Learn God’s Purpose and Plan for Your Life Through 10 Scriptures

What exactly is God’s plan for my life? Studying and meditating on these scriptures can reveal God’s purpose and will help direct you to His plan for your life.

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God is searching for a select group of people to make a significant impact at this pivotal moment in history. Could that be you?

Those who answer the call have a drive I call holy ambition.

I use the term to explain a unique determination within very ordinary, commonplace followers of Christ. This commitment to God’s agenda is developed over time, stretched, and grown by various life encounters and decisions.

For example, when you combine the radical faith and contrite heart of a servant like Nehemiah, amazing things happen. When you unleash Paul’s courage, strategy, and commitment to the fulfillment of the Great Commission, the Church multiplies exponentially and miraculously.

God is still in the business of calling out his disciples — ordinary people — to make a difference in the world, fulfilling His agenda. Will you answer the call? Will you submit to becoming a true disciple and discipling others?

Study these verses and consider what God is asking of you in this moment of history. Join thousands of others who are taking radical steps of faith to fulfill His mission, from committing to their families wholeheartedly to launching a new ministry. What’s your holy ambition?

To conveniently jump to each verse, use the links below.

2 Chronicles 16:9
I Corinthians 1:26-29
Ephesians 2:10
Hebrews 11:1
Psalm 51:16 – 17
James 4:6
Hebrews 11:6
Proverbs 29:25
1 Corinthians 9:27
Philippians 2:5-8

10 Scriptures That Will Reveal God’s Purpose and Plan for Your Life

1. 2 Chronicles 16:9

“For the eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the whole earth, that He may strongly support those whose hearts are completely His.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

When you study great movements of God from the Scriptures, they all have something in common: they begin with a small group of people who, despite the mockery of others, trust that God will do exactly what He says He will do. And when He finds them, He “strongly supports” their calling.

2. I Corinthians 1:26-29

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” I Corinthians 1:26-29

Look around. God uses the regular, baggage-bearing, hurt, messy people to confound the wise. It isn’t about how much we can contribute. In fact, it appears that God goes to considerable efforts to avoid the gifted, obvious servants and instead, accomplishes His mission by utilizing the people who might be overlooked or forgotten.

3. Ephesians 2:10

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

As His handiwork, He’ll provide whatever you need to complete those good works. If you need courage, faith, money, staff, an idea, He’ll provide. If God can find a man, a woman, or a student whose heart is fully His, He will do extraordinary things through ordinary people, for His glory.

Want to hear more? Find this Holy Ambition series on Chip’s YouTube channel.

4. Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Faith has to do with what you can’t see. It’s nothing more or nothing less than trusting in the character and the promises of God, to the point that you act in obedience whether you feel like it or not. That’s what faith is.

5. Psalm 51:16 – 17

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” Psalm 51:16 – 17

Do you ever get caught up in the lie of believing you have to clean up before coming to God? Or that you’ve gone too far living by your own terms, that you aren’t welcome in His presence?

No matter what you’ve done, heaven will rush to connect with you upon this one occurrence. It’s called a broken spirit. Only with a broken spirit can you properly grasp God’s agenda and receive His passion and provision for seeing it through!

6. James 4:6

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’” (James 4:6)

In Scripture, there’s one thing, every time, that God is one hundred percent against.

When He sees it in a man, woman, child…when it happens in the Old Testament or New Testament, or in a corporation or an entire nation, He has a strong reaction. He’s not unhappy about it or displeased because of it.

He’s against it.

He brings consequences as a result of it.

And he hates it.

It’s called pride.

This scripture will help you determine your purpose and plan by instructing you on what kind of heart can grasp and execute a holy agenda for God.

In Scripture, there’s one thing, every time, that God is one hundred percent against. He’s not unhappy about it or displeased because of it. He hates it and He brings consequences as a result of it. That thing is pride. Click To Tweet

7. Hebrews 11:6

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

God is not impressed by us.

Yes, He loves us and is pursuing us. But He’s not impressed with our morality, our knowledge, or our ministry success.

How do we please God? We trust Him.

God is not impressed by us. Yes, He loves us and is pursuing us. But He’s not impressed with our morality, our knowledge, or our ministry success. How do we please God? We trust Him. Click To Tweet

8. Proverbs 29:25

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)

At some point in time in your life, you need to figure out who you want to be afraid of. You can fear people and their opinions, or you can fear God, but you can’t fear both. One will free you and the other will imprison you.

Keep reading: 4 Action Steps to Help You Fulfill Your Life’s Purpose

9. 1 Corinthians 9:27

“No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:27)

You have to find your fight. Either you are a slave to your body or it’s a slave to you. Thankfully, your will is like a muscle that can be developed and built up over time.

You’ve got to fight! Ask God to make those areas clear if He hasn’t already.

10. Philippians 2:5-8

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8)

In this portion of the Scripture, the author describes Jesus, who perfectly demonstrated a dislocated and contrite heart. He is our example.

THE SCRIPTURES REVEAL GOD’S PURPOSE AND PLAN FOR MY LIFE AND ALL OF US

As you can see, these Scriptures reveal God’s purpose for each of us as His disciples:

Have a dislocated heart that seeks to fulfill His agenda.
Be motivated by holy ambition to see His Kingdom on earth.

Bible Study Tools says it like this: “We each have a part to play in God’s plan to permeate the gospel from our neighborhoods to the far corners of the earth.”

I hope you meditate on these verses and are encouraged to live out your holy ambition on the earth for the sake of Christ. For some of His disciples, He’s telling us to give up our vices and depend on Him fully. For others, He’s encouraging us to turn away from our distractions so we can use our gifts and talents in our churches and ministries. And for some individuals, He’s telling you to trust Him and make Him the King of your life.

What’s the radical step of faith He’s asking of you today?

Learn more about uncovering your life’s unique purpose in Chip Ingram’s book, Holy Ambition, found in the Living on the Edge bookstore.

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Holy Ambition book by Chip Ingram

Written By

Chip Ingram

Founder & Teaching Pastor, Living on the Edge

Chip Ingram is the CEO and teaching pastor of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry. A pastor for over thirty years, Chip has a unique ability to communicate truth and challenge people to live out their faith. He is the author of many books, including The Real God, Culture Shock and The Real Heaven. Chip and his wife, Theresa, have four grown children and twelve grandchildren and live in California.