“So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.” – Nehemiah 4:9

In the book of Nehemiah, the Israelites are rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem after they had returned from their exile in Babylon. And as is usually the case, they have enemies who do not want them back in the land. They do not want the city rebuilt and they do not want the Israelites to prosper. These enemies have plotted against Israel and are planning an attack. When Nehemiah heard about this, he did the first and most important thing God’s people can do when facing their enemies: he prayed to the Lord. But what I find interesting about Nehemiah 4:9 is that he did not stop there. He prayed to the Lord, but then he posted a guard. He not only asked for the Lord’s help, but he took practical steps to protect the people.

I think we all have an important lesson to learn from Nehemiah’s example. When we face trials in our lives, we often pray to the Lord, which is the first thing we should all do, but then we fail to post a guard. What I mean by that is, in whatever struggle you are facing (anxiety, addiction, anger, depression, etc.), you should not stop at simply saying a prayer. You need to take practical steps to protect yourself from these enemies. Maybe that means finding an accountability partner, maybe it means talking with your pastor, maybe it means seeing a doctor, or maybe it means seeking professional counseling. None of those things mean we have lost our faith in God. They are just practical steps that we take along the way to make sure the enemy does not catch us off guard.

Almighty God, we need Your protection against the enemy that seeks to destroy. As part of that protection, Heavenly Father, show us how to post a guard in our lives against the attacks the enemy has planned. Show us the most practical steps we can take to keep us safe from the things that have been most destructive in our lives.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon