Nehemiah saw that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and its gates burned. He surveyed the walls at night without telling anyone of his plans. He then told the people about the city's distress and proposed rebuilding the walls. The people agreed and strengthened their hands for this important work. Taking initiative requires constant inspiration from sources like God, reading, and thinking as well as self-reliance and courage to undertake new things that need to be done.

1. PRESENTED
BY
SCOTT ODIGIE
TAKING INITIATIVES (Series
2)

2. REFERENCE:
Nehemiah 2:11-18

3. v11: So I came to Jerusalem,
and was there three days.
v12: And I arose in the night, I
and some few men with me;
neither told I any man what
my God had put in my heart to
do at Jerusalem: neither was
there any beast with me, save
the beast that I rode upon.

4. v13: And I went out by night by the
gate of the valley, even before the
dragon well, and to the dung port,
and viewed the walls of Jerusalem,
which were broken down, and the
gates thereof were consumed with
fire.
v14: Then I went on to the gate of
the fountain, and to the king's pool:
but there was no place for the beast
that was under me to pass.

5. v15: Then went I up in the night by
the brook, and viewed the wall, and
turned back, and entered by the
gate of the valley, and so returned.
v16: And the rulers knew not
whither I went, or what I did;
neither had I as yet told it to the
Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the
nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the
rest that did the work.

6. v17: Then said I unto them, Ye see the
distress that we are in, how Jerusalem
lieth waste, and the gates thereof are
burned with fire: come, and let us build
up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no
more a reproach.
v18: Then I told them of the hand of my
God which was good upon me; as also
the king's words that he had spoken
unto me. And they said, Let us rise up
and build. So they strengthened their
hands for this good work.

7. WHAT IS INITIATIVE?

8. It is the
capacity to see
what needs to
be done and
enterprise
enough to do it.

9. WHAT IS
ENTERPRISE?

10. An
undertaking
that needs
courage.

11. EXAMPLES OR
DIMENSION OF
INITIATIVES

12. Leverage Ruth
2:2
New strategy
Jud.20
Feasibility
Study Neh.2
Fasting &
Prayer Est.3

13. Majoring on the
‘major’ 2Kg.2
Building &
sustaining
relationships
1Sam.25
Creating new
systems &
structure Exo.18
Invention of
products
2Chr.26:5 & 15

14. Shift from
extraction to
processing
Pro.12:27
Choosing a
career path Lk.5
Setting goals
Lk.14:27-30
Building a brand

15. REQUIREMENTS
FOR TAKING
INITIATIVES?

16. 1. CONSTANT
INSPIRATION:
Gen.24:63
How?

17. Reading
Exposure
Observation
Networking

18. Fellowship with
God
Deep creative
thinking
Trainings
Surfing the
internet
Randomly
Questioning

19. 2. Self-
Reliance:
Judges
12:3

20. 3. Courage:
Jos.1:1-7

21. CONCLUSION

22. It is your season
for enlargement,
breaking new
grounds and
living above
recession in
Jesus name.