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Planning

No good substitute

Commit your work to the Lord and then your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:3

I have always been impressed with how people in the Bible planned strategically as they sought to carry out the mission of God:

Moses appointed officials over the people of Israel and had them serve as judges.
David planned and provided for the building of the temple and left everything needed for Solomon to complete the task.
Nehemiah made careful preparation and plans for the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in order to restore securiry and self-esteem to the people of Israel after the Babylonian captiviry.
As the time approached for Jesus to complete his mission, he set his face like a flint toward Jerusalem. It was as if Christ had orchestrated the events of his final days on earth in order to accomplish God's divine plan.
The apostle Paul developed a missionary strategy of proclaiming the gospel and establishing churches in centers of commerce from which believers could take the gospel to outlying villages.

Throughout biblical history godly people have been strategic planners. Prayerful and thoughtful analysis and preparation are the keys in designing for success in the work of God. The five phases of effective planning include:

analysis, which asks, "Where are we?"
vision, which asks, "Where are we going?"
planning, which asks, "How are we going to get there?"
funding, which asks, "How are we going to pay for it?"
implementation, which asks, "How are we doing?"

The purpose of strategic planning is to create a set of priorities that enable us to act courageously and responsibly today to advance toward the future with a greater expression of God's work in the world. It is an intentional effort to seek the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to discern the will of God as we move into the future.

My experience as a preacher is that the Holy Spirit often moves just as well in the quiet of my study as he does in the pulpit; there is no substitute for good planning and preparation. As Solomon once wrote, "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint" (Prov. 29:18, NIV).

—Peter Barnes