Mensa Otabil - Our plans and God's plans (10/02/2025)
Proverbs chapter 19, verse 21: There are many plans in a man’s heart; nevertheless, the Lord’s counsel—those will stand. Most of us have made great plans for ourselves, our family, our business, and our future. It’s good to plan; planning is beneficial. We make plans for ourselves based on what we think is important to us, what our priorities are. However, while we’re making plans for ourselves, we must also note that God has plans for us, and God’s plans are called His counsel. God has good plans for us as well.
There are times when our plans and God’s plans align, but there are also times when our plans and God’s plans do not agree; where something we desire is not what God wants for us. Therefore, it is important that while we are making plans, we consider God’s plan. Someone might ask me, «How can I know if my plans are right or if they align with the will of God?» Should I wait until something goes wrong to finally say, «Oh, well, that’s not God’s plan for me»? No, you don’t have to wait for things to go wrong to determine whether they were God’s plans or not.
I’m going to give you three concepts that will help you align your plans with God’s plans for your life. The first one is to set your plans prayerfully. It is good to take paper and pen, write down your strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities—what they call a SWOT analysis—and try to figure out what to do with it. That’s fine, but as a Christian, you must be prayerful about every decision you make. Therefore, be prayerful about your plans; take them to God. Present them to God in prayer, ask Him for wisdom, ask Him for guidance, and ask Him to stop you if you’re wrong. When you prayerfully submit your plans to God, it helps align your plans with God’s plans.
Second, seek God’s honor and not your vanity. Many times, our plans are grand because we desire bragging rights; we want to do something that will awe our schoolmates, or perhaps we want to impress someone, so we create a plan to do just that. If your plans are for vanity, they cannot be from God. They can seem nice on paper, but they won’t fulfill God’s purpose, and ultimately, they will not stand, because God is not in the business of supporting your vanity; He is focused on honoring His name. So, seek God’s honor and not your vanity; check your motives and determine whether what you want to do brings glory and honor to the name of the Lord.
To summarize, first, plan prayerfully; second, seek God’s honor, not your vanity; and number three, stay alert to the Holy Spirit. This is something I constantly emphasize, as we are led by the Holy Spirit daily. One of the ways the Holy Spirit leads us is by using our emotions. There are things that happen in our hearts that repel us from certain matters, while there are other things we feel drawn to. Some of these things may indicate the Holy Spirit’s leading. I’m not saying they definitively are, but they could be. So, when you have a plan and do not feel peace within you, it may be the Holy Spirit indicating that the plan is not from Him. Stay alert to the Holy Spirit; do not assume His will, but be attentive. Present your desires to Him, ask Him to guide you, and you will achieve clarity of purpose. Then your purposes will be aligned with God’s plans for your life.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, help me to align my plans with Your counsel, and let Your counsel stand in my life, in Jesus' name. Amen.» The counsel of the Lord shall stand. I am Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.