“And [they] conspired, all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.” – Nehemiah 4:8-9
Nehemiah made it to Jerusalem! The king allowed him to go back and help rebuild the broken wall surrounding the city. As difficult as the work was, Nehemiah and the Israelites were determined to accomplish what God had told them to do. There was one problem though – a big problem.
The people who lived in Jerusalem didn’t believe in God, and when Nehemiah showed up with a crew ready to fix the place up, the residents weren’t happy about it. They wanted to stop the renovation before people started hearing about this God that the Israelites served.
They immediately began making fun of Nehemiah and his brethren, saying that their work was trashy, and that even the slightest blow of the wind would knock their wall over. They were cruel – but that didn’t stop Nehemiah. Even death threats wouldn’t sway his determination.
How did he stay strong when dozens of people were rooting for him to fail? He trusted God. Nehemiah never stopped talking to God through prayer, and that close relationship resulted in unwavering loyalty. He knew God was on his side and that God would help him fight his enemies.
That’s how powerful prayer can be in your life. If you stay close to God, you’ll see just how powerful He is, and you won’t be afraid to follow Him no matter what other people say. It’s hard to do the right thing when your friends and the bullies at school make fun of you for it. But God promises to fight on your side. He gives strength and courage in the face of adversity.
When you grow stronger spiritually, much like the wall around Jerusalem became strengthened, there are going to be attacks from Satan and other people. Keep praying! Stay close to God, and He will bring you through to the other side, and you’ll be stronger than you’ve ever been before.