My propensities to “fix” problems often sets my body in motion to calm my racing mind. But when my hands are no longer busy, and my feet have stopped moving, I often feel helpless. But then, I’m reminded there is still something I can do. I can make a difference through prayer. Prayer gives me a chance to move from helpless to hopeful. From defensive to offensive. From powerless to powerful!
Nehemiah was miles from home when he heard Jerusalem’s walls were broken down and her people were in trouble and disgrace. The walls protected the city. Without walls, the people were defenseless and prey to their invading neighbors. With walls, they were a fortified city–safe and secure. Therefore, the walls had to be rebuilt. But what could he do so far away from home?
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, 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:
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.
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.
Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
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.
Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
Neh 1:11 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. Nehemiah 1:4-11
Prayer changes things.
So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. Nehemiah 6:15
Picture courtesy of Pixabay. Design by Levi Johnson
If you are familiar with Nehemiah’s story, you know this wasn’t an easy task. They were constantly dealing with their enemies.
They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. Nehemiah 4:17-18
Like Nehemiah, we need to pray for our cities. We need to pray for the sins of our country. We need to turn our face to God and seek His counsel. And then we need to put feet to our prayers and make a difference in our communities.
Will you continue to join with me and build a wall of prayer around our nation? Together, we can make a difference!
Of course, he had heard the story many times, but seeing it, brought it to life. Through the animated characters, he was able to experience their struggles and heartaches. So much so, that he wanted the captive set free even if he had to do it himself! “Take that, mister!” But nothing prepared him for the wall-to-wall deliverance in the final scene.
Gail Johnson 