Opening

Have the children do a performance and have the others comment on it. Link this to how having confidence in our abilites makes others believe in us too.

Bible Story

● To anticipate means to foresee or tell something before it happens. Lord Jesus thank you for giving us the best ideas to change our world. May you
help us find people to help us and that we may succeed in all we do. A vision is looking ahead and plan around it Describing Fathers in the Bible who had anticipatory vision will be our focus in this month’s lessons. Having anticipatory vision means seeing what the future may hold and planning around these events to shield us from any circumstances. One of the fathers of the Bible was Nehemiah.
● Many Jews had returned from the Babylonian captivity. They were rebuilding Jerusalem. But Nehemiah was burdened by the fact that the city walls were still in shambles. Though still living away from Jerusalem, he communicated with those who were living there. He fasted, mourned and prayed for the rebuilding of the walls of his beloved city.
● In Nehemiah’s prayer to God he confessed that he knew Israel’s sins were the cause of his nation being scattered among the heathen. Nehemiah knew God’s promises to Moses that they would be blessed if they followed God, but punished if they strayed from him. Nehemiah did not deny that God’s punishment was necessary. However, he called upon the mercy of God to help them rebuild the walls of Jerusalem as the people returned to the city of God.
● Nehemiah worked as the cupbearer to the Persian king Artexerxes. After Nehemiah’s great grief could no longer be hidden, the king inquired as to what troubled his servant. Nehemiah responded that his beloved city was destroyed and in ruins. He asked permission to go and help build the city. Not only did the king give him permission, the king gave him the resources he would need to accomplish the task. The king granted military troops, horsemen, letters of passage and even building materials for Nehemiah to use.
● Nehemiah’s pain became a prayer, and then it became a vision and God provided a way for it to be accomplished.
● Look at what God has put into your heart, that could be a purpose or a vision that He has granted you and you should pray over it.
● God will give you anticipatory vision like He gave to Nehemiah that made him ask for letters of passage. And like He gave the king, to provide Nehemiah with resources and protection.
● The key is to pray and trust in God, with the desires, pains, purposes and visions that He has put in our heart and believe that He is able to provide and accomplish all.

Questions

1. What does anticipate mean? Expect/Predict
2. What does vision mean? Goal/Plan
3. What situation did Nehemiah have a vision for? The wall of Jerusalem
4. How do we conquer challenges? Remembering our goal and why we do it