“But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward… they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.”

? Let's talk about Nehemiah’s enemies a minute as they just weren’t random hecklers—they were regional powers with something to lose.

• Sanballat (Samaria, north) wanted to keep Judah weak and dependent.
• Tobiah (Ammon, east) had family ties in Jerusalem’s elite and saw his influence slipping.
• The Arabs (south) controlled trade routes and resented a fortified Jerusalem.
• The Ashdodites (west) represented Philistine hostility.

For Jerusalem’s small community of returnees, being surrounded by hostile nations was terrifying. But Nehemiah’s genius was spiritual: instead of letting fear divide the people, he turned their eyes upward. Their unity may have been secured by soldiers but it was forged in prayer.

The further the wall advanced, the angrier the enemy became. Insults turned into schemes, and schemes turned into threats of violence. Their goal was simple: intimidate, confuse, and halt the progress.

But notice Nehemiah’s response: “We prayed to our God and set a guard.” The people didn’t panic, and they didn’t plot a counterattack. Their first move was prayer—bold, urgent, and collective. They prayed not as a last-ditch effort, but as their first line of defense.

That’s the pattern for God’s people: when the enemy plots, we pray. Not timidly, but boldly. Nehemiah knew this wasn’t his wall, his city, or his fight—it was God’s. So he placed the battle back in God’s hands.

Here’s the key...prayer is not passivity, in fact prayer empowers the work. That's why after praying, they posted guards. Faith calls us to dependence, but also to diligence. God fights for us, but He also calls us to stand watch, alert and ready.


When the enemy plots, don’t waste your energy plotting back. Pray boldly, give the battle to God, and then do the practical work of staying alert. Prayer doesn’t replace action—it empowers it.

Write down one “plot” of the enemy you’ve been feeling—fear, temptation, discouragement—and turn it into a bold prayer. Declare that the battle belongs to God.