Prayer Call: Stay on the Wall

Nehemiah 6:3 – “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.”

Hey BFB,

We’re continuing our study through the book of Nehemiah, and this week I want us to lean into something I believe every believer needs to hear right now: Stay on the Wall! As we’ve been walking through the idea of what it means to Rebuild with God, we’re also tapping into what it means to be a real, functioning member of the body, not just someone who attends church, but someone who helps build the church, spiritually and practically. This is part of how we live out our commitment as church members (not as spectators) but as servants.

This week, I want to invite you to spend some quiet time in Nehemiah chapters 4-6. There’s so much there about leadership, courage, opposition, and endurance. But I want to zero in on one verse that has ministered to me over and over again:

“I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.” (Nehemiah 6:3)

Opposition Always Shows Up
Whenever you decide to move forward in obedience, distractions and opposition won’t be far behind. Opposition is inevitable, but I believe opposition is not a sign that you’re outside God’s will. In fact, it’s often evidence that you’re right where God wants you to be. Our opposition may not look like armies surrounding a city, but it comes in different ways: The criticism that makes you question if you’re qualified. The temptation that pulls you away from God’s plan. The discouragement that whispers, “Why bother? It’s not worth it.”

Nehemiah was doing the work God gave him, rebuilding a wall that represented God’s faithfulness and His people’s identity, but the enemies of that work started making noise.

They mocked.
They threatened.
They lied.
They schemed.

Sound familiar? You may not have a Sanballat or a Tobiah outside your door, but let’s be real. We’ve all faced moments when discouragement, fear, criticism, or temptation showed up just when we were trying to do right. And in those moments, I argue that we should model two traits of Nehemiah to Stay on the Wall. We should have:

1. Prayerful Dependence
One thing I love about Nehemiah is how he mixes prayer and strategy. He doesn’t just pray instead of acting. He prays and acts.

Nehemiah 4:9: “We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night.”

That’s how we live this thing out: we cover the work in prayer, and we still do the work. You might be a parent praying for peace in your home and setting boundaries. A student praying over exams and studying with diligence. A ministry leader praying for breakthrough and showing up when it’s hard. Don’t underestimate the power of praying while you build. It keeps your hands steady and your heart aligned. When life gets hard, prayer must be our first response, not our last resort. Prayer is what turns fear into faith.

Focused Obedience
When the enemy tried to lure Nehemiah away from his assignment, he gave one of the most powerful responses in all of Scripture:

“I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.”

Nehemiah knew the value of his assignment, and he refused to be pulled into foolishness, distractions, or fear. There’s something you’re building right now. It may be in your family, in your faith, in your character, or even in BFB. Whatever it is, I know that it is too important to abandon.

Distractions come in all forms: busyness, unhealthy relationships, or the pressure to answer every critic. But like Nehemiah, we must stay focused on the assignment God has given us.
Your marriage is too important to come down. Your children are too important to come down. Your ministry is too important to come down. The call of God on your life is too important to come down. You don’t have to fight every critic. You don’t have to chase every distraction. You just have to stay focused on the great work God has put in your hands.

Keep Building 
Nehemiah teaches us that perseverance is not about ignoring opposition, but about staying focused on God in the midst of it. When distractions rise, we must keep praying. When critics speak, we must keep building. So when you feel pulled away from God’s call, declare with confidence: “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.”

I challenge you this week to take a few moments to identify one distraction, doubt, or discouragement you’re facing.

1. Write it down.
2. Pray over it daily.
3. And every time it tries to pull you down, say it out loud: “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.”

STAY ON THE WALL BFB!!!

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