Have you ever wanted to believe for something really big in your life and pray a big prayer, but you stopped because you looked at yourself and realized you don't have the resources or the connections or the experience to do something extraordinary? In the Scripture, that's what Nehemiah faced. When he heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down, he had a desire to go and rebuild the walls, but he had no resources, no money, no expertise, and no influence. But he prayed and dared to ask the king to send him, and the king said yes. So how did it happen? Nehemiah says, "Because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests" (Nehemiah 2:8), and the walls were rebuilt.
Have you ever wanted to believe for something really big in your life and pray a big prayer, but you stopped because you looked at yourself and realized you don't have the resources or the connections or the experience to do something extraordinary? In the Scripture, that's what Nehemiah faced. When he heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down, he had a desire to go and rebuild the walls, but he had no resources, no money, no expertise, and no influence. But he prayed and dared to ask the king to send him, and the king said yes. So how did it happen? Nehemiah says, "Because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests" (Nehemiah 2:8), and the walls were rebuilt.
Seven Steps for Godly Planning
BY RICK WARREN — NOVEMBER 13, 2022
FROM BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
“If the Lord wants us to, we will live and carry out our plans.”
James 4:15 (GW)
We’ve been looking at Nehemiah’s model for making God-inspired plans. So far, we’ve learned five steps:
Step 1: Ask God for favor on your life.
Step 2: Prepare for an opportunity, and then wait.
Step 3: Expect fear, but don’t let it stop you.
Step 4: Establish a clear target.
Step 5: Set a deadline.
Here are Nehemiah’s final two steps in developing a life plan.
Step 6: Anticipate barriers.
Part of the planning process involves anticipating problems. Proverbs 27:12 says, “A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them” (TLB).
Nehemiah thought through all the problems he might face. Then he said to the king, “Would you be willing to give me letters to the governors of the provinces west of the Euphrates River, so that I can travel safely to Judah? I will need timber to rebuild the gates of the fortress near the temple and more timber to construct the city wall and to build a place for me to live. And so, I would appreciate a letter to Asaph, who is in charge of the royal forest” (Nehemiah 2:7-8 CEV).
First, Nehemiah asked the king for permission to go to Jerusalem. Then he asked for protection and provision. Nehemiah was a cupbearer, not a professional builder, yet because he had spent four months praying and planning, he was able to anticipate the barriers, determine his needs, and calculate the cost.
Step 7: Trust God to meet all your needs.
Even when things don’t turn out the way you hoped, you can still trust God. A mark of spiritual maturity is when you recognize that God’s hand is behind the plans that go your way and the plans that don’t go your way. Godly goal setting says, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and carry out our plans” (James 4:15 GW).
The king ended up giving Nehemiah everything he had asked for—and Nehemiah gave God all the credit: “And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me” (Nehemiah 2:8 NLT). Nehemiah didn’t say, “Look at what my planning did.” He said, “Look at what God did.”
What would you like God to do in the next six months, the next year, or the next five years in your life? A great plan starts with these seven steps that Nehemiah followed. Try following them in your own life and see how God works in your life.
WEDNESDAY 1ST FEBRUARY, 2023
DAILY DELIGHT DEVOTIONAL
#TEXT
: NEHEMIAH 2:7-11
#TOPIC
: REQUEST FOR MATERIALS AND SECURITY
#MEMORY_VERSE
: NEHEMIAH 2:8
#BRIEF_COMMENTARY
While bouncing on the euphoria of the permission granted by the king to go to Jerusalem, NEHEMIAH went a step further. The next thing was to ask the king to provide him with letters allowing him to gather materials and granting him safe passage to Judah. Through this approach, NEHEMIAH received not only permission to rebuild the demolished wall hut also resources and security. As a leader, Nehemiah knew the right step to take at any point in time. Before he did anything else, Nehemiah rook time to pray. In each step of the way, Nehemiah sought the direction of God. Undoubtedly, Nehemiah got the vision and plan to rebuild the wall during his time of connection with God. This should be a lesson in our planning process. When God gives the insight, the navigation is always problem free. We should allow Him to lead us to follow.
#PRAYER
: Lord, may we go in step with You in all the affairs of our lives in Jesus Christ name, Amen.
