(Pray,) Think Ahead, Plan and Prepare

Yesterday we saw that Nehemiah prayed and fasted before he began the task of rebuilding the wall. In today’s passages, we see that Nehemiah was constantly preparing for the road ahead. If you are like me; then the chances are that when you see a problem or feel led by the Holy Spirit to fix something, you get to work before you think through the potential obstacles. Or in the words of Jesus, we forget to count the cost.

Luke 14:28 - “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? (NLT)

Nehemiah did not do this. Not only did he think ahead about the possible challenges, but he also committed them to God in prayer. Before Nehemiah approached the king for permission to be excused from his duties, pre-empting that he might get a hostile response, he prayed to God for success and favour.

Nehemiah 1: 11 - O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer. (NLT)

His forward thinking did not stop there. After receiving the king’s blessing, Nehemiah took the chance to combat accusations and challenges from other key stakeholders in the region by getting written permission from the king to embark on his building project.

Nehemiah 2:7-8 - I also said to the king, “If it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah. And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me. (NLT)

This made his task far easier despite the clear opposition from officials.

Nehemiah 2:9-10 - When I came to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, I delivered the king’s letters to them. The king, I should add, had sent along army officers and horsemen to protect me. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of my arrival, they were very displeased that someone had come to help the people of Israel. (NLT)

Having arrived in Jerusalem, following three days of travel, you might have thought that Nehemiah would get to the job immediately or begin recruiting people to help him with his project. Instead, on his first night in Jerusalem, he went out to inspect the wall for himself. Before he shared what was in his heart with anyone, he took the time to understand the scale of the damage to the wall and the task ahead of him.

Nehemiah 2:11-16 - So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later, I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding. After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but my donkey couldn’t get through the rubble. So, though it was still dark, I went up the Kidron Valley instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate. The city officials did not know I had been out there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders—the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration. (NLT)

Nehemiah shows us that even when we take on a project following God’s will, we ought to do our due diligence. Prayer is vital; but we also need to be sure that we have fully understood the problem at hand, to the best of our ability, before we act prematurely.

Questions for reflection: Have I committed the challenges I may face to the Lord in prayer? Have I taken the time to plan, review, and reflect on what I think the Lord is calling me to? Have I understood the problem before I start recruiting people to help me?