Prayer and Planning
– From Becoming A Fulfilled Father by Joyce Meyer
Nehemiah 2:1-2
And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. 2Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.”
So I became dreadfully afraid,
Psalms 27:14
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
John 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
Nehemiah’s burden was overwhelming. He saw his nation’s lack of protection, the danger they were in and the disgrace from which they suffered. They had no walls, and this was no small thing.
A nation’s walls were a sign of power and prestige. They provided dignity to citizens and garnered respect from outsiders. They also met a fundamentally practical need – they offered protection for those inside.
At first we see Nehemiah mourning and fasting. Then, in Chapter 2, we see him making the King aware of his burden. Nehemiah had not been sad in the King’s presence before, though he undoubtedly had reason to be.
He waited on the Lord, praying and planning. He surely did not put on a sad face, since that could spell trouble for those in the King’s presence. More likely, his burden became simply too heavy to hide.
When the King inquired about his sadness, Nehemiah was direct and transparent. When the King then asked what Nehemiah wished to do about it, he responded with a specific game plan and a request for resources. Only a man who had planned well beforehand could have outlined such specifics on the spot.
You are the child of the great King, not just his cupbearer. By His grace, you have access to Him whenever you want. By His power, you have at your disposal spiritual resources that cannot be matched. Do you ask? Do you consider what you might ask? Do you have a plan and a specific request?
You may not need to repair a damaged city wall, but you might have damaged relationships, either in your immediate family or your circle of influence. You may see spiritual gaps that must be closed or sense danger ahead that must be avoided. Are you going into your King’s presence boldly and asking for His help?
Let’s follow the steps of Nehemiah, taking care to keep them in order:
Pray
Confess
Plan
Work
What grand plan is God weaving in your heart for your family? Let the Lord go ahead of you.