WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO “DO THE WORK AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE?”
You'll Need:
1) PASSIONATE PRAYER.
Neh 2:1b-2, 4 I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart…” 4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king,
2) PREPARATION & PLANNING.
Neh 2:4 “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
A GOAL WITHOUT A PLAN IS JUST A WISH
Neh 2:6-8 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. 7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? *** 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.
3) PREPARATION FOR PROBLEMS.
Neh 2:10 (HCSB) When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.
Neh 2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.
4) HAPPY HELP.
Neh 2:17-18…Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
