January 11, 2015 PM
Dr. Michael Catt – 1645
#2 in series
NOT ON MY WATCH
THE LEADER’S PERCEPTION, PLANNING AND PRAYER LIFE
Leadership studies from the life of Nehemiah
You can’t study the life of Nehemiah without seeing this was a man with a great heart for God, for his nation, for Jerusalem, and for the people. Nehemiah’s style of leadership is a style that we should champion and follow.
Nehemiah’s Prayer
The prayer - Scripture reference
Nehemiah 1:5 - Leviticus 26:42, 45; Deuteronomy 4:31; 5:10; 7:9
Nehemiah 1:6 - Leviticus 26:40; 1 Kings 8:29
Nehemiah 1:7 - Leviticus 26:46; 2 Chronicles 6:36, 37
Nehemiah 1:8 - Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 4:27
Nehemiah 1:9 - Deuteronomy 30:1-5; 2 Chronicles 7:14
Nehemiah 1:10 - Deuteronomy 9:29
Nehemiah 1:11 - 2 Chronicles 6:21; 7:15
9) Godly leaders are committed to ________________________________.
Four principles to power in your prayer life:
1) Conviction of who God is
2) Confession of what I am
3) Confidence in what God’s Word says
4) Commitment to do what God says
“Middle management involves being able to translate the ideals of one’s superiors into practice and, at the same time, knowing how to motivate one’s subordinates. It necessitates keeping corporate goals in mind, while encouraging individuals to strive for personal achievement.” – Cyril Barber
Integrity and prayer for the Christian leader are two sides of the same coin.
Nehemiah is a memoir that’s about more than building, battles and blessings.
• Book bathed in prayer
• Opens and closes with prayer
• At least 12 prayers in the book
• Most of Nehemiah’s prayers are “spur of the moment” prayers
Leaders do more than pray, but they don’t do anything until they pray.
3 Factors Behind the Prayer in Chapter 1:
1) DISCOURAGEMENT led to DISTRESS. “The remnant…are in great distress” – “great distress” means “misery and calamity.” The people were vulnerable.
2) DISTRESS lends itself to DISHONOR. “reproach” – Hebrew means “sharp, cutting, penetrating, or piercing.” They were bearing the brunt of cutting words. The Jews were being criticized and slandered by their enemies.
3) DISHONOR leaves us DEFENSELESS. “the walls are broken down...the gates are burned.” Even in exile, Nehemiah loved Jerusalem. He was born in captivity, but his heart turned toward his ancestral home.
“The self-sufficient do not pray; they merely talk to themselves. The
self-satisfied will not pray; they have no knowledge of their need. The self-righteous cannot pray; they have no basis on which to approach God.” – Cyril Barber
“Prayer is releasing the energies of God. For prayer is asking God to do what we cannot do.” – Charles Trumbull
1) He assures the king of his ____________________.
2) He shows ______________ in his response.
3) He uses ________________________ in how he responds.
10) Godly leaders have God sized ____________________________.
Great Plans Require Preparation:
1) What will it cost?
2) Where will this lead us?
3) What’s the best way to present the plan?
4) What are the possible pitfalls?
If you have a good plan, you’ve put the needs of others or the organization ahead of your personal needs and desires.
What Factors Lead to a Dream Becoming a Reality?
Dr. Warren Bennis, professor of management at the School of Business Administration at the University of Southern California, did a four-year study of outstanding leaders and examined the source of their power. He discovered what he believes are five competencies common to all super leaders:
1) _________________________: the capacity to create a compelling vision of a desired state of affairs
2) _________________________: the capacity to communicate that vision in a way that gains the support of the constituencies
3) _________________________: the capacity to maintain the organization’s direction, especially when the going gets rough
4) _________________________: the capacity to create a social architecture that harnesses the energies and abilities of others to get the desired results
5) _________________________: (discernment) the capacity to monitor an organization’s performance, learn from past actions, and use the resulting knowledge to forge a course for the future
11) A key part of planning is _______________________________________.
12) Godly leaders have ______________________________________.
“Prayer is, after all, a very dangerous business. For all the benefits it offers of growing closer to God, it carries with it one great element of risk; the possibility of change. In prayer we open ourselves to the chance that God will do something with us that we had not intended.” – Emily Griffin, Clinging
“The hero does not set out to be one. He is probably more surprised than others by such recognition. He was there when the crisis occurred…and he responded as he always had in any situation. He was simply doing what had to be done! Faithful where he was in his duty there...he was ready when the crisis arose. Being where he was supposed to be...doing what he was supposed to do...responding as was his custom…to circumstances as they developed...devoted to duty—he did the heroic!” – Richard Halverson
About 20 years ago, Rick Warren did a series on leadership out of the Book of Nehemiah. I want to give you his summary points on Nehemiah 2 and how leaders plan. They are too powerful to miss.
• _____________________________________________________ He chose his words carefully and assured the King of his loyalty.
• _____________________________________________________ You need a target. Aim at nothing, you’ll hit it. God loves big plans.
• _____________________________________________________ If a goal doesn’t have a deadline, it’s not a goal. Nehemiah came back 12 years later.
• _____________________________________________________ He asked for permission, then for protection. It was almost 100 miles. Again this shows Nehemiah’s planning. He had asked himself, “What could hold me back? What could go wrong?”
Managers focus on solving today’s problems, leaders focus on solving tomorrow’s problems.
“A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” Proverbs 22:3
“A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them.” Proverbs 27:12
• _____________________________________________________ This is the budgeting part of planning. He calculated the cost.
• _____________________________________________________
• _____________________________________________________
“Every accomplishment, great or small, starts with a decision. Choice, not chance, determines destiny. Too many people are like wheelbarrows, trailers, or canoes. They need to be pushed, pulled, or paddled. You’re either moving other people to decisions or they are moving you. The choice is yours.” – John Mason, Conquering An Enemy Called Average
13) Godly leaders invest in the ______________________________.