I've previously written about the opposition that had arisen against the building of the wall and repair of its gates in my prayers here and here.

Today I'd like us to focus on our need to continue in prayer day and night as we work because just as was happening in the time of Nehemiah, opposition to God's work is continuing day and night. Throughout the book of Nehemiah we see how the enemies of Israel kept coming back again and again to discourage and dissuade the people of God from the work of building and repair. That's particularly apparent in Nehemiah 4:

Nehemiah 4:6  So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

7  But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. 8  And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. 9  And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.

10  In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” 11  And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” 12  At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.” 13  So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14  And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

Notice that the wall had already been built to half its height, and notice how the people had a mind to work (after being mocked prior to this time). At this point there is real visible progress, and even so the people began to lose perspective, they became fearful and began to despair and wonder if the work could really be completed all due to the continuing attacks of the enemy. I've known that feeling. Have you?

This is a real reminder to us of our need to encourage one another (I wrote on this here on my other blog yesterday) and to continue on in prayer as we work, not only at the beginning of our work but throughout the entire span of our work (which means we ought always to be praying for our work on earth is not completed until our days here on earth are completed!). We must not ever sit back and relax and let down our guard – and we must especially persevere in prayer once we begin to see answers to our prayers. The devil is ready to step in, take advantage when we let down our guard and take a foothold wherever and whenever we give him an opening to do so!

15  When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. 16  From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, 17  who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. 18  And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19  And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. 20  In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

Once more we see here the continuing guard, the day and night diligence we must have as we work, which includes a day and night covering in prayer. So often we can get busy, busy, busy with our work and we neglect to persevere in the necessary work of prayer.

21  So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. 22  I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.” 23  So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.

The work of the devil and his minions is 24/7. That's why Paul told us to pray without ceasing...

Holy and everlasting God,

Make us more and more aware of our need to pray without ceasing. We confess we so often busy ourselves with working and doing and we so easily forget the work of prayer. We think that prayer is a secondary thing, but it is a primary thing. Prayer must undergird, guard and surround all we do. The devil is prowling waiting for an opportune time to come and attack us as we work. May we be steadfast, immovable and abounding in all the work You call us to, and that work includes the work of prayer. May we take heed, lest we fall. When we think we are strong, when we think we can do all things, remind us we have no power, no reserves and no protection unless we continue to root all we do in prayer, that we can do nothing apart from You, but praise God, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! We can build, and we must build, but we must continue to set a guard and protection in prayer. We can plant Your gospel seed, and we must plant, but as we plant, we must continue to water it with prayer.

May we be like the watchmen described in Isaiah, may we never give you rest but continue to intercede to your for guidance, protection and help.

All the day...All the night...

You know our spirits are willing but our flesh is weak.

Yet we know enough to know we must continue in prayer.

Strengthen us, O Lord, to pray, through Your eternal, omnipotent Spirit who dwells in us. You are the God who never ceases in prayer in heaven. You are the God who never ceased to search after us while we were lost sheep. You are the God who is from everlasting to everlasting. You are the God who has the power of an indestructible life. Apart from You we cannot even desire to pray all the day and all the night. So certainly then apart from You we cannot even begin to pray all the day and all the night. These things are possible for us through Your life which dwells in us.

We confess we find time for all sorts of other things, but seem to find little time for prayer. Father, forgive us for quenching Your Holy Spirit and grieving You. Our Father, forgive us for Jesus' sake. We are not our own, but we are Yours. Our lives are hid with Christ in God. Therefore help us to set our minds on things above, to remember we are Your ambassadors here sent to build the wall wherever You send us and we cannot do so apart from continuing in prayer day and night.

Whom have we in heaven but You? You are are guide. You are our protector. You are our help. We confess we often forget we are totally dependent on You for all things. All things. We can do nothing apart from You. Jesus Christ is our life. Your Holy Spirit is our breath. Our Father, we are Your children. We ask You to remind us when we forget, when we begin working and have a zeal to work, but when we do not continue to abide in You and continue instant in prayer. We confess we need Your zeal for prayer.

