Student Leadership 101: Vision Sample

Finding Your Vision

The walls of Jerusalem were in ruins. Years before, the Israelites had been enslaved and sent into exile. Under King Cyrus and King Artaxerxes (try saying that name five times fast), the Israelites had been allowed to return to their land; however, without city walls, the people were defenseless and vulnerable. The city lacked protection, and the people lacked leadership — there was nobody to show them where to start and how to rebuild what had been destroyed.

When Nehemiah heard the news, the Bible says he mourned and fasted for days. How could he not? His people were suffering, and the city they once called home was nothing more than rubble. Nehemiah’s pain led him to pray, and through his prayer time he gained a new perspective — a fresh vision for what Jerusalem could be. Refusing to stay stuck in the past or helpless in the present, Nehemiah resolved to build a better future.

Nehemiah could have finished praying and returned to his everyday routine, but instead he took action and asked God to grant him favor with his boss, King Artaxerxes. He wasn’t content simply praying for a solution — he wanted to play a part in the solution. 

FYI, Nehemiah’s position as the king’s cup-bearer was not a minor role. It was a big deal — the role came with a lot of comforts, privilege, and influence. But being close to the king also meant Nehemiah’s chances of execution were high — one mistake could equal a death sentence. So when King Artaxerxes pointed out Nehemiah’s sadness, he had every reason to be afraid for his life. But Nehemiah prayed, like we’ll see him do multiple times throughout his story. He knew where his vision and victory came from —  so rather than backing down, he got bold. 

Nehemiah approached the king honestly and asked for permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city. To top it off, he also requested resources from the king for the project. And the king agreed to both!

Nehemiah didn’t ask for strength to cope with a problem; he asked for success in solving it. Spend some time in prayer today and ask God to give you a vision — to show you a problem in your world where you can be part of the solution. Vision without God is in vain, so it’s important to get your vision from the One who sees best. Nehemiah was called to build city walls. What are you called to build right now? It could be a program at school or a person’s confidence. When your vision comes from God, you can be confident your victory will come from Him too.