Nehemiah 4:9 – “Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.”
The book of Nehemiah has a powerful message of revival to our generation. It records one of the most effective revivals and rebuilding projects in the history of Israel. Nehemiah was tasked with rebuilding the broken and burned walls of Jerusalem that had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and his Babylonian armies. These walls had laid in ruin for over seventy years. After seventy years of exile, Israel returned to their homeland to find devastation and ruin.
The walls of protection and safety had been torn down because of sin and neglect. The city was exposed and unprotected from an enemy attack. Nehemiah’s assignment was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and bring spiritual revival to the people of Jerusalem. The purpose of the walls was to protect the people of God from enemy attacks.
Like Nehemiah of old, we have been called to rebuild and revive the old waste places that are a result of our sin. Psalms 85:6 says, “Will you not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he surveyed the damage and set about to rebuild the broken walls. He was immediately met with opposition from the enemies of Israel. Nehemiah 2:10 says, “When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.”
When we set out to complete our assignment we will be met with opposition from the enemy. Jesus spoke these encouraging words in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” How do we rebuild the broken walls? Where do we start? We start on our knees in prayer. James 5:16 says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” J. Sidlow Baxter writes, “Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons – but they are helpless against our prayers.”
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