Prayer Call: Everybody Has a Brick

Good Morning BFB,

As we begin this new week, I want to share what has been stirring in my spirit as God has transitioned us from the book of Ezra into the book of Nehemiah. There’s a single verse tucked away in chapter 3 that might seem minor at first glance, but it leapt off the page and settled in my heart. It holds a powerful truth we can anchor our week in:

Everybody Has a Brick.

Nehemiah 3:12: Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.

We live in a world desperately crying out for transformation. Whether it’s change in our families, renewal in our communities, accountability in our institutions, or healing in the culture at large. The longing is real. I can't help but grieve for the families in Minnesota who are waking up today to a painful reality: their children were stolen from them through senseless gun violence. Yes, God, we want change. We need transformation. And I believe that God is calling Beulah to be part of rebuilding the spiritual and moral walls of this community.

This is the burden I hear in Nehemiah’s voice, the weight he carried in his prayers, and the action he took with his hands. And it’s a truth that we must not miss: Transformation does not begin with talk, and it cannot remain trapped inside sanctuary walls. It must be lived out in the streets, through the calloused hands and surrendered hearts of God’s people.

Ezra was about restoring the heart, bringing people back to worship, repentance, and reverence. But Nehemiah is about activating the hands, mobilizing the community to put feet to their faith and rebuild what had been torn down. It is the theology of blueprints and burdens, of hammers and hope. And none of it is for personal gain. It is all for God’s glory.

So what do we do with a verse like Nehemiah 3:12? In a chapter filled with lists of names and labor, why does this one moment with Shallum and his daughters matter? Because it reminds us of three simple, yet powerful principles we can live by:

1. Build Beside Someone
Throughout Nehemiah 3, the phrase “next to them” appears sixteen times. Don’t rush past that. It’s not filler, it’s divine design. God is showing us that rebuilding is not a solo mission. No one person rebuilt the entire wall. The project moved forward because everyone found their place and worked in partnership with those beside them.

Shallum, a regional ruler, didn’t just give orders. He didn’t retreat to a comfortable position. He picked up tools and got to work; not above the people, but beside them. He modeled what kingdom leadership looks like: proximity, humility, and shared responsibility.

We often try to rebuild our lives, our ministries, or our communities in isolation; emotionally, spiritually, or practically. But Nehemiah reminds us: God’s work flourishes in collaboration, not competition.

Who are you building beside in this season?
Are you lifting up those on your left and right? Are you walking with your family, your ministry, your team or trying to do it all alone? God honors those who show up and link arms. So today, call someone. Text someone. Pray with someone. They need your encouragement, and you need their strength.

2. Bring What You Have
Nehemiah 3:12 tells us that Shallum rebuilt his section of the wall with the help of his daughters. This is a profound and rare detail in the text. In a time when women were often not named in public labor or civil records, this verse breaks that mold. It reminds us that God does not limit calling based on who people expect, but on who is willing.

We don’t know if Shallum had sons. Perhaps he didn’t. Perhaps his daughters simply stepped up. Either way, their willingness mattered more than their title. And that truth still stands today.

So many of us hesitate to participate in the work of God because we feel unqualified or overlooked. We let fear, comparison, or shame disqualify us before we even begin. But Nehemiah reminds us: God is not asking for perfection, He’s inviting participation.

Are you bringing what you have, or are you holding back because you feel unworthy? Let me remind you today...there is a place for you on the wall. Your time, your creativity, your prayers, your service, your faith... they matter.

3. Believe in the Bigger Picture
To the untrained eye, it may have looked like they were just stacking stones. But every brick laid was a declaration of faith and hope. Every gate repaired and beam replaced was a testimony to the restoration of identity, dignity, and purpose. This wasn’t just construction. It was covenant renewal.

The wall was about more than protection. It symbolized identity. Legacy. Belonging. Shallum and his daughters weren’t just rebuilding for themselves. They were investing in something far greater; a future they might never fully see, but were still called to shape.

And the same is true for us. What you’re building in prayer, in consistency, in sacrifice...it may outlast you. It may impact someone you’ll never meet. It may speak louder after you're gone than it does today.

That’s why the work of Beulah Christian Academy matters. That’s why expanding on the Brooks Campus matters. That’s why “Beulah Outside” is more than a service; it’s a statement. A witness. A seed. It’s bigger than what you see on a flyer or calendar. It’s a part of God’s vision to rebuild what’s been torn down in this community.

Are you working with eternity in mind?
Because your faithfulness today could be the foundation of someone else’s miracle tomorrow.

Hear my heart BFB,
You don’t need to build the entire wall.
You don’t need to carry the entire burden.
But you do have a section.
You do have a brick.

Nehemiah 3 reminds us that the kingdom moves forward when ordinary people stand shoulder to shoulder and do extraordinary work together. We build faithfully. We believe fully. We show up consistently.

So today, I encourage you...don’t sit down. Don’t spectate. Don’t shrink back.
Pick up your brick.
Find your section.
Stand beside someone.
And let God use your hands to rebuild what’s broken.

Enjoy this day and always remember...

I love you...and there ain't nothing you can do about it!
FLC