“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” (Eph. 6:10, NKJV) 

I love Romans 16. It is filled with names, some merely listed, some explained for their involvement in the work of the kingdom. Phoebe, Priscilla and Aquila, Ephaenetus, Ampias, Herodian, Persis, and Julia are among the litany of names mentioned by the apostle Paul. 

The church may have one Lord but it is not a one man show. That is reflected loud and clear in the book of Nehemiah. The cupbearer to the king has arrived in Jerusalem to find it just as he had been informed – in ruins. 

Nehemiah provided leadership for the cause of rebuilding. Chapter 3 is filled with names. Eiashib the high priest, the men of Jericho, the sons of Hassenaah, Meshullam, Uzziel, Jedaiah and many others stepped up to the cause to serve their Lord God. Men stepped out of their ordinary roles to do the work. There were exceptions, such as the nobles of the Tekoites (Neh. 3:15) who are notable for their lack of service, but the overwhelming picture is of a shared effort. 

What a beautiful picture of God’s people, engaged in labor for the Lord! Part of that picture, however, are those on the periphery trying to weasel their way in to undermine that labor. 

When Paul cites fellow workers for the gospel in Romans 16, he urges unity, warns against pseudo-servers (those who "do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly” Rom. 16:18), and the need to be alert to the opposition of evil. He encourages them with the assurance that “the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20). 

Likewise, in the kingdom work of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall we find opposition. “[W]hen Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, ‘What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?’” (Neh. 4:1–2). 

Sanballat the Horonite is mentioned along with Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab as adversaries of God and His people. They are flesh and blood instruments of the ultimate adversary of God’s people, the devil. Paul explains in his letter to the Ephesians: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). 

We wrestle against our spiritual adversary by holding fast to God and His word, staying the course in seeking His kingdom and righteousness. Perhaps our primary weapon, however, is prayer, not only for ourselves but also for our fellow believers and the work to be done, as Paul stresses: “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18). 

Prayer is the very same weapon wielded by Nehemiah against his adversaries. “Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders” (Neh. 4:4–5). 

Nehemiah’s zeal is not to inflict harm but to uphold justice. His zeal is for the Lord. We find the same sentiment from the pen of King David in Psalm 139. After exclaiming the wonder of God’s character and extolling His glory (vv.1-18), he cannot contain his disdain for those who would oppose God and rob Him of His glory. “Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.” (vv. 19–22). 

There is a sense in which prayer for God’s kingdom involves prayer against the rival kingdom that would oppose Him. 

What is imprecatory prayer? How does the gospel of the kingdom direct our prayer? 

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15). 

Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.