20 Insightful Scripture About Planning To Guide You As You Plan For The Future

 

What Does The Bible Say About Planning and Organizing?

The bible is filled with several gems as it relates to planning.

 

The creation story is a perfect account of things been done in a specific order. God had a plan. He didn’t first create animals and then as a second thought realize that he needed to create vegetation so the animals could eat or even light so they could all see. He followed a specific roadmap which culminated with him resting on the seventh day.

 

Here is what he created during creation week:

• Day 1: Light
• Day 2: Atmosphere / Firmament
• Day 3: Dry ground & plants
• Day 4: Sun, moon & stars
• Day 5: Birds & sea animals
• Day 6: Land animals & humans
• Day 7: The Sabbath of rest

Just like creation week, having a roadmap ensures that things get completed at the right time and in the right order. Evidently God intended there to be a rhythm to our routines. If planning was vital in the beginning why then shouldn’t scheduling be just as important in our everyday lives?

 

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8

 

How To Plan For A Successful Week

I have a habit of adding way too much to my daily to do list. How about you? Do you find your self making list upon list with little to show for it at the end of the day?

 

As a new mom, I have had to take a step back to re-prioritize my morning and evening routines.

 

Quiet time looks a lot different as well as finding time to devote to writing for this ministry. Ultimately my home is my number one ministry.

 

With the little time I do have though, I have come to realize that being intentional about the things I want to accomplish and mapping those into a weekly schedule is the way to go.

 

Here is how to have a productive week and bring calm to chaos even with little time on your hands by focusing on weekly planning.

 

Conduct a “brain dump”

All those thoughts in your head of things you want to accomplish, get them all out on paper. Don’t hold back! Usually as a task comes to mind, I add it to my brainstorm sheet. This gets the information out of my head as am bound to forget about it and unto a sheet I can refer to as I plan for the upcoming week.

 

For this, my favorite planner comes in pretty handy, alternatively you can just use a notebook that you can easily pick up from your local dollar store. Here is a glimpse of what a weekly brainstorming session might look like:

 

• Do keyword research for upcoming months blog post
• Draft newsletter for upcoming month
• Write a blog post and schedule
• Identify meals for the week
• Create grocery list and go grocery shopping
• Appointments / events happening this week
• List of cleaning tasks to be accomplished

 

Create Your Schedule

Once you have finished brainstorming what you would like to accomplish for that week add your fixed appointments and events to your weekly schedule spread.

 

Next prioritize, organize the activities on your brainstorming list in order of importance and also determine the time necessary to complete those activities.

 

Using the order of importance as a guide as well as the time needed to complete a task, map different activities to different days. I find having three major top priorities for each day a more realistic way to go than cramming my schedule with lots of to do items.

 

I like to start and end each day with a devotional and Bible reading, my faith planner helps me to be intentional with this. Not only does it have a prayer journal space but it has a devotions habit tracker to help you keep track of your daily progress on disciplines like: Bible study, prayer and quiet time as well as memorizing scripture.

 

As you build your schedule, don’t try to fill every time slot, instead leave some room for spontaneity / events that may arise.

 

Best Weekly Christian Planner

Personally, I use and love the Hope Planner, it comes in either a daily edition or weekly planner spread. The following is a quick flip-through video of this all-in-one Christian planner that combines a daily planner and prayer journal to help you be organized and put your faith first each day.

Scriptures About Planning

Now that we know what the Bible says about planning and organizing alongside how to plan for a successful week, let’s dive into some Bible verses about plans! The following scriptures about planning have all been taken from the King James Version.

 

Verses About Plans

“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

“There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.” Proverbs 19:21

 

When it comes to planning, often we have our own ideals on what we want to accomplish. Lose weight, have a successful career, have kids – the list is endless. While these are all great goals, what truly matters is the relationship we have with God. Matthew 6:33 says we should “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

 

Ultimately, God wants to bless us and wants what’s best for us. Ideally, we should approach the goal setting process prayerfully asking God to reveal the will that he has for our lives. God wants you to know his will and while his will doesn’t necessarily lead to prosperity in the “now” it does in the world to come. As our creator, God wants to reveal to us the blueprint he has for our lives if only we will allow him.

Planning Resources

Biblical Goal-setting Worksheets

One Year of Blog Content in One Month Challenge

Blog Planning Toolkit For Christian Bloggers

 

Verses On Planning

“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.” Proverbs 13:11

“Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.“ Proverbs 16:3

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1

“Let all things be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthians 14:40

 

Anything worth having, often doesn’t come easy. In order to accomplish our goals, it will take lots of diligence and hard work. Don’t be discouraged or tempted by promises of quick success, as Proverbs suggest, easy come, easy go. We see this play out on the streets daily. While it can sometimes feel discouraging when it seems others are flourishing while you are constantly struggling, don’t be a victim to the comparison trap. Claim the Bible verses above.  For everything there is a season. Commit your ways to the Lord and if it is his will, in a time that he sees fit, he will give you the desires of your heart. Eventually your hard work will pay off.

 

God Has Plans For You Verses

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.” Psalms 20:4

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

 

God has plans for you! If only we would lean on him and not our own understanding and trust that he knows what best for each and everyone of us. Above all else, he desires for us to seek out a relationship with him.

Bible Verse About Plans

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34

” Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.  But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.” James 4:13-16

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8

 

While we can dream up all the plans we would like, tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. As Christians, our main goal should be to walk closer with God, so when we do meet him face to face, we will hear him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25:21 KJV

 

Verses About Planning Ahead

“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.” Proverbs 21:5

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6

“Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” Proverbs 15:22

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

“The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.” Proverbs 16:1

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.” Luke 14:28-30

 

When you plan, don’t plan haphazardly, plan from beginning to end so you can see it through. Commit to your plans for the long haul.

 

Scripture On Planning

As you plan for the upcoming year, endeavour to make God the center of your plans and not an after thought. Do you have a favorite christian planner that you adore? What is your favorite go to scripture about planning? Share them in the comments below.