Friday: Further Thought – Reasons for Thanksgiving and Prayer
Daily Lesson for Friday 9th of January 2026
Further Thought
“Many are unable to make definite plans for the future.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
Their life is unsettled. They cannot discern the outcome of affairs, and this often fills them with anxiety and unrest. Let us remember that the life of God’s children in this world is a pilgrim life. We have not wisdom to plan our own lives. It is not for us to shape our future. ‘By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.’ Hebrews 11:8.
“Christ in His life on earth made no plans for Himself. He accepted God’s plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will. As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps.
“Too many, in planning for a brilliant future, make an utter failure. Let God plan for you. As a little child, trust to the guidance of Him who will ‘keep the feet of His saints.’ 1 Samuel 2:9. God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him.”—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, Pages 478, 479.
Discussion Questions
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The author’s invitation to “let God plan for you”, is not an invitation to do nothing. I hear quite a lot of “Let go! Let God” type statements that sound good at a youth rally or Week of prayer, but when we get away from the crowds we are faced with the real world where if you do not have a direction, you are like a dead fish – you float downstream and end up as flotsam on a deserted beach.
There is nothing wrong with having realistic goals and working towards those goals. There is also nothing wrong with changing those goals as you understand yourself better and finding that circumstances change. And you can pray, but don’t expect answers to fall from the tree and dong you on the head.
I look back over my own life and rejoice in the path that I have taken but I don’t boast about it because I know of others whose path through life has not been easy, through no fault of their own. I think of Paul, who had an affliction and prayed three times for the affliction to be removed, only to be told:
To believe when the leading of the Lord does not seem to be evident is something much more than pious devotion. It shows an understanding and acceptance of a bigger picture than our own comfort and wellbeing.
Paul responded:
That is faith in action. You don’t switch Gods because the crops fail.
Christ in His life on earth made no plans for Himself. He accepted God’s plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will. As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps.
I struggle with knowing God’s plan for the day. Yes I would want to follow God’s plans but how do I get to know them? Cannot hear Him speak to me.
When we say Christ … made no plans for himself, that does not mean that he was a puppet on a string. It is probably better to say he planned in harmony with God’s will. Jesus had free choice just like the the rest of us. I understand your second question very well. When making an important decision like marriage or career, we often wish God would shout from heaven, “Hey do this!” That is where our community of believers come in. The people who know you best will often give advice, sometimes unknowingly that will set your course. You just need ears to listen.
You may have skills you like using – that is God talking to you saying, “Hey have you thought using those skills in a career?”
Thank you Maurice but I’m partly answered. According to the passage on a day to day basis I need to be knowing God’s plan for the day.Of course I wake up with my own plans but now for me to know His direction for the day,that’s the difficult part.
I don’t think God is a micromanager. If we put our trust in him he deligates us to make our own decisions. If I decide to spend the morning bird-watching, I don’t expect a sign from God that I have made the right decision. I love birdwatching through, and it provides opportunities to interact with people, not necessarily in what we call a spiritual way, but nevertheless in a way that adds value to their lives. And maybe that is all God wants.
Ooh ok I get you. Thanks
Dear Helen, the bible says, …in all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths, Proverbs 3:6. Also, 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
These are not just fanciful words, the bible means what it says. So the question is, “how can we live to make these words reality in our daily lives.” Is it possible to live like this? The answer is YES. However, as humans, we are not born to automatically live like this. We are programmed at birth to live in a manner that says, “what is in this for me.” That is why no one has to teach a baby to wake up the entire world at 2:00 am with crying and screaming for food, water, comfort, playing, etc., without consideration for anybody else’s needs, including that of God.
So, the question is, how can we change from the way we are born to what is said in Proverbs 3:6, 1 Corinthians 10:31, and Isaiah 30:21? The answer is found in Romans 12:1,2, especially verse 2 which says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
We cannot do this by ourselves. We need the Holy Spirit to change our nature from carnal to spiritual. However, God will not force his will on us, even though he knows that we need it. He didn’t force it on Eve, or Lucifer, even though he knew that their actions would bring devastating consequences to this world and that it would cost him his son Jesus Christ. So, the key is, we must want the Holy Spirit to change us. This is what Jesus says in Matthew 5:6, “blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, they will be filled.” To be filled, we have to pray, fast, meditate, read the bible, and plead for the infilling of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so that God will make our daily lives become intuned with his will. This is what the bible says in Ephesians 6:18 “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Supplication means to beg. Perseverance means to keep on doing something indefinitely. This is what the bible means when it says that God’s intent is that our bodies are to be the temple of the Holy Ghost and that He wants to dwell inside of us. As this happens over time (because the Spirit will war against the flesh), we will begin to hear the Spirit’s voice more and more clearly and our lives will become more and more intuned with his will.
