Prayer in the face of opposition
21 Days Prayer and Fasting 2025 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Prayer in the face of opposition
It all starts with a burden and a prayer.
Recap: Nehemiah 1:1-3
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
Focus on Nehemiah’s response to the news of Jerusalem’s condition. He wept, fasted, and prayed . This wasn’t just sadness; it was a deep spiritual burden.
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
Before any great work can be done, there must be a heart broken for God and a spirit humbled in prayer.
Prayer in the face of opposition
“How many of you have ever started a project – something you were really passionate about, something you felt called to do – only to run into roadblocks? Maybe it was a home renovation, a new business venture, a community initiative, or even a personal goal like getting healthy. It starts with excitement, vision, and energy… but then the criticism comes. The delays happen. The resources dwindle. Suddenly, it feels like everything is working against you.
It’s easy in those moments to get discouraged, to question if you should even continue. To wonder if it’s worth the fight. But what if I told you that opposition isn’t always a sign you’re on the wrong path? What if it’s a sign you’re on to something important?
Today, we’re going to look at the incredible story of Nehemiah, a man who faced seemingly insurmountable opposition while rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. And we’ll discover that his story isn’t just ancient history; it’s a powerful blueprint for navigating the battles we face today – battles that are often far more spiritual than they appear. Let’s learn how to build our walls, even when the enemy is trying to tear them down, through the power of persistent prayer and courageous action.”
The Opposition Begins:
Sanballat & Tobiah: Introduce the key antagonists. They weren’t just annoyed by the rebuilding; they were actively threatened by it. Their opposition wasn’t logical; it was rooted in a desire to maintain their power and control.
10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
Opposition often reveals what’s truly important to us. (Rework this)
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
Mockery & Ridicule
20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
Acknowledge God and start rebuilding
1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?” 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”
“Feeble” weaklings
In the words of the great philosopher “Taylor Swift” - The haters going to hate, hate, hate.
Sanballat ridiculed the work itself by asking three taunting questions.
“Will they fortify themselves?” How could a remnant of feeble Jews hope to build a wall strong enough to protect the city from the army?
“Will they sacrifice?” implies, “It will take more than prayer and worship to rebuild the city!”
“Will they finish in a day?” suggests that the Jews didn’t know how difficult the task was and would soon call it quits.
When the enemy laughs at what God’s people are doing, it is usually a sign that God is going to bless His people in a wonderful way.
Stop praying your burden prayers. It is useless.
Prayed: God will you go handle this?
4 Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
Another classic tactic of the enemy – demoralize and make you believe it can’t happen.
What do we do now? Get to the work God called you to.
6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
Half its height, it is not done yet.
7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.
When the enemy see your progress, plans are made to disrupt it.
9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
Pray and prepare.
If the opposition says it enough the people start to believe it.
10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
Neh 4:2 Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?
The enemy whispers doubts as we pray and work on our burdened prayers.
Discouragement is a key weapon in Satan’s arsenal. It was discouragement that kept Israel from entering the Promised Land
11 Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.” 12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
The enemy whispers fear when we pray and work on our burdened prayers.
The ppl then spread the fear to others. 10 times?
In his First Inaugural Address, on March 4, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said to a nation in the grip of an economic depression:
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”- President Franklin D. Roosevelt
How do you face the opposition? Head on.
13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.
14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
Don’t be afraid, remember the Lord
14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
and fight.
The work is to important to give up. Fight for your families.
Some of the burdened prayers many people in our church have right now is with their families.
15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.
Get back to the work.
16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other,
What weapon do we employ? Prayer.
1 When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates—2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me;
Stop praying and working so hard.
3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
My burdened prayer it to important. I can’t stop and I won’t stop.
Send the message again and again.
5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king 7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”
Lies and threats. - Sounds a lot like modern day politics to me. blackmail
Trying to manipulate Nehemiah and get him to stop the work from his burdened prayer.
8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” 9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
When opposition builds up against you or God’s work, it is tempting to pray, “God, get me out of this situation.” But Nehemiah prayed for strength. He showed tremendous determination and character to remain steadfast in his responsibility. When we pray for strength, God always answers
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
