I was in prayer recently and heard these words very clearly: “Come back to the gates.” It was a clarion call, carrying an urgent cry. It is time to leave what we are doing, wake up from our spiritual slumber, and respond to the alarm!
God calls us back to the gates—back to rebuilding what has been broken.
Just as the Jews restored the ancient walls of Jerusalem (in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah), we too have been in a season of rebuilding the walls in our own lives. And now we are being called to return to the gates. To take up our stand, so that the generations to come can grow up in freedom. Enabling them to continue building, untouched by oppression, as we aim to shut it out here today.
A Chain-Breaking Generation
God calls us to be a chain-breaking generation—a people to take back what the enemy has stolen and claim what is rightfully ours. The next generation, the one we are currently raising, will then go forth and extend the kingdom. They carry a boldness in ways that we do not. All because their call will see them take the Gospel further, spread the Word, expanding the borders of God’s Kingdom, and His love. Meanwhile, we do the groundwork; we take the gates and set the foundations for them to build upon. Much like what we saw through King David.
David was the one who fought the battles, secured the territories, and gathered all the raw materials so his son Solomon could build the temple. We have a vital role in preparing the ground. David was the warrior; Solomon was not. Instead, Solomon grew the kingdom through relationships and diplomacy—expanding Israel’s reach through peace and trade rather than on the battlefield (1 Kings 4). We are being called as David right now, to stand at the gates. To fortify. To take by force what has been stolen.
Contending for the Next Generation
So, as we rise up to take our stand, not only do we take and secure what is ours, while keeping the enemy from sneaking in through the shadows. We also take our place there to contend for our kids! Solomon’s later mistakes of drifting away from God’s heart will not be a history that repeats itself on our watch! We hold them in prayer and teach them the ways of God, so that they would know the paths of righteousness.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
Tools in One Hand, Weapons in the Other
It is time to return. Time to stand guard. Time to repair the breaches in our walls. We work like Nehemiah’s crew—tools in one hand, weapon in the other! (Nehemiah 4:17)—laying bricks, building with one hand, and gripping a sword with the other, ready for whatever may come.
Now is the time, because the enemy is on the move.
While hearing that clarion call, I also heard the sound of galloping horses moving towards the walls in the dark. The enemy is launching a new attack. Moving in the night hours. “Close the gates at night”, I heard God call. I feel this particularly for parents—spiritually cover our children and close every doorway of access to them.
History has a way of repeating itself: just as the enemy targeted the babies in the days of Moses (Exodus 1), and again in the days of Jesus (Matthew 2)—both eras marking the birth of monumental moves in God’s redemption of humanity—we are in a season where the enemy is once again attempting to target our children. Because we are on the cusp of revival; of seeing huge kingdom advancements through this next generation.
Do Not Fear: Standing Watch
God has already pre-empted any enemy arrival, so we do not walk in fear. We do not contend by ourselves, but with God on our side. We move towards the gates at His beckon, so we will be prepared for every scheme of the enemy.
Just as the Israelites in Egypt closely followed God’s instructions as the destroyer passed over their houses (Exodus 12)—painting their doorframes with the blood of the lamb—we too heed His call today. We don’t panic. Instead, we obey. Picking up our tools and our weapons, we get to work restoring any parts of the gate that have become rundown.
What does it look like practically to stand at the gates, and close the gates at night?
This requires taking a real, honest inventory of what your household centers on. It asks us to look at our actions, not just our words, because as Scripture reminds us: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29:13). As we ask God to search us, we ask ourselves,
- Who is ruling my house? Is it movies? Is it convenience food? Is it sports on the weekend? Or perhaps something else entirely?
- What does my daily routine revolve around? Take the time to honestly reflect upon this one.
It is so easy to have things in our world that carry pieces of our hearts without us even realising it. And if Christ is not at the centre of it, we may have allowed for breaches in the wall.
So, allow God to convict, if He chooses. Conviction is the first step to breakthrough!
Find where those open doors or breaches in the wall are. And then rebuild them; close them.
Ask God to spiritually close them.
Take the practical steps needed to shift priorities where needed.
Seek wise counsel.
Go for prayer ministry, healing and deliverance if needed.
Perhaps counselling is required.
It is time to get tenacious! To take to those gates, build them back up, and then guard them…until we can honestly say Christ at the centre of our households.
When Christ is at the centre, we have found ourselves in the place of dwelling in him, and in this place, we are secure. We can rest. It is here that we find complete protection.
This is where we can stand and make the bold declaration, like Joshua: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
Leave a Reply