Our prayers should be deliberate. Tell the Spirit, “Holy Spirit, I give you permission to take control of my motives, thoughts, actions, desires, likes, dislikes, and to re-tune my ears, refocus my eyes and to redesign my appetite, etc. Ask the Spirit to be your teacher, your guide, your lover, your friend. Ask the Spirit to cleanse your heart from sin and to replace it with a deep desire to do God’s will and to be led to give him glory in all that you do. Ask the Spirit to bring people into your life that will help you to grow spiritually. Amen
God does want us to commit our lives to Him each day and let Him lead. But He is working within our lives. A mother with little children will not stay in bed waiting for God to show what to do today. She gets up and cares for her children. And God leads her within that life. Now, God may bring situations into her life that require adjusting and that is where we have to surrender our plans. Same for us who work. I don’t ask God to show me whether I should go to work or not. He has placed me in that situation and I feel He expects me to work. I don’t need to ask Him that. But as I go about my day, things may come up that I didn’t plan for. Maybe someone needs my help and I need to set aside something I wanted to do. I think that is what Ellen White was talking about (and in fact there is a similar quote in Steps to Christ).
Not only was Christ free from a puppet string. He did every think per The Father’s will, for us, exemplifying that we also should forever rely on God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord. Very good Maurice I just wanted to add the extra thought.
Helen – you ask ‘how to know God’s plan’. Scripture reveals that our relationship with God is build on Trust. Trust that He is faithful to hear us: in our prayers to Him, as well as those matters which cannot be formulated but that we wrestle with in agony – 1John 5:14; Rom.8:26; Psalm 34:17.
To ‘know’ God’s plan is based on trusting Him that He will not give you a stone when you ask Him for bread – Matt.7:9-11. When you surrender your life to Him, He will provide peace to your heart and mind because He honors you trusting Him to do right by you.
The premise of ‘loving God and love for your fellow man’ is the platform on which your life is being transformed. This is His plan: learning to trust Him with this process and express this by faith in that He truly LOVES you – Prov.3:5-6; Psalm 37:5; Psalm 32:8.
Proverbs 16:9
“We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.”
We can plan our lives—we can set goals, dreams, and strategies but God gives the ability and circumstances to follow through on plans.
Proverbs 19:21
“You can make all the plans you want, but the Lord’s purpose is going to prevail, anyway.”
God has an ultimate purpose that will always succeed, no matter what we do.
The Bible says many things about trusting God, but it does not say that life will be easy after trusting Him. Scripture is full of examples of people such as Abraham and Sarah, David, Paul, Peter, Job, Samuel, Daniel, and even Jesus Himself. What becomes clear is that God was not primarily concerned with removing their circumstances; rather, He was concerned with lighting their journey more than providing temporal or situational comfort—just as He does for us.
The Lord protects us, but that does not mean we will never face trials, temptations, or disappointments. What stands out is that trusting the Lord always comes at a cost. Yet He reassures us that He will always be there, walking with us, and it is truly worth it. The more we trust in God, the more we grow in Him. The Lord is more concerned with our holiness than our happiness.
Countless times in the book of Psalms, the Lord is called our rock, our salvation, our help, and our protection. We can only find true refuge in Him. The One who created the universe and knit us together in our mothers’ wombs is present in both the big picture and the smallest details of our lives. He remains all-powerful, all-knowing, and fully in control. No wonder the Bible says, “Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.” —Isaiah 26:4
Shalom Motanya,
check out these verses:
Matthew 11:28-30
21st Century King James Version
28 “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
“The Lord is more concerned with our holiness than our happiness” is important to remember.
And when we grow in the Lord, the path of holiness also becomes the path of happiness for us.
“Let God plan for you.” To many that’s a novel concept. One which often goes unheeded. Do we really think that we know what is best for us better than God does? That is really more of a rhetorical question than anything. It goes on, “God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him.” IF, that’s the biggest little word. If we could see the end from the beginning? We can barely see the beginning of a matter, let alone the ending of it.
I often tell people, especially youth, that God’s “Plan B”, for their life is better than their “Plan A”, but He would rather they choose “Plan A.” He knows it all and sees it all. Why wouldn’t we all want God’s “Plan A”? I mean, it’s far superior than our “Plan A.” Why can’t we learn from the mistakes of others, rather than choosing to learn from our own. Pain is a ruthless educator, yet one which we tend to remember, if we learn from it. So much needless pain in our lives can be avoided if we would first, at the start of a matter say, “Yes Lord, yes, to Your Will and to Your Way. Yes, Lord, yes, I will trust you and obey. When Your Spirit speaks to me, with my whole heart I’ll agree, and the answer will be, yes, Lord, yes.”
