Turn on your television, go to the mall, meet a friend for coffee, go to church—everywhere, everyone is aware this summer has been, and continues to be, a summer of shaking. Someone will let you know about the latest attack, whether in Kabul, Afghanistan; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Dallas, Texas; or Munich, Germany. The attacks are seemingly more often, more publicized and more unexpected.
Shopping malls, peaceful protest rallies, random traffic stops—you name it, something unexpected is happening in the least expected places. If the shootings were not enough, we have weather patterns bringing intense heat which is producing wildfires, droughts and evacuations. Let us not forget the mosquitoes and the many exposures of people who have been involved in corruption being brought to justice and not being brought to justice. This is a summer of shaking. Can we agree on that?
Most would say yes, this summer has been a shaking, and many are trying to explain what the shaking is for, what brought on the shaking and what God is doing with the shaking. Depending on your biblical worldview, the shaking could be the judgment of God on the nations; it could be the consequences for our sin; it could be the days of Noah, which usher in the second coming of Christ; or it could be something else. I would like to present to you a potential “something else” thought as to what has brought about this summer’s shaking. In no way am I saying this is the final word on the subject, but I do believe it is a word on the subject of this summer’s shaking.
Last week I was reading through the book of Nehemiah and I stopped at a friend’s house for our children to play. While there, I shared with her this revelation and she added insight to it, which confirmed to me that what I was sensing was more accurate than I first thought. So, here is what I think the summer of shaking is possibly about.
In the book of Nehemiah, we see that Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king and he got word about the condition of Jerusalem, so he asked the king for permission to leave his post as cupbearer and go to Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s request was granted and resources were sent from the king and his kingdom to help rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and repair its broken down gates. My first thought is that Jesus, the cupbearer to the King, our Father, has gone to His Father, making intercession for us, and the kingdom of God has released resources for the rebuilding of the walls and gates around nations. I believe the shaking we are experiencing this summer is because heaven has heard Earth’s cry for help.
Once the kingdom Nehemiah worked for agreed to resource the project to rebuild Jerusalem, Nehemiah and the people began to rebuild the walls and repair the gates. Not long after they started this project, Sanballat and Tobiah, began to mock, ridicule and try to dissuade them from rebuilding, but Nehemiah and the team could not be persuaded otherwise. My second thought is, Dutch Sheets and the Appeal to Heaven team, Lou Engle and the Azusa Now team, and the many pastors and leaders who met in Washington, DC for the Call prayer rally, along with intercessors worldwide and prophetic voices like Lana Vawser, Cindy Jacobs, Doug Addison, Kris Vallaton and many others who are not known to the public, have been the ones who have kept building with their words, despite the enemy’s mocking and ridiculing.
Finally, Nehemiah 4:7-8 it says, “When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard how the restoration of Jerusalem’s walls was progressing and how the breaches had begun to be sealed, it made them extremely furious. So they all conspired together to fight against Jerusalem in order to cause it chaos.” I believe this is why we are having a summer of shaking, because we have been rebuilding the walls of protection around our nation and nations of the world. This rebuilding we have been doing in prayer and prophesying has made the enemy very angry because heaven sent resources to help us build. I believe what we are seeing around us is evidence of the walls we are rebuilding and the gates we are repairing.
The final scene before the wall is built and the gates are repaired, according to the book of Nehemiah, is a company of people who can pray, prophesy (build) and can wield the sword (Word warriors). I believe the Word warriors are being released for the finishing of the rebuilding of the walls of protection around our nation and other nations of the world. The enemy is increasing his attacks because he sees how much progress we have made on the walls and the gates.
Jesus is our cupbearer. He drank the wine of the wrath of God so we could be redeemed, revived and renewed. Keep praying, keep prophesying, keep speaking life. The evidence of an enemy in the summer of shaking is proof we are nearing completion of the rebuilding of the walls and gates around our nation.
Lisa Great is an author, speaker and blogger with Mouthpiece Ministries International. She has been in ministry for over 25 years, she has a BA in Youth and Family Studies, a MA in Education. She can be reached at
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