Nehemiah: A Model Prayer WarriorSample

Nehemiah, the newly appointed governor, had a God-calling to rebuild the wall surrounding Jerusalem. When God calls - it is more than a fleeting thought - it becomes a burden that you can’t NOT act upon. So it was with Nehemiah - so it is with us today. When God called Nehemiah to build a wall, you can bet it wasn’t just an act of obedience. It was an act of faith and of action. Nehemiah was following a command to protect that which God calls Holy and Sacred - His city upon a hill - Jerusalem.

Walls provide protection. We build walls to protect what is important, dependent, and precious. Walls also define a specific space for a specific group of people and a specific purpose. For example, a school building is a space for children, teachers, and learning. A church building is a space for ministers, congregants, and worship. A house is a space for your family, life, and memories.

Walls point out when something is special or sacred. What is inside the wall is set apart from what is outside the wall. Holy means set apart and consecrated unto the Lord.

What ideas do we set apart as holy? The idea of marriage as a sacrament, a sacred institution, is an idea that has been long-held across religions, cultures, and countries. The idea of children for much of the world is a concept that connotes nurturing, protecting, and pouring into. It may look different in different areas around the world, but the idea that children need care is universal.

This reminds me of years ago when the hubby and I sat down to write out our Family Mission statement. We were focused on two things: our marriage and how we would raise the children God would bless us with. Our family was not yet complete, but we already had ideas and ideals forming in our hearts. We wanted to build walls to protect and nurture the whole child - intellectually, emotionally, physically, and, most importantly, spiritually.

Interestingly, the Bible often refers to the Hebrew nation as the Children of Israel. Good parents will make rules and build walls to help keep their children safe. Likewise, God, our Holy Father, uses the idea of a wall, a boundary, a definitive space in which to nurture and protect His children. God so loved His children that He called Nehemiah and the Israelite nation to build physical walls as an example of the protection He places around those He calls His own. In this time period, walls were wide so that watchmen could stand sentry - a physical presence of protection guarding God’s people through the night. God’s commands are often multi-faceted - and the charge to Nehemiah and his people was no different. God protects those who are His. He did it then - and He’s still doing it today.