Praying and Posting a Guard
Nehemiah 4:7-9; Matthew 26:41
Opposition. That is what Nehemiah and God’s people encountered as they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. Their enemies initially mocked and ridiculed the Jews. When that didn’t stop the rebuilding, they plotted to fight against Jerusalem and create fear among the Jews. They eventually tried to intimidate Nehemiah with false accusations and by planning a surprise attack. A key point is that the opposition increased as the work progressed. In human terms, this building project didn’t point to a successful ending.
What was God’s people’s response to this opposition from God’s enemies? Nehemiah and the Jews responded by first praying to their God and then by stationing guards around Jerusalem to watch day and night for an enemy attack. Nehemiah understood that trusting God did not mean failing to take wise, practical precautions. He prayed first and then acted.
These events occurred about 2,500 years ago. Fast forwarding to today, how do we, as individual Christ followers and corporately as a Bible-based church, respond to spiritual opposition in today’s culture? For example, what happens if we take a biblical stand that exposes us to ridicule, or causes us to be spoken of as fanatics, mocked as hypocrites, or despised as fools?
I pray that our first response—and not our last resort—would always be to pray. In Luke 18:1, Jesus said that we ought always to pray and not lose heart. Paul instructs us to devote ourselves to prayer. These passages invite us to always pray first before doing anything else, even before planning or strategizing. When we learn to pray without ceasing, our natural inclination will be to seek the Lord first before acting on what we may think is a great idea or plan. We read this back in Nehemiah 2:4b, when the king asked Nehemiah what he needed after Nehemiah told him the walls of his hometown Jerusalem were burned down. Nehemiah’s response was, “So I prayed to the God of heaven.” Nehemiah’s pattern of praying before acting is a pattern worth holding onto as our church moves forward.
If we know how to pray in faith, we as followers of Jesus have the potential to move heaven and earth. What God has laid before us as a church isn’t for the fainthearted—it’s a huge ask, one only He can accomplish, especially as we come to Him in our weakness and dependence.
Question to Consider
As we grow in our walk with Jesus, will we look for opportunities to invite, encourage, mentor, and serve others?
Prayer Prompt
Pray for courage to draw near to Jesus when spiritual opposition comes your way. He promises to draw near to you in return (James 4:8).
