We're not told exactly how long this went on, but some estimate that it could have been at least four months. He was so focused on the plight of his fellow Jews that he refused to eat—at least on a regular basis—and devoted hours and days to prayer (see v. 4). Think for a moment what this means! Nehemiah had access to the king's kitchen and the most exquisite food and drink in the land. How easy it would have been to avoid the Jerusalem problem! Rather than fasting, he could have “eaten away” his