20 Bible Verses to Help with Goal-Setting

Originally published Thursday, 31 December 2015.

Setting goals can be hard. Pick one too difficult and you have to contend with the fact you didn't do it. Pick one too easy and you will be asking why you didn't pick a real goal. Either way, you want to look back and know that you did great, gave it all and made a real and impactful life change.

How do you go about setting goals that really matter?
How do you pick things that God cares about?
And, what does God have to say about goals to begin with?

These are all questions that I ponder. I want to do what matters to him. I want to change the areas he wants changed. I want to know where I can love more and serve more and not pick some superfluous bag of new law that makes me more stressed and anxious and sinful than I was before.

If I am honest with you all, I don't really know what new goal to pick. I figure the best way to get clarity is to get under the Lord's authority and to see what he lays on my heart. I'll seek his word, then seek his heart in prayer and he will be faithful to speak what he wants changed, not what man wants changed, my ambitions want changed or what vanity wants changed. 

"Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light..." Ps. 37:4-6

20 Bible Verses To Think on When Setting Goals

 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

 “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. " Psalm 37:4

 “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:11

 “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.” Psalm 118:8

 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:14

 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:6

 “All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly.” Proverbs 13:16

 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Ps. 127:1 

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." 2 Pet. 3:18

 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

 “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5

 “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.” Proverbs 29:18

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” Luke 14:28 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 

 “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” John 6:27

 “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7 

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” Psalm 20:4 

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