Father: Build Up Sacred Walls Around Your Family Series

Fathers: Build Up Sacred Walls Around Your Family

Nehemiah 2:11-18

Nehemiah is well known for his abilities as a leader. He not only built up walls to protect families he also built up people. Nehemiah built sacred walls to provide security for the people of Jerusalem. This is the calling of all fathers – to build sacred walls to protect their families.

From the life of Nehemiah - fathers can learn helpful principles on how to build and provide protection for their family from enemies that would tear down the very moral fabric of the home.

How do you spell success? For Nehemiah success was not fame and fortune with financial independence. Success was knowing what God wanted him to do and doing it. Do you want to be successful? Then find God’s will for your life and your family and doing it.

The leadership of Nehemiah is an example of what action steps are needed to be successful fathers.

Effective Fathers are men of prayer. Nehemiah was foremost a man of prayer. Nehemiah 1:3 – News came to him that his hometown of Jerusalem was in crisis. The walls and gates were broken down and burned. The city was open to attach without protection of walls. Nehemiah 1:4 Nehemiah wept, mourned, fasted and prayed. Nehemiah 1:5-11 Nehemiah prayed that God would remember the Jewish remnant in Jerusalem. He prayed, “Dear Lord show me how I can help. I’m available.”

When Nehemiah heard about Jerusalem’s problem he was in exile in Babylon – Persia. He is serving as King Artaxerxes cup bearer, a position of high honor.

Dads regardless of how busy your are – take time to pray with your children. Praying with your children while they are small implants memories that last a life-time.

Effective fathers know how to plan. Nehemiah was an excellent strategic planner. He had a goal in mind and he knew what strategic steps were needed to accomplish the goal.

Nehemiah waited for the proper time when he was called before the King to serve him and he used that opportunity to approach the king and share his passion. The King Artaxerxes noticed Nehemiah was sad and asked him why he was so sad. Nehemiah answered with keen insight: Nehemiah 2:3 “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city my fathers are buried les in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.”

The king asked how he what he could do to help. Nehemiah breathed a prayer as he responded. He asked the king to send him to Jerusalem so he could help rebuild the walls.

Effective fathers plan to take care of their family. By prayerful planning you can meet the needs of your wife and children.

Effective Fathers are problem solvers. Nehemiah saw the problem, 1:3, the walls or Jerusalem were broken down and needed to be rebuilt. Nehemiah took the problem to God in prayer. He sat down and wept for some days he mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. He had a Plan. 2:1-10 – Nehemiah secured permission from the King and asked for an official letter for safe travel and materials to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The process. 2:11-16 – Nehemiah traveled to Jerusalem and for three days scouted out the city. At night he surveyed the walls and gave his analysis of the situation. The next step was A Call to Action. 2:17-18 “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem les in ruins and the gates have been burned with fire. Come let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace. I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me.” Response – 2:18b – they replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

The response of the people to Nehemiah’s leadership was electric. They said, “Let us rise up and build.” Through spirit anointed leadership one of the greatest obstacles to any work of God is overcome. Visionary leadership overcomes apathy and inertia. The very people who had been so lethargic and indifferent were now ready to get involved in the task, and all because of a God-sent-God-inspired leader.

Dad, you are called by God to be the spiritual leader in the home. Take the initiative and give spiritual leadership.

#It’s a fascinating story that comes out of the 1989 earthquake which almost flattened Armenia. This deadly tremor killed over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of all the confusion of the earthquake, a father rushed to his son’s school. When he arrived there he discovered the building was flat as a pancake.

Standing there looking at what was left of the school, the father remembered a promise he made to his son, "No matter what, I’ll always be there for you!" Tears began to fill his eyes. It looked like a hopeless situation, but he could not take his mind off his promise.