“LORD, help me understand Your plans.” We pray! Often, we wonder how we could figure out God’s plans for our lives. Honestly, fully comprehending His intentions toward us can be challenging.
Although the Bible is clear about Him having only good intentions for us, we often forget everything we know about His goodness whenever we find ourselves in difficult situations.
So how can we understand God’s plans for us? What is the correct formula that could help us comprehend His plans more clearly?
Today we will discuss a few ways of understanding God’s plans and how we can apply them in our daily lives. But first, let’s study this verse.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
–Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” says the verse. However, far more often, it’s easy to see the wrongs that happened more than the good.
So we wonder how we could understand what God has for us. Well, the thing is, in the beginning, God’s original plan was perfect, but then it got corrupted when the first human beings disobeyed Him.
Note: This entire Website focuses on bringing hope to “CSA Survivors” using the Gospel of Christ. Click the link above to learn more about CSA (Child Sexual Abuse).
So what corrupted God’s perfect plan
When we read Jeremiah 29:11, we often think nothing wrong could ever happen to us. Often, people have this misconception that horrific situations won’t happen to them anymore once they become Christians.
Unfortunately, we all live in a fallen world—a dying world filled with all sorts of calamities, violence, diseases, and many other horrific disasters.
In the beginning, when God created the Earth, everything was perfect. Everything He made brought life only. His original plan for the human race was that they would have a great life on Earth with Him by their sides.
But it all fell apart when the first human beings, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God. As a result, death was released into the world, bringing with it every horrific thing you could imagine. We find this incident in the Book of Genesis Chapter 3.
Now let’s go back to Jeremiah 29:11. Earlier, we saw how God intends to give us hope and a future, not to harm us but to give us a prosperous life.
However, you may argue: “If God plans to prosper me, not harm me, then why did He allow these horrific things to happen to me?” Well, I believe the right answer to this question might be to understand God’s Sovereignty first.
God’s Sovereignty
One of the most fascinating things about the LORD God is that He is the Sovereign LORD, which means He does things according to His plan and will.
Often, the Scriptures refer to Him as the Potter, and we are the clay. And because of His Sovereignty, God has the perfect right to lead our lives according to His ideas, not ours.
“What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’”
-Isaiah 45:9 NLT
As you can see, God’s Sovereignty makes Him the highest and greatest person on Earth and in the heavens. However, that does not make Him a God who enjoys seeing people suffer.
God is gentle and kind. On top of that, He is the most loving person on earth and in heaven. Once you get to know Him personally, you will see all the aspects of His personality.
Due to His Sovereignty, the question as to why He allows some atrocities to happen may stay unknown, but, He desires to turn them into something good.
Now let’s take a closer look at:
God’s purpose and approval
God placed you on this planet for His greater purpose. He created you so that you can be His Ambassador.
If you want to learn more about why God placed you on this planet, I wrote a post: “A life worth living and how to discover it,” which explains it in detail.
Honestly, I don’t believe that God causes bad things to happen to us. However, I do think that He allows them to happen. His Word tells us that nothing on Earth and in Heaven happens without God’s approval first.
In the Book of Job, Satan had to ask God’s permission consent before destroying Job’s life.
Job 1:6-12 NLT
“6 One day, the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them.
“7 Where have you come from?” the LORD asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”
8 Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man on all the Earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
9 Satan replied to the LORD, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God.
10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is!
11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
“12 All right, you may test him,” the LORD said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the LORD’s presence.”
His ways are higher than ours.
We shouldn’t focus on why God allows certain things to happen because we can’t always fully understand Him. All we can do is study His ways, abide by His rules, and obey His instructions. The Bible says that His ways are more significant than ours.
“8 My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
-Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
So whenever we ask God this question: “LORD, help me understand Your plans.” it might feel like trying to see where the road of our life leads. Often, we feel like we got it, but then, the road vanished into the woods.
God wants You to get to know Him personally. And He longs for a closer and more intimate relationship with you—more than attending Church on Sundays only. From there, you will be able to start understanding His plans. Maybe
Steps toward a closer relationship with God
If you want a closer relationship with God, the first step is finding the way that leads to Him. The good news is John 14 tells us how to get there.
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
-John 14:6 NLT
This verse tells us how Jesus Christ is the only person who can enable us to get to know God ( the Father/the LORD/YAHWEH) personally and intimately.
John 14:6 means that the only way to the Father is by becoming a follower of Christ Jesus. Therefore, you purposely and intentionally decide to follow His teachings and allow Him to guide you in all the areas of your life. Hopefully, from there, He will be able to answer your question: “LORD, help me understand Your plans.”
How to Become a Follower of Christ Jesus
So we become a Follower of Christ by inviting and accepting Him into our hearts. The Bible says that if we openly declare that Jesus Christ is the Lord and believe it in our hearts, we will become His followers.
In other words, we become born again, saved, and God forgives all of our past sins for good.
“9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”
-Romans 10:9-10 NLT
So how do we get there?” you ask. All you have to do is pray the Salvation prayer.
Before we explore in detail what is the Salvation Prayer, let’s take a closer look at how to understand God’s plans.
How to understand God’s plans
- First, we do this by studying His Word. Naturally, hanging out with someone is the best way to get to know them. So reading the Bible is the perfect way to get to who God is because that’s where He talks about His nature.
- Second, we willingly acknowledge Him as the Refiner, Potter, and Perfector of our lives. He continuously works on us to make us perfect vessels for His Kingdom’s purpose.
- Third, we stop fighting Him when He places us in different environments during the refining season—all He desires is to transform our mindset and change everything about us by turning our whole lives upside down.