Amen yes but how to know God’s plan A.
May I humbly ask for enlightenment regarding our pets who have passed away? I’ve been a bit confused and have been thinking about what happens to them in God’s plan. Is there any biblical or Spirit of Prophecy guidance on whether they will be with us again in the new earth, just as we hope to be reunited with our loved ones? I would truly appreciate any clarification or insight. Thank you.
It is a good question Marie, and as a one time companion of two beautiful Birman cats, I would love to have them with me in Heaven. The Bible is silent about what happens to animals but I take encouragement from:
What ever he has planned for us is going to be even more enjoyble than cat companionship.
Marie, I have no word from the Lord on this, but I will point you to a passage that I have claimed when I have lost my precious birds. Romans 8:19-21 talks about all creation groaning and longing for liberation from the sin that humans brought on earth. The animals suffer, not for their sin, but because of ours. But this passage tells us that the creation will be liberated from their bondage.
Based on this, I see no reason why God wouldn’t resurrect our pets (Psalm 104:27-30 hints at this too). Rather than just starting over, He saved the animals in the the flood in the ark so His covenant seems to apply to them too. I don’t think it’s a stretch for Him to bless our pets this same way. I could be wrong, but that’s what I believe.
Dwell on the last line of the Ellen G. White quote above. That’s a very powerful statement of faith. How can you learn to trust God in such a deep way?
I will have to go with the last sentence. For one, the last line is more complete when using a tablet than when using a smart phone. My 1st thought is that this goes down the line of the memory verse Philippians 1:6. And I am sure of this He that began a good work in you will bring it to fruition at the Second coming of Jesus Christ.
Now, what a great promise the quote is, that God lets us chose our direction. There you go Maurice, no puppet string. Though, if we listen to the Holy Spirit, we have the best path. Trust in the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and lean not unto our own understandings and He, our marvelous God, will direct our paths to be straight. Proverbs 3:5-6. If we get off the path for a time and get back on, by the Holy Spirit’s prompting, we are back in the safe area that Psalm 91:1-3 is talking about. We serve a wonderful God out of free will. Let’s hold on to that trust till the end with a stronger grip each day, as time sloweth not. 1 Timothy 6:12.
Trust is necessary for faith to grow, for obedience to the will of God , and for relationships to thrive.
How do we come to trust? First, we come to know,love and understand our object of trust. It is with us and God. We know Him through His word,(the Bible),we love Him for His love for us and understand His plans for us.Now we trust Him for who He is and trust Him for what He has promised to do for us. SDA Hymn Number 590 refrain says it all.”Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey”.We need to pray for trust in the Lord.
Finally, trust is not practiced in idleness.We need to do something in order to trust. We need to know His promises, We need to do our human part and trust God to do the impossible to complete the work and blessings He has assigned us.
Prov.3:5-6
”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”.
Psalm 37:5
”Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act”.
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”.
A Christian life is all about the surrender to seek HIS guidance in all things. We are a new creation, having received a new heart and mind with which to perceive the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
We accept the foundation of our Christian Faith to be based on Love of God and our fellow man – reflective of spiritual discernment. When we are faithful, He is faithful to unfold our life to become the testament to His Honor, Glory and Grace. Rom.12:1-2; 1Cor.10:31; Col.3:17; 1Peter 3:15.
I think we all agree that we should seek God’s guidance in all things. The question we ask is “What is all things?” Do you seek God’s guidance in what pair of socks you put on in the morning? Do you seek God’s guidance about whether you should eat an apple or an orange?
Now I know you will all say, “Christina you’re being silly” and I am. But the standard of what “all things” is varies a lot between people.
I knew a lady who was sincere but really felt she needed to ask God for direction in everything. She was asking God to show her whether her daughters should take piano lessons. Now maybe I am wrong, but I don’t think God was going to reveal His will on that matter. She knew that learning music was a positive thing and she knew whether her girls would benefit from lessons and whether they could afford lessons. So she had the capacity to make the decision and I think God would be pleased with her decision provided it was made sensibly. He didn’t create us to be puppets and He gives us a great deal of freedom to choose on issues that are not moral issues.
I agree with you, Christina. When God created man He gave him dominion over the earth. God gave man the freedom to make his own decisions. Yesterday our pastor began a series on the will of God. He gave several passages which talk about what the will of God is for us.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification…
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
It is a comfort and a blessing to know that through the power of Christ we can do these things that are the will of God under any circumstances.
Thank you for pointing out these verses – they do show what God’s will is most focused on. It is our character.
We really should be working full-time for Jesus. But how can this be? When are we lacking faith and a close relationship with the Lord? I thought we could never hinder Jesus’ 2nd coming, and it is difficult to accept that most of us may not be ready at all. So, let’s buy “gold” from God, the wisdom that only He can give us: the Holy Spirit!