When we do not draw our strength from You in prayer, our labor will be in vain, for it is not being done in You. Forgive us, O Lord, when we forget, and draw us back to You once again, take us to our knees in utter dependence on You, the Chief Shepherd. How can the sheep do or know anything apart from the Lamb who bought us, the Lamb whose lives indwells us, the Lamb who is seated at the right hand of the throne of God in heaven interceding for us? Forgive us, good Shepherd, when we forget You. May we continue in prayer without ceasing. May we continue in prayer day and night at Your throne of grace. Lord Jesus, You are continuing there on our behalf. Our Father, we know You are waiting to hear our prayers. Your Spirit longs to pray along with us there.

We come to You, our Father, in the Name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. While we continue to work strengthen us to continue in prayer without ceasing, to continue in prayer day and night...all the day, all the night...so we might see Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. So Your Kingdom might come in greater measure here in our own lives, in our churches, in our communities, in our countries, to the ends of the earth, as well as in the blogging communities of Xanga and Revelife. We long for the Church to be a praise in the earth. We long to see the earth filled with Your glory, O Lord. Amen.

Over the past several posts here, we've been reading through/reflecting on/praying through the book of Nehemiah. Please see my posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

On my other blog, I've done some posts on how God places the members into the Body of Christ as He wills, so today's prayer follows along on that same theme (e.g. - please see here, here and here).

Nehemiah was God's ordained leader sent by God to seek the welfare of God's people. He was grieved to hear of and then see Israel and the city of Jerusalem a reproach and in distress. God had put it into Nehemiah's heart to go to Jerusalem to lead the people in rebuilding.

Whenever there are ruins in the Church, God calls some to lead His people in rebuilding. Sometimes God's Church has gotten so low, so terribly low, that we barely resemble the New Testament Church, but thanks be to God because God's love for us in Jesus Christ is persevering, His good hand continues to be on us, and He raises up such men and women to lead His people in His way and His time, and then He puts it into the heart of His people to become engaged in the work of rebuilding. Very often that work of intercession for revival has begun with a couple people in very unlikely places (please see my posts here and here). We know the Lord Jesus told us that where two are three are gathered in His Name, He is in the midst. We also know that God's arm is not shortened that it cannot save. God is not limited by numbers (e.g. - consider the mustard seed, the leaven, the story of Gideon – please see here).

I will confess there have been times I've become discouraged because sometimes it seems there are only two or three praying (even less), yet God keeps reminding me there are others who are unseen (like He reminded Elijah). He also reminds me it's not about numbers, and that very often numbers serve to obscure His glory. First and foremost God wants hearts surrendered to Him and devoted to Him and His glory. God is seeking our unwavering obedience and our continuing prayers no matter what we might see. May we persevere in faith in approaching His throne of grace knowing no matter whether we see God's hand move mightily in His Church in our lifetimes or not, He hears our prayers and is pleased with us. Let us not seek results but continue to seek His face in spite of what we might see. May we walk by faith and not by sight. May we be found at our time of death on our knees as David Livingstone was, whose whole body was worn out beyond imagination but His heart and mind and soul remained wholly devoted to the service of His Savior.

God is seeking souls who will obey His call to them and persevere in that calling by faith. He is seeking souls who see their own poverty and neediness as well as that of the Church, souls which will continue to come to the throne of grace asking for His Church to be restored and revived. God will never fail to hear our prayers when we are seeking Him and His Kingdom and seeking that His Church be revived by His power to His glory alone.

I have been continuing to pray God would set watchmen on the wall:

We look at how Nehemiah was strategic in placing people in chapter 4:

In the same way God places people in the Body of Christ. He is calling some of His people to be intercessors, to be watchmen on the wall, those who will give Him no rest until He establishes His Church and makes us a praise in the earth.

Lord Jesus,

Nehemiah heard Your voice calling him to go to Jerusalem. We praise you for his example of obedience, dedication to and love for You and Your will and Your people. Yet we cannot forget that the wall was not built by Nehemiah alone. The people of Israel responded to Your voice to the work of building and defending.