- Lastly, the perfect sign to see that God is working in our lives is by looking at how much change is taking place in our circle of influence (e.g., family, workplace, Church, School, and relationships). Because He knows that’s where we would get to grow and mature the most.
Examples of how to understand God’s pattern
Now that we learned how to understand God’s plans, here are some examples of how His pattern works:
The first example is about how Joseph understood God’s plan for his life and the lives of his family. Joseph was sold by his brother to the Egyptians. And, he lived there as an enslaved person. But many years later, God blessed him by making him the Ruler of Egypt.
The good thing, Joseph was able to forgive his Brothers; unfortunately, they never understood God’s plan on the same level as Joseph did.
18 Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.
19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you?
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
21 No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.”
-Genesis 50:18-21 NLT
As you can see, Joseph understood that God was preparing him to become the Ruler of Egypt; therefore, he saved many people’s lives. We find Joseph’s story in Genesis 37-50.
Modern-life Examples
1. Now, here are some modern-life examples;
You have been praying for a promotion for quite a while now, but God’s been keeping you in the same spot for years. And the goal is that He would eliminate that prideful attitude of yours.
Far more often, this prideful attitude causes you to look down on others. So by keeping you in the same job position, God slowly teaches you humility, how to be more compassionate toward others, and how to be submissive to authority.
2. He took you from a familiar environment and placed you on a completely foreign ground. The move forced you to leave behind everything you are familiar with. At first, it felt slightly uncomfortable, but once you were out, you started noticing how toxic that environment was to you.
3. You often beg God: “God, can I just win the lotto or something? Please, get me out of these debts.”
The issue is God knows the second you win the lottery, you will mismanage it by making unwise financial decisions, again. Therefore, He hinders you from winning so that He can change your money mindset.
4. He often hinders you from achieving some goals because of your instant gratification tendencies. In the long run, you will start witnessing how rewarding delayed gratification can be.
Now let’s study in detail what this prayer is:
The Salvation prayer
Some of us are familiar with this famous prayer—especially those who grew up in Christian Churches.
But for those who are not familiar with the Salvation prayer, it is the prayer Unbelievers (Non-Christians) pray when they are inviting Jesus Christ into their hearts.
In most Christian Churches, after the Pastor finishes preaching, he invites people to come forward and give their lives to Jesus by corporately praying the Salvation prayer. This invitation is called “The Altar Call!”
Today, if you hear a voice in your heart prompting you to give your life to Jesus and receive Him as your Lord and Savior, I pray that you will obey because receiving Him is the best decision of your entire life.
This verse below tells us God’s intentions toward anyone who doesn’t know Him personally. As you can see, His ultimate goal is to have you near Him.
“So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.”
-Isaiah 30:18 NLT
Now, if you want to give your life to Jesus Christ, try to find a quiet place. That way, you won’t get distracted by what might be happening around you. And preferably pray out loud (with your normal voice volume); that way, you can silence the enemy’s (Satan) voice when he tries to prevent you from praying.
Pray like this:
“Lord Jesus, thank you for your love and your mercy. Thank you for loving me regardless of my many sins. Today, I pray that you will forgive me for my sins. I invite you in my heart and accept you as my Lord and Savior.
Change, transform, and make me a new creation from the inside out. Help me walk in Your path daily with the help of the Holy Spirit.
From this day forward, may You have complete control over my life.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me and making me yours forever. Amen!”
Congratulations, and welcome to the large family of Christ. His Word in Luke 15, says that whenever one sinner repents, angels throw a big party in Heaven. So know that today, the entire Heaven is rejoicing for you.
“In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
-Luke 15:10 NLT
The most significant day of your life
Today, you just made the most significant decision of your life because the Holy Spirit just came in and made His home within your spirit. From this day forward, He will start walking with you step by step for the rest of your life.
Also, this prayer helps those who would like to rededicate their lives to Jesus Christ. Maybe you used to be devoted before, but then you walked away from your faith.
Today is the perfect opportunity to rededicate your life to Christ. So, Go ahead and pray this same prayer and become closer to Christ again.
Remember what Isaiah 30:18 says about how God must wait for you. In your case, He is waiting for you to return to Him.
Note: if you would like to know more about who is the Holy Spirit, click this link below
(Link about the Holy Spirit)
The benefits of becoming Christ’s follower
- Now that’s when the fun stuff happens. As mentioned before, the Holy Spirit comes and lives in you.
- From this day forward, you become a brand-new creation (a born-again Christian).
- Since now that you are a follower of Christ, you no longer belong to yourself. You belong to Him! Every part of you (body, soul, and spirit) belongs to Him.
- It’s a brand new day, and you are a brand new person from the inside out. Praise God, because things won’t be the same anymore.
- You won’t feel trapped like you used to in the past. There is a new horizon right in front of you. You get to start walking on a straight path from this day forward. God’s unconditional love and compassion pave the road.
- There will never be any confusion whenever you try to understand God’s plan for you. And whenever you ask Him: “LORD, help me understand your plans.” He will gladly answer you. He will never rebuke you for asking. You will never feel rejected, used, or taken for granted in Him.
- Now, you will start understanding God’s plan for your life. The Holy Spirit will start whispering all of God’s heart’s secrets to you.
- And when you feel like giving up, may you always hold on to this Word:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
In brief:
Whenever you question God, “LORD, help me understand Your plans.” First, you must study God’s Word and patterns to get to know Him better.
And we do this by studying the Bible daily; then secondly, we let the Holy Spirit enter our hearts (Salvation prayer) because only He can show us God’s heart.
Third, we follow God’s instructions in all areas of our lives by giving up our old ways of seeing things and embracing His will for us.
And lastly, we trust Him wholeheartedly and never lean on our understanding again.
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