The Resourceful Man Of God | Nehemiah 2:6-8

And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.— Nehemiah 2:6-8 SHOUT OUT: Brian H. from Cookeville, Tennessee. Thanks for your ongoing support. Men like you keep us going. I appreciate your faithfulness, brother. I bet this moment changed Nehemiah's appearance before the king. Remember, initially, he was sad in the king's presence, which led to the king's inquiry. And now, every time Nehemiah speaks up, the king grants everything he wants and more. But Nehemiah is not making a bunch of haphazard requests to the king. Nehemiah had invested months in prayer, but he also demonstrated he had planned, researched, and sized up this project before he approached the king. This is a great moment to bring up one of the side benefits of praying about something for a prolonged period of time. First, prayer is going to get your desires in line with God's desires. But second, as it does, prayer is also going to stir your mind continually about the means of accomplishing God's desires. Think about it this way. Imagine you need a new car. (And maybe you do. Maybe that's the request you are going to pray about for the next four months.) If this is something you need, then a car becomes everything you think about. You pray about it. You think about it. You research options. You analyze your income. You calculate the price of a potential loan. You research car specifics. Then, car dealers. Over time, you nail down what you want, what you want to spend, and where you will get it. And this is what Nehemiah has done for four months. Because he has prayed for four months, it's all he can think about. He has worked out every detail in his mind. He knows exactly how long it is going to take. He knows he will need official letters for safe passage. He knows he is going to need supplies. He knows and requests all the fundamental details, even though he is not a carpenter, engineer, or even a leader of people. But he is resourceful. He is resourceful enough to figure out what he needs, so he doesn't look stupid when the king asks him these questions. I don't know about you, but I want these people on my team—men who are prayed up and resourceful. Godly men don't just sit around and cry about their present situation. Godly men also don't sit around at the local coffee shop and complain about their current situation. Godly men pray, aligning with God's desires, and resourcefully find a way out. So, if you have a situation that needs addressing, then start praying about it. Maybe it's your marriage. Maybe it's a wayward child. Maybe it's an ongoing relational conflict. Maybe it's your career or calling. Start praying about it. Get your heart aligned with God's. And then stop crying, playing the victim, and complaining about your situation. Start planning, researching, and sizing up your project by talking to godly people with the necessary resources. You never know. All this might put you right in front of the most unsuspecting person who might present you with all the resources you would ever need. ASK THIS: Nehemiah spent months in prayer before approaching the king with his well-thought-out plan. Reflect on a situation in your life where you need to make a significant decision or take action. How can you follow Nehemiah's example by combining prayer with strategic planning? What steps can you take to ensure your plans are aligned with God's will? Nehemiah was not a carpenter, engineer, or leader, yet he was resourceful enough to figure out what he needed for his project. Discuss a time when you faced a challenge outside your area of expertise or comfort zone. How did you resourcefully approach this challenge, and how did you see God's hand guiding or providing for you in that situation? How can Nehemiah's example inspire you to approach current or future challenges? DO THIS: Pray and be resourceful. PRAY THIS: Lord, grant me the wisdom to align my desires with Your will through prayerful planning, and the courage to be resourceful in action, trusting in Your guidance and provision every step of the way. May my faith, like Nehemiah's, be a testament to Your power and grace in both planning and accomplishing Your divine purposes. Amen. PLAY THIS: You've Already Won. Check out other all Vince Miller's videos and audios for small groups at: https://beresolute.org/