It is part of our human weakness to want to understand the whole plan(God’s plan) before we walk in it, but rather God only unfolds it as we walk in it for our sake otherwise it would lead us to self trust and self dependence.He wants us to trust in Him daily , trust that he has the best plan for our lives and when we surrender our lives to his leading and guidance he will fulfill the plans he has for us , plans to give us hope and a future.
God’s will for our lives is already stated in the Bible. As we read the Bible to know God’s will and pray that we live it and live out the prayer, God will be leading us in his plan and after the day has ended we would have followed through God’s plan for the day having been guided by his word which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
There is danger in wanting to hear a voice speak outside the Bible. The spirit will speak through the word for it is our safe guard.
I struggle a little with the Ellen White quote in question #3. I realize its purpose – to wake a sleeping church out of inaction and unspiritual focus. At the same time, if Jesus had come 100+ years ago, I would not exist and none of you would either. So it’s hard for me to react positively to such a quote. (I heard a Pastor say that God could have created us after the fact, but that doesn’t fit with my understanding of Heaven and the new Earth).
I know it’s dangerous to argue with Ellen White and I don’t do it lightly but I feel God has a time for His return and it’s not profitable to speculate on it. At every time in history, He has had a faithful group of people. There were faithful people when Ellen White wrote that quote even if many of the church were not. God could have come back and saved the “less than 1 in 20 ready to meet the Lord.” But He chose not to come back. The same is true today. Only He knows when the time is right. Ultimately He wants to save as many as possible and is merciful.
I realize the church’s part in that mission is important but whenever we focus on our failings or successes in this regard, I think we have it wrong. The Jews had the same focus prior to Jesus. They said if the Sabbath could be kept perfectly once, the Messiah would come. They thought they were in control of that event. But the Messiah came and it had nothing to do with them. Could it be the same with us? I’m not saying we don’t need pep talks sometimes, but too much navel gazing is not productive.
Thank you so much to all who replied yo my questions.
It’s so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His words…….
Brethren let us pray and develop a relationship with our heavenly Father, He will lead us literally just like our trusted friend, inspiring us to make appropriate decisions when necessary in order for us to achieve the plan approved by Him for our long term good.
… and sisters. Let’s not forget that our sisters read these comments too.
Amen, Olanda.
Happy New Year, Thanks and God’s Blessings, to all.
Through my local Grief Ministries Team, I am learning to express well-intentioned support for others in ways that are loving and specific to their needs. (John 13:34) Like Paul the Apostle, I am hopeful, given God’s precious promises. Praise Him for the fruit of His spirit (Galatians chapter 5), which develops authentic witness! Praise Him for examples of strengthening faith, through personal adversity!
We cannot help but be grateful for God’s Word! Praise Him for the accompanying power of prayer, through which we can be “… filled with the knowledge of His will; … walk worthy of the Lord, …in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, … and increasing in the knowledge of God. … Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in this light!” (Colossians 1:9-10)
We may understand God better through:
1) His word, The Bible (Psalm 119:105)
2) Prophecy: Attention to guidance to His providence for us. (Colossians 4:3)
3) The Holy Spirit’s personal inner guidance – “still, small voice”. (Isaiah 30:21) We must pray, listen, obey and share gratitude to God. (Ezekiel 30:27)
TRUST in God and SURRENDER to doing HIS will, constitute our whole-hearted response to leaning on HIS understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
“God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him.”
For me, spending time with God each day and spending time with believers has helped guide me and helped me trust in God’s purpose for my life. Also, just trying something that I believe God is telling me to do.
For example, I had the desire to go back to school and finish my degree. Many people over the years had said to me, “You’re so good at this, you should go back to school & finish”. I had the desire, but I didn’t have the funds, I was afraid I would fail, I didn’t have support at home, I felt like I was too old, but I sensed that the Lord was leading me.
I finally came to the place where I made the decision and had started doing research & taking steps. Online learning put the dream within reach.
I shared with my faith community the steps I had been taking & it was time to make the final decision and take the plunge, but I was still sitting on the fence, I was afraid I would displease God, that maybe it was my will & not His will. It was at Campmeeting during our church lunch when I asked everyone to pray for me about this decision. They prayed right then and there over me. One of our Elders when I shared my journey said to me “Tammy, it looks to me like all the doors are open, just walk through”. That did it. I took the leap and never looked back.
I graduated 2 1/2 years later, paid my student loans back within 2 years, and I don’t regret one moment of it. It enriched my life and advanced my career, has impacted the lives of others, and has drawn me closer to my Savior, teaching me to trust Him every step of the way.
I just share this, not for my glory, but for God’s. If it can encourage someone else on their journey, to God be the glory.