Full transcript of “Stop Trying to Fit God Into Your Plans | Morning Prayer”. Click a timestamp to open the video at that moment. Need another video? Use the YouTube transcript generator.
0:02 Before we pray, let's first take a moment to listen to God's word, and then we'll pray together. When God spoke to us in Psalm 32 verse 8, he said, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you." He also says to us in Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you were born, I consecrated you. I appointed you a prophet to the nations." In this verse and every other verse in scripture where the Lord talks about us, his plans and his purposes,
0:48 the ultimate plan has always been that he leads us because he knows why he formed us, why he made us, and who we are to be. But now, it's like seeking and knowing God's plan and his purposes for our existence is no longer a thing. It has gotten old. It is not something many subscribe to any longer. Instead, we want to show God our own plans and then try to make him fit into them. If there is something that has always rung out through scripture, it is that God is very vocal about the good plans he has for us. He is very vocal about what his
1:34 intentions are toward his children. Besides the love he feels for us, there is that connection we have with him, that creator-creature relationship. He made us. He formed us. In fact, for every single one of us who was formed, he formed us for a purpose. We were made for something. Made to carry something. Made to mean something to this world. Made to do something. There is a plan. There is a purpose for which you were born. When the Lord said in Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you were born, I consecrated
2:21 you. I appointed you a prophet to the nations." I believe as much as this verse addresses Jeremiah the prophet directly, it isn't just about him. These same lines, these same words, can be said to each and every one of us. Before he formed you in the womb, he knew you. And before you were born, he consecrated you. And that is why he is in the best position to direct your life. He is the best person to guide your steps. But it is human to have plans. It is human to have desires. It is human to have wants.
3:07 To have things that we want to be. And that is why many times, [music] we all have our lives planned out already. That is not bad. Again, it is what being human is. We are creatures of plans, dreams, and routines. And the thing is, many times, we feel very personal about those plans. We feel very personal about what we want for our lives. So much so that we disregard what the Lord is saying about our lives. There are also those who do not know that he has a plan. Who do not know that they are supposed to let the Lord lead them through life
3:53 and into what he has set out. Irrespective of the bracket you fall into today, I want to tell you again today with full assurance that there is a better plan. There is a better place. There is something God has for you. Take some time out to listen to it. I also want to say to you, stop trying to fit God into your plans. You cannot make plans and then bring God into them. It cannot be, "Well Lord I'm done planning. Please come over and make it work." It really, really does not work like that. The Lord may permit you if you insist on
4:39 going down that path, and truly, you may have good outcomes. You may make the money and live the dream, but it will never be like God's purpose. It will never be like God's plans. There will never be anything that you make for yourself that will be greater or better than the purpose the Lord has for you. There is a word in scripture I want us to remember and meditate on even as we listen to this devotional today. The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him, and he
5:25 will make your paths straight." Maybe the struggle for many is trust. You have wondered if you can trust the Lord, if you would even like the plans he has. You forget that to the very core, to the tiniest detail of your being, God knows you. He doesn't just know you on the surface. He knows you deeply. Everything he offers is tailor-made for you. That is why the Bible says to trust the Lord with all your heart. And you can trust him with all your heart. You can begin to submit to him from right now.
6:10 You can begin to give those plans over to him. And the Bible says, "When you do this, he will make your path straight." I've been caught up in this before and have been confused about it. In fact, I'm sure that as many of us as have heard the message of purpose, we have had to deal with this struggle. It is that point in your life where you already have something you love all planned out, only to find out that God has a plan. You don't even know what it is yet. And you don't even know if you'll like it. I believe I started out more confused than most [music] people. I had a lot of interests, and I had a
6:57 lot of things I wanted to do. None of those things were what the Lord wanted for me. Then the Lord started to speak to me about purpose. And he started to show me things about myself that I didn't know [music] I could do. Things I'd never paid attention to. Things I'd never thought were anything special. Then, I got to stay in a mission house far, far away from home for a year. And that changed everything for me. I saw passions that I had. Talents I had never known I had. I saw myself as I had never seen myself before. That singular trip in my life put everything in perspective.
