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Affirmation and Challenge are two aspects of leadership that must always be
kept in balance. Too much affirmation and people become complacent. Too
much challenge and people become discouraged. The Apostle Paul was a
master at both.

Nehemiah has the rather unique combination of visionary gifting as well as a strong ability to plan and organize.  I do not see this very often. More frequently the Lord uses a team of leaders with skills and giftings that complement one another.

I also observe one additional important leadership behavior in verses 11 to 16. Upon his arrival in
Jerusalem, Nehemiah carefully assessed the situation. He inspected the condition of the walls. Once
more he sets a helpful example for us; he does not rush into the situation trying to fix it. Rather, he took
the time to gather the necessary information before taking action.
May we be like Nehemiah, leaders who hear from the Lord and develop a plan.

Courageous leaders are also willing and able to make difficult decisions in the midst of uncertainty or
ambiguity. Reluctance or failure to make a decision when a decision is necessary can sometimes be as
detrimental as the wrong decision. I have often said that “failure to make a decision is actually a
decision by default … it’s a decision to do nothing.” This can result in frustration and discouragement for
those who follow us.

Nehemiah did not merely pray for the forgiveness of “their” sins. He, himself, “owned” the sins of the Israelites. In the
last episode I quoted Ezekiel 22:30, and I repeat it here. The Lord, “looked for someone among them who would …
stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” Once again, I
would suggest that leaders are called to “stand in the gap” in intercessory prayer.

Daniel models for leaders, and for all of us, the appropriate posture before the Lord and how we are to acknowledge His
holy and perfect character.
Something else very apparent to me is that throughout the first 19 verses Daniel uses pronouns such as “we”, “us”, and
“our”.

I have several observations about this situation.

• Those who were jealous of Daniel must have known about his practice of prayer. That is why they conspired to persuade Darius to make the decree.
• The king’s edict had no effect upon Daniel’s prayer life. He continued to pray three times per day … with the windows open!
• The prayer habit that got Daniel into difficulty is also what rescued him from his difficulty.

One definition of favor is “an act of kindness beyond what is due or usual.”

I’ve learned in my life that there have been seasons when I, or a ministry in which I served, have experienced God’s favor, that is, His goodness beyond what might be considered usual. I believe that Village Church Planting is currently enjoying such a season. 

As leaders, we need to speak with both wisdom and tact. And we need to do so not only when the situation is going
well but also when it is not. In this instance, Daniel’s very life and the lives of many others were at stake.

One of the best ways you can assist a disciple as he or she begins to plant a
church is to go with them and do ministry together. Of course, you have many
more ministry experiences than your disciples do. So they will often defer to
you and try to make you do the hard parts.