Asking Then Waiting

Lesson:

Imagine this scene: you have shared the vision that God has given you for the ministry He has called you to. This is your life, and you have an inherent passion that God has laid on your heart. And now it’s time to invite someone into it. To give someone else the chance to join you. Will this ministry be what God has called them to as well? You make the ask. And then you wait for a response.

It’s time to wait. We can see this in Nehemiah 2:5. We read that Nehemiah made the ask. He was clear and concise and then he paused. He gave the king, with the queen by his side, the chance to answer. In this case, the king asked some follow-up questions, which Nehemiah was prepared to answer. From this, we learn that we all need to be ready to answer the follow-up questions that our potential donors might ask. Some of them are ones we can't foresee, but we can still do our best to consider what information might be helpful for people to know. 

What can we take away from this? Be clear. Be concise. Be quiet. And be ready to answer follow-up questions. 

Nehemiah had already gone before the Lord. He had bathed the mission in prayer. God had provided a chance to share the vision with someone on earth that could do something about it, and Nehemiah took the chance. But Nehemiah was also brave enough to stop talking and give the king the chance to respond. Let’s make sure we give our potential donors the chance to look to the Lord and respond to the ask. 

Reflection:

What does it feel like to be asked by me to join the mission financially? Am I clear and concise? Do I give people a chance to respond? Am I ready to have follow-up answers to their questions?