Nehemiah 2:4-9 “Then I prayed to the God of heaven … let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried … so I set a time … ‘may I have letters … timber to make beams’ … sent army officers and cavalry with me …”

Nehemiah was highly competent planner with chutzpah and courage to take on a difficult project.  He is a good example of an entrepreneur with great planning skills.

Principle: Good business planning includes values, goals, objectives, competent staffing, financial projections, and prayer.

Here are some lessons from Nehemiah:

1. Think the project through and pray about it. 

2. Clarify the objectives.

3. Establish a schedule. 

4. Get permits and authority.

5. Set a budget including all purchases.  

6. Include competent help.

7. Pray and wait for God’s timing

Archie Dunham, Chairman of ConocoPhillips, is a man of faith and prayer. He engineered the successful planning effort that it took to make Conoco a company independent from DuPont.

When the stock traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, it was the largest IPO in U.S. history up to that time. Dunham used outside investment bankers and financial experts. He gave sufficient time to introduce the concept to boards and stockholders. Lawyers were engaged to handle complex legal issues and they carefully and conservatively estimated the probable value of the new stock. To the shareholders’ delight, the estimated value was exceeded on the first day of trading. As a Christian, Dunham shared his “journey of faith” in hopes that it would encourage other executives in the business community to be successful without giving up their integrity and ethics. He remarked that planning will not always lead to riches, but doing God’s plan will always lead to true riches – inner joy, peace and happiness.

When taking on the challenge of a business or a project that is bigger and more complicated than you have previously handled, do like Nehemiah – pray and plan. When the goal is achieved, give God the credit and praise Him.

Discussions:

1. When did you have a plan, but fail to execute the plan. How did that happen?

2. What is the most difficult area of business planning for you?

3. As a Christian businessman, how do you integrate the Biblical “God willing” concept into your plans?

4. What would be a good next step for you in praying for business planning?