51 Amazing Bible Verses about God’s Plan
"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." This verse comes from Jeremiah 29:11, and it’s one of many that attest that God has a divine plan for your life. When you ask yourself what does God have planned for me? The Bible has plenty of answers!
Bible Verses about God’s Plan
Jeremiah 29:11
“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.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 16:9
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Deuteronomy 31:8
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
God’s Plan of Salvation
God is redeeming a people for Himself, to worship Him and glorify Him through faith and obedience. God is saving a people for Himself through the atonement of Jesus Christ. When we put our faith in Jesus, we are adopted into God’s family and participate in God’s plan of salvation.
John 1:11-13
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 10:27-28
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Romans 8:28-30
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Ephesians 2:8-10
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Isaiah 53:5-6
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
1 Peter 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Romans 5:18
Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
Colossians 1:13-14
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
John 1:12
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Titus 3:4-6
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.
God’s Plan for the Nations
Throughout history people have lived under the despotic rule of political leaders serving their own self interests to the detriment of the common man. God has a plan to establish a leader who embodies his love. Having defeated the power of sin and death, Jesus will rule over all nations as King and Lord.
People will gather from every nation on earth to praise God for the salvation He provides through Jesus, the Lamb of God, "who came to take away the sins of the world" (John 1:29).
God and His people will be unified in their love for one another. People from every nation will praise God with a loud voice, serving Him day and night, as God shelters them with His presence, comforting them, and providing for their needs.
Psalm 72:11
All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.
Psalm 86:9
All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.
Psalm 102:15
The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.
Isaiah 9:6-7
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 49:6
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 52:10
The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
Isaiah 66:18
And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory.
Zechariah 2:11
And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
Malachi 1:11
For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.
Daniel 7:13-14
I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
1 Timothy 2:3-4
This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Ephesians 1:3-14
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Colossians 1:15-23
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Revelation 5:9
And they sang a new song, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
Revelation 7:9-10
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!
Revelation 7:15-17
Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 11:15
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 15:4
Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.
Revelation 21:3-5
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
The Role of the Church in God’s Plan
There are still many people groups who are without a witness to God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Bible instructs the people of God to declare God’s glory among the nations, by preaching the good news of Jesus Christ.
By hearing the good news about Jesus, people place their faith in Him and are saved. Without the preaching of the gospel, people remain trapped in sin and spiritual darkness, unaware of their sin and God’s redemption. God is calling his church to preach the gospel of Jesus to the very ends of the earth.
1 Chronicles 16:23-24
Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the people!
Romans 10:14-15
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Mark 13:10
And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
Mark 16:15
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
Luke 24:47
And repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
John 20:21
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 13:47-48
For this is what the Lord has commanded us, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
Practical Steps to Engage in God’s Plan
The Kingdom of God will be consummated after the church completes its mission to preach the gospel to every nation on earth. Jesus gave clear instruction to his church to preach the gospel to all nations, yet still we tarry in our obedience to Christ’s command. Every church should have a strategy for preaching the gospel among the nations. Churches that are successfully engaging in missionary service have these things in common:
The leadership of the church regularly preaches on the importance of fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission.
The church regularly prays for specific unreached people groups to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The church understands that missionary service is more of a command than a calling. It is the responsibility of every local church to engage in God’s mission.
Faithful churches regularly appoint people from their congregation to missionary service.
Faithful churches partner with indigenous leaders from other countries to engage in cross cultural missionary service.
Faithful churches apportion significant financial resources to missionary endeavors, sacrificing personal comforts to increase their giving.
Faithful churches prioritize unreached people groups in their missionary endeavors, focusing on groups of people who have no Christian witness.
The book of Revelation tells us that Jesus will fully consummate his kingdom on earth. One day, the kingdoms of this world will be replaced by the Kingdom of God. But before God’s Kingdom is consummated, Jesus gave us a command to fulfill: to preach the gospel among all nations. Let us tarry no longer. It is time to provoke the church to fulfill God’s mission, so God’s plan will be accomplished according to God’s will.
Quotes about God’s Plan
“The one supreme business of life is to find God's plan for your life and live it.” - E. Stanley Jones
“God's plans for you are better than any plans you have for yourself. So don't be afraid of God's will, even if it's different from yours.” - Greg Laurie
“All God's plans have the mark of the cross on them, and all His plans have death to self in them.” - E. M. Bounds
“There is always death at the end of your plan and life at the end of God's plan.” - Rod Parsley
“God's plan is not to abandon this world, the world which he said was "very good." Rather, he intends to remake it. And when he does he will raise all his people to new bodily life to live in it. That is the promise of the Christian gospel.” - N. T. Wright
“Prayer lays hold of God's plan and becomes the link between His will and its accomplishment on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit's prayer.” - Elisabeth Elliot
Additional Resources
Storm the Gates: Provoking the Church to Fulfill God’s Mission
Learn how to mobilize your church for missions. Storm the Gates will encourage you to overcome fear with faith as you advance the gospel from your front porch to the ends of the earth.