We are so tempted to hand over the work of Your Church to a few leaders like Nehemiah, but let us never forget that You have called and equipped each one of us to walk in particular works to Your glory. We are all ministers. We pray we might have ears to hear where You are stationing us on the wall and that we might respond in willing obedience as Your Holy Spirit works in us.

You are the head of the Church, the head of the Body. You died so we might live to you. You have gifted each one of us differently. Your Father has ordained works for each one of us to walk in. Though all are called to prayer, there are some of us whom You have ordained to the work of intercession. Others have been called to other works in Your Kingdom. There are many members with many gifts and many callings, but one purpose: to seek the welfare of Your Church and to bring You glory. We are many members but we are called to work together as one man with one mind to Your glory. I am praying You would open ears to hear Your call. We can get distracted in doing many good works, but they may not be the works You have ordained for us. Give each one of us ears to hear Your voice, so we might know where You are stationing each of us. Give each one of us hearts to obey Your voice.

May we rejoice in the works You are calling each of us to do and treasure the high privilege it is to be involved in Your work here on the earth. May we not neglect using our gifts as You are calling us. May we seek to glorify You and steward all You have given us to build up the Church once again.

I pray Your mighty resurrection power would keep each of us persevering by faith with joy in the places You have stationed each one of us in the work of building and defending Your Church. Like Israel, we too will meet opposition. Keep us strong, steadfast, immovable abounding in Your work. We can be certain that our labor in You is not in vain.

Thank You for saving us and calling us to Yourself and making us a people when we were not Your people. Thank You for showing us mercy when we knew no mercy. Your love, grace and mercy never fail to astound us. In light of Your manifold mercies shown us in Jesus Christ, through His Spirit who dwells in us, may willingly and joyfully offer ourselves to You as living sacrifices for that is our reasonable service, our acceptable worship. We were made to serve You, to worship You. May You keep us in Your yoke, in harness for You wherever You station us on the wall, Lord Jesus, just as You finished all the work Your Father gave You to do.

Amen.

A few days ago I wrote how God put it on my heart last year to pray for revival and to call others to pray as well.

I've been rereading some of the prayers posted here at tent of meeting, both the guest prayers posted here as well as many of the other prayers (comments) offered up here for revival. And with all those I know there have been countless other prayers offered up that have not been posted here.

I have to stand amazed at what God has been doing here. I thank God for each of you and for the prayers you have offered up for revival in the Church. Let us consider that when we pray we are speaking with the living God, the God of all flesh, the God who sits enthroned above the earth!

Though we may not be many, let us not despise the day of small things. Our God is mighty and He continues to work immeasurably above all we can ask or imagine to the praise of His glory for all eternity.

I have been so blessed by those whom God has brought together to this "tent of meeting" and by the many prayers you have offered up for revival. I know some of you, but there are some of you I don't really know well, and there are others I don't really know at all.  But I do know that God knows you all. He sees us and welcomes us all as we seek His face in prayer and for Jesus' sake, He hears our prayers as we pray according to His will.

As I thought about this I couldn't help but wonder: If I have been blessed so much by what is happening here, how much more is our Lord blessed when we all come to Him in prayer? The Lord Jesus Christ died for us so we might seek our Father's face in prayer, to enter into His glorious presence with boldness and confidence, so we might not to be anxious about anything, but that we might instead cast our cares on Him, including our cares about His Church. Many of us have great cares about the Church because God has opened our eyes to see the ruins in the Church, including those in our own lives. As children of God when we avail ourselves of the high privilege of prayer purchased for us at Calvary, is not our God blessed and glorified beyond what we can imagine? Christ died in order that dead, lifeless sinners like us might be made alive and holy and sanctified and able to enter into loving fellowship with God the Father without fear. How He must rejoice that we are coming to commune with Him in the most holy place and intercede for His Church! (Please see my post about treasuring the blood-bought privilege of prayer.)

