasted and prayed for God to open his ears and his eys to hear his prayer. God gave him favor with the king who was Nehemiah's boss and made it possible for Nehemiah to return home to rebuild the city and the wall around the city of Judah.

So, the short answer to the question is that Nehemiah was called by God in nehemiah's spirit. Please read his prayer below and it will all make sense.

Nehemiah 1:1-11 (Nehemiah's Prayer to God)

1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certainmen of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

5 ¶ And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

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.

7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

Anya

Answer 2

God used news about the people who had been left behind in Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity.

Nehemiah 1:3 And they said to me, "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire."

Nehemiah was concerned about the state of Jerusalem and he prayed:

Nehemiah 1:4 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.

The king, Ataxerxes, noticed Nehemiah was concerned about something and when Nehemiah told him about the state of Jerusalem the King gave Nehemiah permission to return to Jerusalem and see for himself what state the city was in.