Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Nehemiah chapter 11, verse 19, the gatekeepers, Akhub, Talman, and their brothers,

who kept watch at the gates, were 172.

So what is so encouraging about this verse, and how can we pray according to it?

Well, it comes in the middle of a chapter with so many different names.

I started counting all the different names, but I got lost and I started to read different ones, but I can't pronounce half of them.

This is a picture, though, of all the specific people, including Akhub, Taulman, and their

brothers who kept watch at the gates, who were 172, like all these specific people that God tells us about in his word,

like individual names of his people who did what he called them to do in all kinds of different

ways. Like the book is named after Nehemiah,

this leader who did this and that,

but don't miss the beauty in Nehemiah chapter 11.

This involves so many people doing so many different things,

rebuilding these walls,

rebuilding the people of God,

including gatekeepers like Akhah Talman, and their brothers.

Like Nehemiah 11 is a reminder of the importance of every single person in the kingdom of God.

It's a reminder to me that I'm one name.

You are one name and a long list of names of men and women who have walked with God faithfully doing whatever God called them to do as gatekeepers, as Levites, as leaders, as whatever.

That's the beauty. God's called us all in different ways to do different things as a part of

his purpose, to make his glory known among all the nations.

I just want to encourage you today for all who are in Christ.

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