In the past few days it's struck me how truly wonderful the work is God is doing among us. I've come to see in a greater way the privilege (and responsibility) we have in coming together in prayer. We have had brothers and sisters in Christ coming to this website from all around the world, from all across the Body of Christ, seeking God's face in prayer. The grace of God, the love of God and the Spirit of God have been compelling us, working in us do will and do to His good pleasure, so we might come together into the presence of God with one mind and one heart and seek Him. We come with one plea, the blood of Jesus. We all admit we are poor and needy, yet we come with with a holy boldness to ask Him to revive us again for we know His desire for His people is that we be alive and bright and shining forth His glory and praise throughout the earth. We are in desperate need of revival through His sovereign Spirit.

As I've been reading in Nehemiah, I think I may have felt like Nehemiah as he looked out and saw the wall being rebuilt and the gates being repaired, as he saw everyone working and doing repairs on his specific area on the wall. It is an amazing thing to stand back and see any group of people being like-minded about anything. And how much more glorious it is when the people of God come together, in this case to seek God's face in unified prayer, with one mind. By the grace of God at work in us, we are attempting to put aside our own interests to seek that the glory of God be restored to the Church once again as we pray for the restoration, renewal and revival of His Church, starting with ourselves. How wonderful it is that the one God and Father of us all has been calling some members of His Body to be watchmen, to seek His face in prayer on behalf of His Church for the sake of His holy Name.

Like Paul, I have great joy and rejoicing (yes, my eyes are tear-filled now) to think of all of you coming together in His Name to seek His face on behalf of His Bride. Certainly it gives our Father joy to see His children unified for the sake of His Name, for the sake of His Gospel, for the purpose of unified prayer for His Church. My continuing prayer for us is that our Lord would keep us of the same mind, having the same love and remaining in full accord and of one mind. May our good Shepherd protect, guard and guide us as we continue to seek His face in prayer for revival.

Prior to these verses about our having the same mind and the same love, Paul wrote:

Let's make no mistake about it: Prayer is striving. Though we are not striving physically side by side like the Israelites who repaired the wall in Jerusalem, we are striving spiritually side by side. Paul wrote that we ought to be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit. As we come together to the throne of grace as one Body we are maintaining that God-imparted unity. Truly we are showing that

Though we are not physically repairing, prayer is work. Isn't it sometimes harder to lift a prayer than to lift a brick or hammer a nail? We are laboring against powers and principalities in the heavenly realms. The other day I wrote here about some of the opposition Nehemiah and Israel met in rebuilding the wall and how we should not be surprised when we meet with similar opposition.

We must remember that anytime we seek the welfare and well-being of the children of God (see Neh. 1:10), we know there will eventually be opposition and we will be tempted to be frightened. I am praying God would keep the vision clear and the passion fiery in the hearts of those of us He has called to this ministry of intercession. I am also praying God's Holy Spirit would continue to implant that calling even more deeply in our hearts, so it might bear abounding fruit of persevering and zealous prayer for revival. From time to time we all have our vision dim and our passion flicker, yet our God is gracious and merciful to us and never fails to call us back to Him so we might walk in all the works He has ordained for us.

One of the devil's favorite tactics is to bring about dissension and division within the Church of God. May we never divide over nonessentials to our faith, yet may we never compromise on the essentials. And may our God give us love in all things. (For more on that, please see my post here.)

I am praying our heavenly Father would continue to call and raise up more watchmen to join us on the walls. His eyes run to and fro across the earth. There are people from all around the world who have come to visit this website. I am praying God might use our prayers to spur those He is calling on to concerted prayer, either here or elsewhere. May He put a desire to pray in their hearts as He has ours, and may all of us continue to seek His face together in prayer side by side striving on the walls...being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

May Almighty God strengthen us and sustain us so we might labor in our particular places on the wall and pray without ceasing. The Lord Jesus Christ, our great high priest, intercedes for us without ceasing at the right hand of the Father. Our God neither sleeps nor slumbers. May Christ's eternal Spirit help us and work in us so we take no rest and give Him no rest. May He strengthen us mightily to persevere in prayer. Though we will work and labor hard, may we gain our needed strength from remaining in Christ's easy yoke and then work out what He is working in us. Our God will never fail to provide all we need. May we all be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Lord God, complete in each of us the work You have begun. We long to see ourselves and Your Church revived. Please establish Your Church once again and make us a praise in the earth to Your glory alone.