Plans provide structure and security – until something gets in the way. The Bible is not against planning, but it invites us to plan with open hands. Here you will find 20 Bible verses about plans and planning.
Planning well
The Bible encourages wise planning.
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The plans of the diligent bring abundance; but he who is too hasty will surely want.
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But who among you, who wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? So that when he has laid the foundation and is not able to complete it, all who see it begin to mock him and say, “This man who began to build has not been able to finish it.”
Luke 14:28-30
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First, plan and prepare your work; then build your house.
Proverbs 24:27
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Go to the ant, you lazy person; observe her ways and be wise. She has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet she stores her food in summer and gathers her provisions at harvesttime.
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Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
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Plans succeed when they are guided by counsel, and war is won by wisdom.
Proverbs 20:18
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Let everything be done decently and in order.
1 Corinthians 14:40Church
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Then the king said, “What do you ask?” I prayed to the God of heaven and said to the king, “If it pleases the king and if my lord is acceptable to you, send me to Judah to the city where my fathers are buried, that I may rebuild it.”
Nehemiah 2:4-5
With open hands
God’s plans and our plans.
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The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD alone directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9DecisionsGod’s will
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Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.
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Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the LORD’s purpose stands.
Proverbs 19:21God’s willProverbs of Solomon
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Now, therefore, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this city or that city, will stay there a year and trade and make a profit,” do not know what tomorrow will bring. For what is your life? It is like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you should say, “If the LORD wills and we live, we will do this and that.”
James 4:13-15Dependence
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Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what tomorrow will bring.
Proverbs 27:1Future
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The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations and turns aside the thoughts of the peoples. But the counsel of the LORD stands forever, and the plans of his heart from generation to generation.
Psalm 33:10-11
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For I know what thoughts I have about you,” says the LORD. “Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you the future you hope for.”
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I declare beforehand what is to come, and long before it happens, I say, “My plans will succeed, and I will do whatever I please.”
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Commit your ways to the LORD, and trust in him; he will act.
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My times are in your hands. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
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So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough to worry about.
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But we know that to those who love God, all things work together for good, to those who are called to live according to his purpose.
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
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Is Planning Biblical?
Yes. The Bible praises wise planning. Jesus himself uses the example of a builder who estimates the cost before building a tower (Luke 14:28). The ant is held up as an example because it stores food in summer (Proverbs 6:6-8). Nehemiah carefully plans the rebuilding of Jerusalem before asking the king for permission – and prays while doing so (Nehemiah 2:4-5). “The plans of the diligent bring abundance” (Proverbs 21:5). Planning is therefore a form of responsible action.
Planning with Open Hands
At the same time, the Bible reminds us that plans have limits. “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD alone directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). James advises making plans with a caveat: “If the LORD wills and we live” (James 4:15). This is not a mere formality, but an attitude that brings peace of mind when things don’t go as planned. And Jesus says, “So do not worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34). Learn more about Bible verses for decisions, Bible verses about the future, and Bible verses about time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does it say, “The heart of man plans his way”?
In Proverbs 16:9: “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD alone directs his steps.”
What does “If the LORD wills” mean?
The expression from James 4:15 reminds us to make plans with the awareness that God has the final word.
