Living On Purpose In Christ | Boundaries, Devotions, Positive Affirmations, Bible Study, Christian, Faith, Scripture

75 | Penciled Plans, Permanent Prayers: Faith-Based Goal Setting That Honors God

• Paula Behrens | Christian Coach, Pastor, Certified Aroma Freedom Practitioner • Season 2

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Find the full episode here > Surrendering Your Plans: The Path to God-Centered Goals 

Struggling to align your goals with God's will? There's a profound difference between productivity-obsessed planning and faith-centered goal setting that transforms not just what we accomplish, but who we become.

At the heart of this transformation is Proverbs 16:3 – "Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established." The Hebrew word for "commit" literally means to roll our burdens onto God's shoulders. Faith-based goal setting begins with surrender rather than striving, with prayer before planning.

While the world glorifies hustle and self-made success, God invites us into a different approach. Before writing down your goals or creating a vision board, pause to examine your heart. Does this goal reflect God's wisdom? Am I seeking His kingdom or my own? Have I made space to listen before leaping into action?

The practical framework I share helps you create goals that honor God: make them specific while keeping your heart surrendered, root them in scripture for spiritual motivation, and always "write in pencil, pray in permanent ink." This approach acknowledges God's perfect timing, which rarely matches our culture's expectation for instant results.

If you're feeling overwhelmed or behind with goal setting, remember that God isn't disappointed or in a hurry. Start with small steps of faith – perhaps just 10 minutes of scripture reading daily or weekly prayer with your family. These seemingly modest beginnings can yield an abundant harvest of spiritual growth.

Ready to transform your approach to planning? Join me for an Aroma of Christ coaching hour to develop a personalized devotional routine that fits your busy life and creates space for God to establish your steps. Visit paulaberens.com/coaching to begin your journey toward goals that truly matter for eternity.

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Paula Behrens:

In a world that often values the hustle over the heart, how can we align our ambitions with our faith to truly honor God? In today's show on Penciled Plans Permanent Prayers we will dive deep into faith-based goal setting, exploring how to surrender our plans to His will. Join us now as we uncover the power of God-honored goal setting that will reflect your deepest spiritual values.

Paula Behrens:

When I first began my seminary work while serving two church congregations full-time, everyone assumed I had my daily devotional time perfectly organized, but, truth be told, there were mornings I could barely find five minutes to catch my breath, let alone dive into deep reflection. One day, as I rushed out the door with mismatched shoes, I realized that even in my chaos there was a lesson. Embracing God's grace and self-forgiveness I realized that true success in my devotional life requires prioritizing my spiritual practices.

Paula Behrens:

Are you finding it challenging to maintain your spiritual practices or yearning for a more peaceful, God-aligned day? I'm Paula and I've been there too. Balancing spiritual habits with a busy life can be difficult. I longed for a deeper connection with God, but struggled with consistency. Then I found the perfect approach. If you seek simple ways to deepen your connection with God, this podcast is for you.

Paula Behrens:

You want to grow closer to God. But let's be honest your days are full, your mind is busy and your devotional routine feels more like a struggle than a sanctuary. That's exactly why I created the Aroma of Christ Coaching Hour. This one-on-one session is designed to make deepening your relationship with God simple, peaceful and personal. No pressure, no overwhelm, just a guided, spirit-led approach to help you reset and reconnect with Jesus in a way that truly fits your life. You won't leave empty-handed either. You'll walk away with everything you need to continue your journey, including a printable devotional planning and tracking guide to help you stay consistent, a beautiful gospel reading plan that walks you through the life of Jesus, a downloadable prayer journal to reflect, process and pray intentionally, and practical guidance on how to use essential oils to quiet your mind and invite peace into your spiritual practices. You don't need fancy tools or hours of free time. You just need a doable plan and someone to help you make it real. So let's make your devotional life easy, meaningful and refreshingly Christ-centered. It's time to simplify your spiritual life so you can savor it again. Book your Aroma of Christ coaching hour today at paulabehrens. com/ coaching. That's Paula Behrens B-E-H-R-E-N-S . com/ coaching ( no spaces). Look for a link in the show notes.

Paula Behrens:

All right, it's time to get started. Grab your Bible, dust off your journal and cozy up to your favorite beverage and let's dive in. What if your goals weren't just productive but deeply spiritual? What if surrendering your plans actually brought more clarity than control ever could? What if the secret to progress wasn't doing more but in inviting God into less? If any of that resonates with you, you are gonna love today's show.

