Strategic Planning



Scripture:

Mark 11:11 ¶ Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Observation:

Jesus had just entered Jerusalem as the people surrounded him and sang, “Hosanna.”  Before he left the city that day he went to scope out the landscape of things.  He took the time to examine what was happening at the temple and in the city.  Then, he left the city and went to Bethany and more than likely to a night of prayer.  We learn in other locations of scripture that he goes out to pray at night, as was his practice.  Jesus regularly retired to spend time in the presence of his Father.  It is not until he has evaluated and spent time in prayer that he can return the following day ready for the action which lies ahead.

Application:


Evaluation - Prayer - Action

This is the way in which Jesus responded to the situation which he encountered in Jerusalem and these three steps are not bad suggestions for us either.  Too often we jump right into action before taking the proper amount of time which we should on evaluation and prayer.  Or, in the secular vein we take the time to evaluate and then we jump right into action without the focus on prayer. 

Where did Jesus spend most of the time in this three step scenario?  In prayer! 

What would happen to our strategic planning process if it were bathed in prayer?  God wants to be a part of every process in our lives.  He wants to help inform everything that we do but far too often we don’t create enough space for him to interject his direction and leading.  Somehow we believe that it is up to us to figure everything out by ourselves.

Jesus took time.  He “looked around at everything” and then he went with his friends to pray.  The community of faith joined together in praying for God’s will to be done.  It was not until the next day that he began to take action.  This was the strategic plan.

Prayer:

Lord, may we seek your divine leadership.  Amen.





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