I. Every Successful Plan Begins with Prayer
4 …I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. Nehemiah 1:4b-6
II. Every Plan Needs a Planner
- Own the need
- Assess the need and develop the plan
- Implement the plan
III. Plans have Obstacles
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” Nehemiah 2:19
2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. Nehemiah 6:2-4
How Do We Plan, Keep the Plan the Main Thing, and Overcome Obstacles?
- Pray with mission, master, and measure in mind
- Plan thoroughly with flexibility
- Implement the plan
- Expect opposition or obstacles
- Keep the plan our priority
- Remember broken plans can be costly
Big Idea: Pray before you plan. Plan and expect obstacles. Persevere by keeping the main thing the main thing. Remember, you are doing a great thing, and cannot come down!