Paula Behrens:

Let's begin with a verse that may already be underlined or highlighted in your Bible, Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established, Proverbs 16.3. It's one of those verses that brings both comfort and clarity to many. Today, we're going to dig deeper and see what it really means when we talk about faith-based goal setting not just writing out a to-do list or mapping out a five-year plan, but grounding everything we do as if we are doing it specifically for the Lord. If you've ever wrestled with setting goals that honor God while still trying to juggle all the other pieces of your life, this episode is for you. Whether you're a mom trying to manage household duties, a ministry leader stepping into new territory, a woman navigating a career with integrity, or simply someone trying to be more intentional about your spiritual walk, you're going to want to listen in closely as we explore the world's way versus God's way.

Paula Behrens:

Let's face it we live in a culture that glorifies big things. The world says set big goals, crush them and don't let anyone get in your way. The world's message is wrapped up in self-reliance and ambition, and while ambition isn't inherently wrong, it becomes dangerous when it's disconnected from faith. Here's the difference. The world says you're the author of your own destiny, but God's word tells us that he is the author and perfecter of our faith. So how does our faith in Jesus affect the goals we decide to set? Well, it's pretty simple.

Paula Behrens:

Faith-based goal setting doesn't start with a planner. It starts with prayer. It doesn't begin with a vision board. It begins with a surrendered heart. Now don't misunderstand me. Tools are helpful, planners, schedulers, bullet journals I love all of that and I use all of that, but if we're not careful, we can leave the Savior out of the system. The key is to shift from self-made to spirit-led, beginning with surrender as you commit your work to the Lord.

Paula Behrens:

Proverbs 16.3 is both instruction and promise. Let's read it again slowly. Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established. The word commit in Hebrew literally means roll away or roll on to. It's the same word used in Psalm 37. 5, Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will act. So when we commit our work to the Lord, we're rolling the weight of it onto his shoulders. We're saying God, this dream, this plan, this effort, this goal, I'm placing it in your hands. It's not passive, it's deeply active, it's trust in motion.

Paula Behrens:

Here's what it looks like in real life. Before launching that new venture, you pause and pray, Lord, is this your will? When making a decision about your family activities, you ask, will this draw us closer to God? When dreaming up something beautiful, a book, a ministry, a goal, you hold it loosely and say, not my will, but yours be done. That's what's at the heart of faith-based goal setting. It's not about making God bless our plans, but it's about aligning our hearts with his so that his desires become our plans.

Paula Behrens:

Let me give you three simple heart checks that you can pray through as you begin to set your Christ-centered goals. One when you think about your goal, whether it's offering a devotional, organizing your home, starting a business or getting healthier ask, does my goal reflect God's wisdom? Does it promote peace and order? Does it demonstrate love, patience and faithfulness? Colossians 3.17 reminds us, Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. If you can't do it in his name, maybe it's not the right goal.

Paula Behrens:

Two am I seeking God's kingdom or my own? This is a big one. Jesus said in Matthew 6.33, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. When we make goals about being recognized, gaining control or desiring self-importance, they become heavy. But when we seek first the kingdom of God, making goals that will serve, love, give and glorify him, they become light. So ask yourself, would I still pursue this goal if no one else noticed? And it's a good one to wrestle with, Would I still pursue this goal if no one else noticed?

Paula Behrens:

Our third heart check asks, am I making space to listen? Sometimes we get so busy planning our lives that we forget to listen for guidance from the One who holds our future. Quiet moments with the Lord are where clarity is born. Psalm 25. 4-5 says, Show me your ways Lord. Teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me for you are God, my Savior. Before the vision board, before the planner, before the whiteboard session, take time to simply be still. Ask Him to guide your heart before you ever put pen to paper. Breathe in the aroma of frankincense, set a timer for five minutes and simply listen.

Paula Behrens:

Now let's get practical. Once you've prayed, reflected and sought God's guidance, how do you actually write your faith-based goals? Well, here's a simple framework that keeps Jesus at the center. First, make your goal specific as you keep your heart surrendered. Let's say, you feel led to start a Bible study in your home. Don't just write, Start a group, write, Launch a weekly Bible study on Tuesday evenings, beginning in July, to help women gain a deeper understanding of God's Word. Make it specific, measurable and tied to kingdom growth as you stay surrendered. You might have planned for 10 women, but only three come, that's okay. God's math is different than ours.

Paula Behrens:

Then let your goal be motivated by the Bible. Ask what scripture supports this goal? If your goal is to spend more time with your kids or grandkids, tie it to Deuteronomy 6, verses 6 through 7, which says, these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children. If your goal is to gain financial stability, root it in Proverbs 21.5, the plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance. When your why is rooted in the Bible, you'll be less likely to quit when it gets hard.

Paula Behrens:

Three plan in pencil, pray in permanent ink. This might be my favorite tip. Write your plans, your timelines, your targets in pencil. In other words, hold them loosely. God has full permission to interrupt, redirect or surprise you. James 4. 15 says, instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills we will live and do this or that. Planning is wise, but flexibility and faith is spiritual maturity.

