The Bible has a lot to say about making plans and seeking God’s will for our lives. Here are some key Bible verses about plans:
Proverbs 16:3
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” This verse reminds us to commit our plans to God in prayer, trusting that He will guide and direct our steps if we acknowledge Him.
Proverbs 16:9
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” This verse indicates that while we can make plans, ultimately God is sovereign over our lives and will order our steps.
Proverbs 19:21
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” This verse encourages us to align our purposes and plans with God’s purposes, rather than stubbornly clinging to our own agendas.
James 4:13-15
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” This passage warns against presumptuously making plans without considering God’s will in humility and submission.
Psalm 33:10-11
“The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.” These verses remind us that human plans often come to nothing, but God’s plans stand firm forever.
Isaiah 14:24
“The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.” This affirms that God’s plans cannot be thwarted and will surely come to pass in His timing and according to His purposes.
Psalm 20:4
“May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!” This is a prayer and blessing for God to fulfill the righteous plans and desires He has put in our hearts.
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Rather than solely relying on our limited human understanding, this encourages us to seek God’s perfect will in all our planning.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” This popular verse affirms that God has good plans for our lives even when we cannot see the future clearly.
Acts 16:6-7
“And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” This account shows how the early church submitted their travel plans to the Holy Spirit’s leading and direction.
Acts 18:21
“But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.” Like James 4:13-15, this demonstrates how Paul qualified his plans according to God’s will and timing.
Proverbs 21:30-31
“No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.” This reminds us that human planning and strategy ultimately cannot overcome God’s purposes.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” A call to humility in acknowledging God’s plans as higher than ours.
Matthew 6:25-34
In this extended passage as part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs His followers not to be anxious about food, drink, or clothing, nor to worry about tomorrow. He points to how God cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, and assures that He will provide for our needs if we seek His kingdom and righteousness first. This exhorts us to avoid undue worry and trust God’s provision in our daily lives and plans.
Romans 12:2
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Discerning God’s will should be central to our planning and priorities as believers.
In summary, while we may make plans, the consistent teaching throughout Scripture calls us to pursue God’s will through prayer, humility, and trust in His sovereign plan for our lives. As Christians, our foremost aim in any planning should be seeking first God’s kingdom and aligning our will with His purposes. When we commit our plans to the Lord and acknowledge Him, He has promised to direct our paths and establish the plans He has for us.
Some key principles we can apply from these verses include:
- Pray over plans, asking for God’s guidance and direction
- Submit your plans to God’s sovereign will and timing
- Seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first, trusting Him to meet daily needs
- Avoid presumptuous plans made without considering God’s leading
- Be humble rather than stubbornly clinging to your own agendas
- Qualify plans with “if God wills” or “if the Lord permits”
- Yoke your plans and purposes to God’s eternal plans and purposes
- Avoid worry, anxiety or undue frustration when plans fail
- Renew your mind and discern God’s perfect will in planning
As the Scriptures assure us, if we commit our plans sincerely to the Lord and seek to follow His purposes, we can trust Him to establish our steps and direct us to the future and hope He has prepared.
Here are some additional Bible verses about making plans and seeking God’s will:
Planning with Wisdom
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)
“Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.” (Proverbs 24:27)
“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” (Proverbs 24:3-4)
Seeking Counsel in Planning
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14)
“Hear counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days.” (Proverbs 19:20)
God’s Sovereignty Over All Plans
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21)
“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:33)
“A man’s steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?” (Proverbs 20:24)
Planning Without God is Unwise
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring…Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'” (James 4:13, 15)
“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!” (Isaiah 31:1)
God’s Faithfulness in Establishing Plans
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3)
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21)
“The Lord of hosts has sworn: As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.” (Isaiah 14:24)
Waiting on God’s Timing
“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3)
“He made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Trusting God With Unknown Future
“A man’s steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?” (Proverbs 20:24)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8)
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)
God’s Plans for Our Welfare
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
This selection of verses covers many angles on the biblical theme of making plans that align with God’s purposes. Key principles include pursuing wisdom, seeking godly counsel, submitting to God’s sovereignty, avoiding presumption, waiting on God’s timing, trusting in His larger plan despite unknowns, and resting in His goodness. As the Scriptures emphasize, true success comes not merely from human planning, but from humbly committing our plans to the Lord and relying on His guidance and direction through prayer and faith.
In the Bible, believers are repeatedly exhorted to seek the Lord rather than rely solely on their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). God calls His followers to pray over their plans, committing their way to Him and His purposes. Scripture warns against being presumptuous or self-dependent in making plans, instead urging humility and reliance on God’s leading through His Spirit and the wisdom in His Word. As Christians, our aim should be holding plans with an open hand, submitted to God’s sovereign direction and dependent on His provision – acknowledging that His thoughts and ways are higher than our own.
Though we may work hard and apply wisdom in planning, the consistent message of the Bible is to acknowledge God in all our ways and trust that He will direct our steps. Human minds and efforts fall incredibly short of God’s infinite knowledge and power. No plan by itself can thwart God’s ultimate purposes. Scripture calls us to walk in step with the Spirit by seeking first God’s kingdom and trusting that He will care for our needs and establish the plans He intends.
As Jesus taught in Matthew 6:25-34, rather than being consumed with worry and anxiety over the future, believers are called to humbly acknowledge their dependence and trust God’s goodness and fatherly provision in each day. God promises to be with His children and guide them, giving them hope and a future when they walk in step with Him. He also sovereignly works out all things for our good according to His purposes as Romans 8:28 assures. Through prayer and faith, we can boldly make plans while resting in God’s hands and relying on His direction over our lives.
The wisdom and sovereignty of God should inspire us with confidence that He will establish the plans He has for us, plans to prosper and not harm us. Our responsibility and joy is to commit our works to the Lord, trust in His guidance, and walk in obedience to how He leads us each step of the way for His glory.