Dallas Metro Church Dallas Metro Church

Weekly Family Devotional

Nehemiah: Rise And Build

0 of 6 weeks completed

Read Together

Nehemiah 4:14 (ESV)

And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."

Talk About It

When God's people started building, two men named Sanballat and Tobiah got very angry. First they made fun of the builders: "What are these feeble Jews doing? A fox could knock that wall over!" Later they planned to attack. So what did Nehemiah do? Four things. He prayed. He stayed watchful, setting guards day and night. He guarded the weak spots, placing people at the lowest, most open places in the wall. And he told everyone to fight for one another — if they heard a trumpet blast, everybody ran to help. The Bible says our real fight isn't against people. It's against Satan and the powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). So Nehemiah's four steps help us too. The enemy didn't quit after one try, and the Bible says we keep resisting the devil until he flees (James 4:7). The builders even worked with a tool in one hand and a sword strapped at their side. Our sword is God's Word (Ephesians 6:17). Best of all, Nehemiah said, "Our God will fight for us." He is great and awesome — much bigger than any enemy.

For Parents to Explain

Mighty Lord, You fight for us, so we do not have to be afraid. Make us watchful. Guard the weak places in our hearts. And when someone in our family is struggling, help us run to them with prayer and love. Amen.

Family Activities

Sword and Trowel

  1. Explain that the builders worked with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and that our sword is God's Word (Ephesians 6:17).
  2. Have each child make a paper "sword" and write "Do not be afraid" (Nehemiah 4:14) on it.
  3. Try an everyday job — folding laundry, stacking cups, setting the table — while holding your sword in one hand.
  4. Talk about how we can do our everyday work and hold on to God's Word at the same time.

Trumpet Rally

  1. Choose a family "trumpet" signal — a whistle, a bell, or a special word.
  2. Explain that when Nehemiah's people heard the trumpet, everyone rallied to help.
  3. Practice: one person sounds the signal, and everyone drops what they're doing, runs to them, and prays a one-sentence prayer.
  4. Use the real signal any time this week when someone feels scared, sad, or tempted.

Family Prayer

Take turns naming one person who needs help right now — then pray for them like you're running to their rescue.