Paula Behrens:

Okay, let's talk timelines. Raise your hand if you've ever gotten discouraged because something didn't happen when you thought it should happen. You can't see me, I know, but my hand is raised too. We live in a culture of instant everything, instant messages, instant oatmeal, instant results. But God's timing is perfectly intentional and not always instantly convenient. Abraham waited 25 years for Isaac. Joseph waited 13 years to see God's dream fulfilled. Jesus waited 30 years before beginning his public ministry. So if you've got a goal in mind, even a God-honoring one, and you're in a waiting pattern, hear me, delay is not denial. Sometimes God uses the wait to refine your heart before he releases the harvest. Galatians 6.9 is your go-to verse here. It says, says let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So don't give up. Don't rush the process. God is working in the unseen, even when your plans feel like they aren't going anywhere.

Paula Behrens:

Maybe you're listening today and thinking that's great, but I feel so behind. I haven't set goals in years. I'm overwhelmed, just trying to get through the day. Well, let me encourage you. God is not in a hurry and he is not disappointed in you. Isaiah 40, verse 11 says, he tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. That's our God. He's not waiting for us to accomplish more so he can love us more. He's waiting for us to rest in his arms and simply say Lord, lead me.

Paula Behrens:

So start with the small things. Maybe your first goal this season is just 10 minutes in the Word each morning, or praying aloud with your kids or grandkids once a week, or reading one faith-based book this month. Small steps of faith will open the door to a harvest of obedience.

Paula Behrens:

Before we close, here are five practical steps for faith-based goal setting that you can start right now.

Paula Behrens:

One begin with prayer. Invite God into every step you're planning.

Paula Behrens:

Two align your goals with scripture. Make sure they reflect God's heart.

Paula Behrens:

Three write down your why. Know the biblical motivation behind the things you want to do.

Paula Behrens:

Four set the goal but surrender the outcome. Plan well, but trust God fully.

Paula Behrens:

Five reflect on your goals often. Set a specific time each day to ask is this still where God is leading?

Paula Behrens:

And remember this, your life is not random. Your work, whether seen or unseen, matters deeply to God and your plans, when committed to him, are never wasted. Proverbs 16.3 isn't a formula, it's a faith posture. It's a call to invite the Creator into the details, trusting that he knows the blueprint better than we do. As we close today, let's remember the heart of Proverbs 16. 3, Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established. It's so important that we set our goals not from a pl ace of hustle but from a posture of holy surrender. Always write your goals in pencil and your prayers in permanent ink. Setting faith-based goals isn't about chasing achievement. It's about pursuing alignment with God's will, day by day, step by step.

Paula Behrens:

Before we wrap up, let's add another layer of support to your faith-based goal-setting plan by creating a prayerful atmosphere. My personal preference is to use essential oils to enhance focus, prayer and reflection. Frankincense is one of my favorites, not just for its biblical roots but for how it invites a sense of reverence while I journal and reflect on God's direction. Lavender helps me slow down and enter into stillness, and a blend like Valor gives me the courage to acknowledge that I don't have to carry the pressure of results, because God will do that for me. I simply plant the seeds and God provides the growth. Now, essential oils aren't magic. They're just one more tool like a favorite pen or a quiet corner that helps me tune out the distractions and tune in to God. So, as you sit with your planner, your Bible and an open heart this week, consider creating a space that honors the sacredness of planning with God. Put a drop of your favorite essential in your hands and breathe it in. Diffuse something calming, open the word and say, Lord, establish my steps. You're not alone on this journey. God is walking with you, cheering you on, guiding your heart and lovingly shaping every plan you commit to him. With that thought, stay rooted in grace and bold in your faith.

Paula Behrens:

Thank you for tuning in today and remember, just like setting biblical boundaries, it's okay to say no to things that don't serve you well, like that third piece of cake at the church potluck. If you've enjoyed this episode, we would truly appreciate it if you would take just a few moments to follow the show and leave a review. Also, prayerfully, consider investing just one hour to deepen your faith and nurture your spiritual growth. In your Aroma of Christ coaching hour, you will discover how to craft a personalized devotional routine that will fit perfectly into your busy schedule, incorporate essential oils into your spiritual practices, create an easy to follow tracking plan for consistency and learn tried and true strategies to experience your quiet time with God not just as a routine but as a joyful journey. Schedule your call now at paulabehrens. com/ coaching. That's Paula Behrens B-E-H-R-E-N-S . com/ coaching (no spaces). Be sure to check the show notes for all the links. Join us next week as we continue to discover how to live on purpose in Christ. Until then, keep leaning into him and walking in his wisdom. See you next time.