Rebuilding the Walls

We look around and see things being exposed and people turning away from the truth of the word and we ask the Lord what is happening? I believe we have sung "Refiner's fire, my heart's one desire" so many times that the Lord is taking us at our word and turning up the heat. We can no longer hide those things that fly in the face of God. He is removing the dross, exposing the darkness, rooting out, pulling down those things that are not of Him. He told Jeremiah after this was done the building and the planting would follow (Jer. 1:10).

Nehemiah was a man who knew how to build and to plant. When he heard about the state of the walls of Jerusalem he wept, prayed and fasted. He came before the Lord to praise Him, to acknowledge His greatness and His faithfulness in keeping His promises. Nehemiah identified himself with the sins of Israel and confessed them before God. Identificational repentance is a key to rooting out and tearing down the strongholds and footholds of the enemy. He reminded the Lord of his promises to Moses and to the people. There are many promises for us in the word of God, a rich inheritance of blessings.

He then asked for favour with the king. We know God's hand was at work because in Ezra 4:21, we see that the king had sent a letter telling the people to stop building the wall. The Lord has perfect timing and when the time was right, Nehemiah found favour with the king to go and rebuild. God's timing is everything. When we try to build before the Lord has finished tearing down, we will not make progress.

Nehemiah did a reconnaissance trip to check out the damage under cover of darkness and he kept the word the Lord had given him to himself until the strategy was in place. Intercessors need to follow this example. There are many casualties among those who go after principalities and powers without support and reconnaissance. The people built from within and each in front of their own house. Nehemiah used people who knew each other, who worked together and had a heart and a common purpose to repair their defenses so their home was protected.

When the enemy came on with derision, he kept his eye on God and declared, "The God of Heaven Himself will prosper us, therefore His servants will arise and build." We hear so much spoken about the church in a derogatory manner. This is a tactic of the enemy to cause us to give up, to see the situation as hopeless. Nehemiah exhorts the people, reminding them that God is far greater than any enemy. They needed to fight for their brethren, sons, daughters, wives and houses. The people were armed, they watched and worked, and the walls were rebuilt.

I believe the Lord is saying to the church that he has set watchmen on our walls who will never hold their peace day and night. These watchmen are intercessors. There is a call to intercessors to arise and take their place; the trumpet is sounding a warning, and time is short.

In Nehemiah 3, we see a description of the groups who are doing the building. The phrase, "next to them," occurs many times. People were working shoulder to shoulder with a common purpose. This is what we would like to establish across this nation: prayer groups praying shoulder to shoulder, to build and to plant and prepare for the greatest harvest of evangelism ever seen. I find it interesting that the walls (defenses) were rebuilt, the gates (authority) hung, and then they set about repopulation. I believe that is what the Lord is doing: putting His church in order and readying us to receive the harvest. He is building a church of living stones to move in the 21st century with power and authority.

This is a call to intercessors and prayer groups who would be willing to connect and pray for renewal, for the ARM board, for specific requests and for those leaders whose hearts are to see the church arise to fulfill its redemptive purpose in God.
Please contact me if you feel the Lord is leading you to do this.