A Reminder For All of Us Planners: pray as much as you plan
As each new schooling semester starts up, I find myself planning like crazy. I typically re-evaluate the current classes my girls take, their extracurricular involvements (or lack thereof) and I think through the best plan to maximize the coming months. The planning side of my brain (which in my case is exceptionally dominant) takes over, and strategizing becomes quite consuming.
But the funny thing is, I remember going through this process last semester, and somehow nothing I originally planned came to fruition. I’ll spare you the details, but I will say, I was reminded I have little control over even the best-laid plans.
Which should be no surprise. There are several Proverbs that tell us who’s really in charge of what happens:
“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 heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” Proverbs 16:1
Planning is certainly not a bad thing (see a biblical example in 1 Corinthians 16:5-7), but it’s good for us to remember who actually determines what will take place. It doesn’t matter if we’re deciding on a daily schedule, thinking through the future, scheduling out our year, or just planning tomorrow — it’s always good to realize God’s in charge. So in that sense, it makes sense to bring our plans to him in prayer. I’d go so far as to say, perhaps we should plan to purposefully pray more than we plan — and I say that for 4 reasons in particular:
#1 Only God knows what is best
Often times we think we know what the perfect plan would be (If only we could just make it happen!). However, God’s knowledge puts ours to shame. He really is the only one who knows what’s best for us, for our families, and for the people our plans impact. Not to mention, he is the only one that can orchestrate all the plans, for all of time, to end up “working together for good” (Romans 8:28)!
So before spending too much time carefully strategizing, let’s go to God. Let’s ask him to direct us, to guide us, to help us make good plans, or to help us follow him when he purposefully derails our well-laid-out plans.
#2 Only God knows the future
Some of my plans would be great if only things went according to plan. And yet, unexpected changes are what life is made of! Therefore, it makes far more sense to pray the future would come together the way God wants it to than it does to make plans that only work if everything stays predictable.
Should we plan anything since we know things will change (and not go according to plan)? Sure, it makes sense to think through the wisest way forward, but only secondarily. First, we should go to God who knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) and ask him to help us wisely move forward.
#3 Prayer keeps our trust firmly rooted
Planners may be tempted to trust in their plans. Or perhaps they are trusting in themselves because they made the plans. Either way, our confidence should be in God alone. And prayer is a big part of that process.
When we lay out our plans before God and ask Him to direct our way (whether it’s through our plans or in spite of them) we’re actively affirming that our trust is in God. We are remembering that he holds the future in his hand, and we are reminding ourselves that we want his will more than we want our own (Matthew 6:10, James 4:15).
#4 Prayer keeps us humble
We’re sometimes ambitious in our plans, and that’s not a bad thing. However, when we start to think our go-getter-ness is what makes us successful, we’ve forgotten who truly establishes our steps (Proverbs 16:9). Prayer reminds us that while we may want to do X, Y, and Z, it’s only the purpose of the Lord that will stand (Proverbs 19:21).
So what it comes down to is, why plan, plan, plan, when we can pray, pray, pray?! Perhaps the goal should be to pray and then plan and then pray, pray, pray some more. For when we pray we keep our eyes on who’s in charge, we stay humble and reliant on him. And we have the God of the universe listening to us, helping us, and guiding us!
I hope you will join me this coming year, my fellow planners, to pray at least as much as you plan!
Heather Pace
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