The Book of Nehemiah
Chapter
4
¹ Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he mocked the Jews.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 1)
Oh God, my Father, the evil one goes crazy when he sees us doing good things according to Your will Amen.
² He said in the presence of his associates and of the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they finish it in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heeps of rubbish-and burned ones at that?
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 2)
Oh God my Father many times sarcasm is used against others in order to criticize and rebuke those with whom we are not in accord. However, when doing so we are focusing on the negative and not on the positive. I pray that we refrain from using such ways and empower others instead of criticizing or reprimanding them unjustly amen.
³ Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "That stone wall they are building-any fox going up on it would break it down!"
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 3)
Oh God, my Father, many times we may think we have a healthy life of prayer, that are lines of spiritual defence are enough to stand the challenges of the evil one, however, in truth, we cannot live without a constant update in your relationship with us Amen. I pray oh God that we remain true and constant in our prayer life and in how we relate with each other which is the barometer of our Catholic and Christian life which based on love towards You and others Amen.
⁴ Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their taunt back on their own heads, and give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 4)
Oh God my blessed Father, instead of praying for the worst to overcome those who do not approve of me or hate me, I pray for them that you heal them from their negative thoughts feelings and wishes that they may be holding against me Amen.
⁵ Do notܑ cover their guilt, and do not let their sin be blotted out from your sight; for they have hurled insults in the face of the builders.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 5)
Oh God my blessed Father, may we always be aware of our sins because if not we may think we are sinless and become proud by ourselves and focus more on our successes than on our sins. I pray that we thank You for our successes and also our weakness, for when we are weak in ourselves we give You the opportunity of showing Your strength in us Amen.
⁶ So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 6)
Oh God my Father when we are united in mind heart and spirit we are a beauty to be seen and we are very productive for the good of humanity, I pray that this sense of unity will always be present in us, I thank You for such a gift Amen.
⁷But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem were going forward and the gaps were beginning to be closed, they were very angry, ⁸ and all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 7 to 8)
Oh God, my father, brothers and sisters, Satan does the same thing to us. On seeing that there is growth in Your relationship with us, this evil spirit causes a crisis in our lives so that we take it against You my God and Father for even though we seem to be living a good and righteous life, we still experience such tribulations. Some may be of the false impression that the closer we get to God or He gets to us which is more correct, the fewer tribulations befall us, however, this is not true because we are works in progress, and works need to be tested and evaluated in order to prove their potential Amen. Thank You, Jesus.
⁹ So we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 9)
Oh God my Father even though it is good to protect our belongings and even more our family, it is even better to protect ourselves from ourselves. It is useful to place a guard over our mouths in order to protect ourselves and others from what we think to do and say Amen.
¹⁰ But Judah said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, and there is too much rubbish so that we are unable to work on the wall."
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 10)
Oh God, my Father I thank You for the wisdom that You give us in order not to place our energy totally on the problem but also on the solution. I thank You for giving us the ability to come up with insight and reflection so that we are able to solve the challenges that the world sets before us, as well as pass the tests that You also set before us for our own good Amen.
¹¹ And our enemies said, "They will not know or see anything before we come upon them and kill them and stop the work."
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 11)
Oh God, this is also what our evil enemies say. Satan sees that we are alienated in our daily life, estranged from our spiritual practice of faith and practice with our guard down. During such a moment of weakness, the evil spirits choose to attack us. Therefore I pray that we be consistent in our life of prayer, in our relationship with God our father, and never let our protective guard down Amen.
¹² When the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times, "From all the places where they live they will come up against us."
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 12)
Our spiritual enemies oh brothers and sisters will also attempt to attack us from all sides, therefore we are to ask the Holy Spirit for His protection so that we remain firm in our faith during moments of crises Amen.
¹³ So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 13)
Oh God, my Father, I pray that you arm us with the armoury of the Holy Spirit because the wars against Christianity are becoming more subtle but intense. Amen.
¹⁴ After I looked these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the LORD who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 14)
For those of us who are experiencing stressful and difficult situations be aware that you are not alone. There is our awesome God by our side. He will fight the battles for us as he did before and He is always victorious Amen.
Therefore let us join in prayer to our Awesome God Amen credit to Hub of Worship
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 1)
Oh God, my Father, the evil one goes crazy when he sees us doing good things according to Your will Amen.
