Resolute: Pressing On When You Feel Like Giving Up Part 2 – Accomplishing a Great Task

Resolute: Pressing On When You Feel Like Giving Up

Part 2 – Accomplishing a Great Task

Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah modeled some powerful prayer principles for us in Nehemiah 1:

• Nehemiah called on our great and awesome God to help!
• Nehemiah confessed where He and His people had failed God.
• Nehemiah counted on God’s promises.
• Nehemiah credited any success He would experience to God.

How to Accomplish Any Task God Has Called You To:

1) Faithfully for God to .

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. 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.”

I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Nehemiah 2:1-4

16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

2) Faithfully God !

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “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.”

6 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. Nehemiah 2:4-8

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11.

12 And God said, “I will be with you. Exodus 3:12

3) Faithfully God for .

9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites. Nehemiah 2:9-10

1 Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers;

    protect me from the violent,

2 who devise evil plans in their hearts

    and stir up war every day.

3 They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;

    the poison of vipers is on their lips.

4 Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

    protect me from the violent,

    who devise ways to trip my feet. Psalm 140:1-4

3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Next Steps

• Assess the .

11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. Nehemiah 2:11-16

Three Vital Leadership Principles:

• Leaders value necessary .
• Leaders are often when others are .
• Leaders don’t live in a world!
• Communicate the

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. 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.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. Nehemiah 2:17-18

• Answer the .

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.” Nehemiah 2:19-20