“If the Lord wants us to, we will live and carry out our plans.” James 4:15 (GW)

We’ve been looking at Nehemiah’s life as a model for making God-inspired plans. So far, we’ve learned five steps:  

Step 1: Ask God for favor on your life.
Step 2: Prepare for an opportunity, and then wait.
Step 3: Expect fear, but don’t let it stop you.
Step 4: Establish a clear target.
Step 5: Set a deadline.

Here are Nehemiah’s final two steps that you can follow in developing your own life plan.

Step 6: Anticipate barriers.

Part of the planning process involves anticipating problems. The Living Bible paraphrase says, “A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them” (Proverbs 27:12).

Nehemiah thought through all the problems he might face. Then he said to the king, “Would you be willing to give me letters to the governors of the provinces west of the Euphrates River, so that I can travel safely to Judah? I will need timber to rebuild the gates of the fortress near the temple and more timber to construct the city wall and to build a place for me to live. And so, I would appreciate a letter to Asaph, who is in charge of the royal forest” (Nehemiah 2:7-8 CEV).

First, Nehemiah asked the king for permission to go to Jerusalem. Then he asked for protection and provision. Nehemiah was a cupbearer, not a professional builder, yet because he had spent months praying and planning, he was able to anticipate the barriers, determine his needs, and calculate the cost. 

Step 7: Trust God to meet all your needs.

Even when things don’t turn out the way you hoped, you can still trust God. A mark of spiritual maturity is recognizing God's hand in both the plans that go your way and the ones that don’t. Godly goal setting says, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and carry out our plans” (James 4:15 GW).

The king ended up giving Nehemiah everything he had asked for—and Nehemiah gave God all the credit: “And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me” (Nehemiah 2:8 NLT). Nehemiah didn’t say, “Look at what my planning did.” He said, “Look at what God did.” 

What would you like God to do in your life in the next six months, the next year, or the next five years? A great plan starts with these seven steps that Nehemiah followed. Try following them in your own life and see how God works out his purposes as you faithfully trust and obey him.