7:44 And for the first time I understood. When you submit your ways to God prepare to be surprised. Prepare to be shocked by what he will show you. Prepare to be surprised by what you will see and what you will become. I firmly believe also that there are several benefits that come from aligning with God's plans. The first is fulfillment. The level of fulfillment you get from staying and operating in your place of purpose is unrivaled. You cannot get that level of fulfillment anywhere else. Because you will find that what the Lord has planned for you completes you.
8:30 Complements you perfectly. And fulfills all your passions. The presence of the Lord is always with those aligned with the purposes of God. When God sends you he backs you up. He stays with you. He holds you up. He comforts you. Wherever the Lord has placed you or has asked you to be you will always find his presence there. There is no need to begin to ask that he step in or take care of confusing situations. He is as invested as you are in your purpose. So before you ask
9:16 he is there with you. The favor and provision of God are always with those aligned to the purposes of God. When the Lord sent Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah the provision of a ram was already waiting on Moriah. Let's say Abraham didn't go to Moriah. Would he have found the ram? The Lord may have had mercy on him >> [music] >> and made provision on another mountain, but what had been set from the moment God gave the instruction was that he had made arrangements on the mountain he sent him to. The same is true of us. God has made arrangements for where he has sent you. He has made provision for the journey
10:01 [music] for you. He has caused favor to be supplied to you because you are walking according to his plans. When God leads, when he takes charge, he provides. I pray today that you key into that plan and that purpose. That you make a decision to walk according to God's plan. That you let go of those plans you have and stay with his. If you're ready [music] to do that today, then I invite you to commit your ways into his hands afresh today and watch what he will do with your life. If you are ready to say that prayer right now, say it with me.
10:50 Heavenly Father, I have heard about your plans and purposes, but I have never really keyed into [music] them. I've never truly believed them, if I'm being honest. I've always had my own thing. I've always had my own plans and seeking yours has never been important to me. Lord, I see things differently [music] today. I see what letting you lead and direct my life can mean. I see what following your plans can mean. I don't know how this goes, but I find that I I curious. I want to know what you want me to do. I want to know what you have planned for
11:37 me. So today, Lord, I submit to your plan. I submit to that purpose. And I commit to making time to learn what you would have me do from this moment. I commit to following you step by step. I lay down my plans and my desires, Lord, and take up yours. Let your strength fill me up. Let your strength be made available for me even as I say this prayer today. Let my heart come to a place of stronger conviction even as I follow the path you have laid out for me. Perhaps when a day comes when I am discouraged or disbelieving,
12:23 I pray that your strength rises from within me and encourages me. I pray that even in those days, you help me to understand that I am standing in the center of your will for my life. That I am standing in the place >> [music] >> you have made for me. I also pray, Lord, that even as I stand in the place you have made for me, I will find fulfillment. I want to know what being truly fulfilled feels like. I want to know what it means to walk in the totality of your plans and be blessed on that path. Even as I start on this path, Lord, I pray let my life bless others.
13:09 Let my life be an encouragement to others. Let my life be a testimony of what walking on the right path can mean. I also pray, Lord, that all the benefits that come with following you will ring out in my life. I pray for the consistency of your presence Lord. I want to always be in your presence. I key into your provision as I go through this journey, Lord. And I pray that your favor surrounds me on all sides. Heavenly Father, I also ask for your mercy today. I apologize for looking down on your plans in the past. I apologize for not listening.
13:56 I apologize for the delay my disobedience has caused. [music] I also thank you, Lord. Thank you for showing me there is more to life than my plans. Thank you for showing me there is a place for me. Thank you for showing me that I can just step into your plans instead of trying to fit you into mine. Thank you for being intentional about my life. And I am especially grateful [music] today Lord for answered prayers. Thank you, Lord. All the glory to your name. Amen. I hope this devotion encourages you to trust [music] God's plan for your life and surrender your ways fully into his
14:43 hands. We pray that every word spoken in this prayer comes to pass in your life. If you have any special prayer requests, we would be honored to pray for you. Feel free to share them in the comments. And if Grace Oasis Ministry has blessed your life, please consider joining our Patreon or supporting us through buy me a coffee. At this time, >> [music] >> your support is the only source of funding for this ministry as we continue sharing God's word every day. If you are not able to support today, that is completely okay. Your prayers and support mean so much to us. May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always. God bless you.
