Dear Planner, Do You Trust Him?

The Planner If you are a planner like me, you may feel extremely frustrated when you can’t plan out the details of any upcoming event. More than that you may even feel anxiety and unease because you worry about what might catch you by surprise. You feel like you have a sense of control when you are able to prepare adequately for whatever could come. If this resonates then keep reading because this is just for you!

Prayer Life But hold up, let's first assess your prayer life girl. I find it important to acknowledge our lifeline to Christ in this discussion and you will understand why in just a moment. When you pray do you find yourself only in repetition or would you say repetition and intention? There is a difference—we hear it all the time “pray without ceasing” but that doesn’t mean simply keep repeating the same prayer as though it is a wish you hope to come true. That means you intentionally spend time with the Father and you are dedicated to having a heart after Christ. You are intentional in your words, thoughts, and feelings when in the presence of the Lord. I’ll admit I’ve been guilty of this a time or two and it’s something we have to acknowledge because if you do not, you end up planning and planning and it's fruitless because you aren’t intentional with the Father and his will for your life.

Being Hasty with Plans What are you praying about right now? Assess your prayer life and the way that you plan. The bible tells us it’s okay to plan in Proverbs 21:5, but when we are hasty, it can only end in poverty. Perhaps you are praying in repetition and planning so much that you are forcing the outcome you desire, which leads you to something that actually is fruitless.

What are You Really Committed To? When you pray and plan, are you committed to the treasures you desire to come true or are you committed to Gods plan and his purpose? Does your prayer life include the will of God? Does planning lean towards what you want or what God would have you to do His way? What are the real intentions of your heart? Why do you desire the outcome you desire? Who does it benefit? Proverbs 16:3 tells us to commit our work to the Lord and our plans will be established.

Who Leads Your Life? Do you feel like you are in that much control of your life? You plan it out so much that there is no room for the will of God? Do you feel like you have focused so much on your timeline that you have completely overlooked what God wants for you in this season? Proverbs 16:9 tells us that the heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Whose really in control here? Do you submit to the Father?

No Matter What God’s Will, Will Be Carried Out You may plan diligently and things just don’t seem to go according to that which you have set forth. Is it because it’s bad timing? Is it because you had a misstep? Maybe you did everything as perfectly as you knew how to turn things around in your favor. Ask yourself what is the will of the Lord. Sometimes it’s just that simple, it’s not God’s will for it to happen the way you planned. Proverbs 19:21 tells us that the Lords purpose and his will, will stand. Don’t stress there is good news in this, because the bible also tells us that what the Lord has in store is far better than we imagined.

I leave you with one final but crucial verse:

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. James 4:13-15

As a child of God your life is not simply to live out your greatest dreams and all your plans. Your life as a servant to the Kingdom is to fulfill God’s plan on this side of life and receive your promise to eternal life in Heaven. So though you may plan, remember your true calling because this side of life vanishes as with all accumulated within it as well. Your accolades, your tangible riches---your soul and your work for the Lord---that is forever. God can give you the desires of your heart, it is okay to plan, but do so in alignment with HIS will and not your own and you will see the blessings he has in store for you unfold much better than any version you could have created for yourself.

When you feel hopeless, remember there is a plan, even if it’s not YOUR plan. Trust the Lord’s promises and watch how it unfolds into something beautiful.

Prayer Father in Heaven, thank you for being the leader of my life. Thank you for wrestling with me like Jacob so that I may understand the blessing you have for me. Forgive me Father for moments where I have strayed away from your word and what you would have me to do seeking after my own hearts desires. Where I feel lost or hopeless restore me and my mind that I may remember your promises and avoid falling into a stubborn mindset. Father from this moment forward I desire to be in alignment with your will and that everything I do, I will first consult with you. I pray to trust your leadership and pray with intention. ~ Amen