Pray, Plan, & Proceed
Nehemia 2:17 Like Nehemiah there are steps that we should follow when God puts something in your heart to do.
7/10/20262 min read
Then I said to them, "you see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach." Nehemiah 2:17 (NKJV)
After talking to God about His plans to rebuild the wall, Nehemiah had to approach King Artaxerxes with the request to go to Jerusalem to complete his task. When King Artaxerxes asked him what he wanted, Nehemiah first prayed to God for support, then he presented the request and came prepared with a clear plan. He knew what he needed to rebuild Jerusalem's walls and presented his requests to the king. When he arrived at Jerusalem, Nehemiah spent three days carefully surveying the walls of Jerusalem before beginning the rebuilding process. Once he had the support, materials, and a plan, Nehemiah encouraged the people of Jerusalem to have faith in God and to work together for the common goal of rebuilding the city.
Nehemiah sets the example for us when proceeding with plans that God puts in our hearts. When we get that strong inner drive to do something for the kingdom of God, we need to start with prayer, to confirm that our plans match that of God, for the support and guidance we need from Him, and the strength to carry out His good works. Then we need to have a clear plan on how to carry out God's plan and decide if we need church support or if it is something we can do on our own. Then we need to proceed with God's plans and use the resources that He provides us to complete them. Most importantly, we need to always remember that we are doing it for God. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Choose to follow the plans that God has put in your heart. He may have you start a new ministry, organize a food share, or build a community to help the homeless. He may have you use your talents to help another ministry, go on a church mission, volunteer at a food bank, or just make sandwiches to share with someone as you talk to them about Jesus. It doesn't matter if it is something big or simple, but as long as it is the will of God, it is something big for His kingdom. Remember to pray, plan, and proceed with His good works.