Daily Digest: Capstone Capsule

“I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may REBUILD IT” – Nehemiah 2:5b

Nehemiah demonstrated the Life Skill of PLANNING for IMPACT in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem: “And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may REBUILD IT” (Neh.2:5). Nehemiah, as cup-bearer to the King of Persia, could not hide the burden of his heart, which had become a driving passion: “Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?” (v/3b). However, his passion was coupled with the life-skill of Prayerful Planning by which he promptly answered the King’s request: “What do you request?” So, I prayed to the God of heaven” (v.4).

Nehemiah wasted no time in moving into resource verification and execution. Having obtained the king’s mandate, he arrived Jerusalem, telling no one of his mission. Instead, he began to inspect the city and its walls, and to make PREPARATIONS – he began to PLAN (vv.6-15). Next, he began to communicate his mission of rebuilding and restoring dignity to the city, to other stakeholders: “And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work” (v.18).

Primed and propelled by prayerful planning, Nehemiah overcame the oppositions of Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem. As Believers in Christ, we also need to plan. Our plans would not hinder God’s Sovereign ability to work in His world, especially when such plans are birthed in the womb of prayer! Diligent prayer does not substitute for a lack of preparation! In everything we do, we must PRAY, PLAN, and ACT: “So we PRAYED to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat” (Neh.4:9, NIV). The people prayed for protection and planned against probable attack!

God works through our actions as He sees fit; they can in no way deter Him: “Whatever the Lord pleases He does” (Psa.135:6). Mastering the planning process for effectiveness and Impact centers around carefully finding answers to some key questions:

WHAT is to be done? – Clear Goals and Objectives.

WHY must it be done? – Establishing Priorities.

WHEN is it to be done? – Scheduling and Deadlines.

WHO should do it? – Personnel and Delegation.

WHERE is it to be done? – Use of Space and Resources.

HOW is it to be done? – Strategy, Methods or Techniques for Implementation.

HOW MUCH will it cost? – Budgeting and Costing.

We cannot be careless, heedless, purposeless, planless children of the God of Purposes, Plans, and orderly Pursuits.