² He said in the presence of his associates and of the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they finish it in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heeps of rubbish-and burned ones at that?
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 2)
Oh God my Father many times sarcasm is used against others in order to criticize and rebuke those with whom we are not in accord. However, when doing so we are focusing on the negative and not on the positive. I pray that we refrain from using such ways and empower others instead of criticizing or reprimanding them unjustly amen.
³ Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "That stone wall they are building-any fox going up on it would break it down!"
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 3)
Oh God, my Father, many times we may think we have a healthy life of prayer, that are lines of spiritual defence are enough to stand the challenges of the evil one, however, in truth, we cannot live without a constant update in your relationship with us Amen. I pray oh God that we remain true and constant in our prayer life and in how we relate with each other which is the barometer of our Catholic and Christian life which based on love towards You and others Amen.
⁴ Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their taunt back on their own heads, and give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 4)
Oh God my blessed Father, instead of praying for the worst to overcome those who do not approve of me or hate me, I pray for them that you heal them from their negative thoughts feelings and wishes that they may be holding against me Amen.
⁵ Do notܑ cover their guilt, and do not let their sin be blotted out from your sight; for they have hurled insults in the face of the builders.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 5)
Oh God my blessed Father, may we always be aware of our sins because if not we may think we are sinless and become proud by ourselves and focus more on our successes than on our sins. I pray that we thank You for our successes and also our weakness, for when we are weak in ourselves we give You the opportunity of showing Your strength in us Amen.
⁶ So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 6)
Oh God my Father when we are united in mind heart and spirit we are a beauty to be seen and we are very productive for the good of humanity, I pray that this sense of unity will always be present in us, I thank You for such a gift Amen.
⁷But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem were going forward and the gaps were beginning to be closed, they were very angry, ⁸ and all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 7 to 8)
Oh God, my father, brothers and sisters, Satan does the same thing to us. On seeing that there is growth in Your relationship with us, this evil spirit causes a crisis in our lives so that we take it against You my God and Father for even though we seem to be living a good and righteous life, we still experience such tribulations. Some may be of the false impression that the closer we get to God or He gets to us which is more correct, the fewer tribulations befall us, however, this is not true because we are works in progress, and works need to be tested and evaluated in order to prove their potential Amen. Thank You, Jesus.
⁹ So we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 9)
Oh God my Father even though it is good to protect our belongings and even more our family, it is even better to protect ourselves from ourselves. It is useful to place a guard over our mouths in order to protect ourselves and others from what we think to do and say Amen.
¹⁰ But Judah said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, and there is too much rubbish so that we are unable to work on the wall."
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 10)
Oh God, my Father I thank You for the wisdom that You give us in order not to place our energy totally on the problem but also on the solution. I thank You for giving us the ability to come up with insight and reflection so that we are able to solve the challenges that the world sets before us, as well as pass the tests that You also set before us for our own good Amen.
¹¹ And our enemies said, "They will not know or see anything before we come upon them and kill them and stop the work."
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 11)
Oh God, this is also what our evil enemies say. Satan sees that we are alienated in our daily life, estranged from our spiritual practice of faith and practice with our guard down. During such a moment of weakness, the evil spirits choose to attack us. Therefore I pray that we be consistent in our life of prayer, in our relationship with God our father, and never let our protective guard down Amen.
¹² When the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times, "From all the places where they live they will come up against us."
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 12)
Our spiritual enemies oh brothers and sisters will also attempt to attack us from all sides, therefore we are to ask the Holy Spirit for His protection so that we remain firm in our faith during moments of crises Amen.
¹³ So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 13)
Oh God, my Father, I pray that you arm us with the armoury of the Holy Spirit because the wars against Christianity are becoming more subtle but intense. Amen.
¹⁴ After I looked these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the LORD who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 14)
For those of us who are experiencing stressful and difficult situations be aware that you are not alone. There is our awesome God by our side. He will fight the battles for us as he did before and He is always victorious Amen.
Therefore let us join in prayer to our Awesome God Amen credit to Hub of Worship
¹⁵ When our enemies heard that their plot was known to us, and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his work.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verse 15)
Oh brothers and sisters, even though we are persecuted by the evil spirits of the world, we are not to be discouraged, but we are all to continue in the role that God our Father has entrusted to us Amen.
¹⁶ From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and body-armour; and the leaders posted themselves behind the whole house of Judah, ¹⁷ who were building the wall. The burden bearers carried their loads in such a way that each laboured on the work with one hand and with the other held a weapon.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 16 to 17)
Oh God, my Father brothers and sisters You have all given us a special role in the building and maintaining of the Roman Catholic Church and even the other churches. Our weapon are the Bible, the blessed sacraments and the Rosary along with the faith the armour of the Holy Spirit. Let us all live our daily lives but on the other hand, remain on guard against the forces of evil both inside and beyond us Amen.
¹⁸ And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 18)
Oh God my Father, when I am working I also have my weapon strapped to my side. I have a small pocket-size Bible that is always with me Amen.
¹⁹ And I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated far from one another on the wall.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 19)
And I also say to those who are all working in the field of Jesus Christs, catechists, teachers, ministers healers, priests even though we are separated in different countries we are all united in one Spirit which keeps us united believing in one God Amen. We stick together to rise together and even cry together if necessary.
²⁰ Rally to us wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet. Our God will fight for us".
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 20)
Oh God, my Father I pray that You make me sensitive to Your voice, to be on the lookout like a sentry on patrol to listen to You speaking by means of Your Word or by means of significant others Amen. I pray that as always You will fight my wars for me. You know that tomorrow is a big day for me in front of the tribunal, and I know that You are going to be my advocate and may Your will be done Amen.
²¹ So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from break of dawn until the stars came out.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 21)
Oh God, my Father I pray for those monastic nuns and friars who spend night after night in prayer on behalf of all the people of God spread throughout the world. Bless these people and their time of prayer oh God my Father Amen.
²² I also said to the people at that time, "Let every man and his servant pass the night inside Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day."
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 22)
Oh brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, I ask of you that every day we find some time to offer prayer and thanksgiving to God our Father, and also offer a prayer for each other, so that we all have a protective shield of prayer for each other in action Amen.
²³ So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me ever took off our clothes; each kept his weapon in his right hand.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 23)
Oh God, my Father may we always be on guard over ourselves and over the spiritual welfare of others especially those who form part of our inner circles. I pray that we remain alert against negative thoughts and feelings that try to take over our mind Amen.
Oh God, my Father, I would like to end this meditation on the fourth chapter of the book of Nehemiah with the following prayer:-
Oh God, my Father the Roman Catholic Church in 2020 is still in a stage of maintenance and upgrading, for the evil one never stops testing us and therefore we are always to be on guard and ready firm in prayer and faith. I pray that we pray for each other to remain united, for Pope Francesco whom God appointed as our spiritual leader and for all the leaders of the world so that they fulfil Your will diligently and in righteousness for the good of all Amen,
²⁰ Rally to us wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet. Our God will fight for us".
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 20)
Oh God, my Father I pray that You make me sensitive to Your voice, to be on the lookout like a sentry on patrol to listen to You speaking by means of Your Word or by means of significant others Amen. I pray that as always You will fight my wars for me. You know that tomorrow is a big day for me in front of the tribunal, and I know that You are going to be my advocate and may Your will be done Amen.
²¹ So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from break of dawn until the stars came out.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 21)
Oh God, my Father I pray for those monastic nuns and friars who spend night after night in prayer on behalf of all the people of God spread throughout the world. Bless these people and their time of prayer oh God my Father Amen.
²² I also said to the people at that time, "Let every man and his servant pass the night inside Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day."
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 22)
Oh brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, I ask of you that every day we find some time to offer prayer and thanksgiving to God our Father, and also offer a prayer for each other, so that we all have a protective shield of prayer for each other in action Amen.
²³ So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me ever took off our clothes; each kept his weapon in his right hand.
(The Book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 verses 23)
Oh God, my Father may we always be on guard over ourselves and over the spiritual welfare of others especially those who form part of our inner circles. I pray that we remain alert against negative thoughts and feelings that try to take over our mind Amen.
Oh God, my Father, I would like to end this meditation on the fourth chapter of the book of Nehemiah with the following prayer:-
Oh God, my Father the Roman Catholic Church in 2020 is still in a stage of maintenance and upgrading, for the evil one never stops testing us and therefore we are always to be on guard and ready firm in prayer and faith. I pray that we pray for each other to remain united, for Pope Francesco whom God appointed as our spiritual leader and for all the leaders of the world so that they fulfil Your will diligently and in righteousness for the good of all Amen,
