I’m going to do a happy planner girl series sharing some of my favorite planners, (yes, plural), along with planning wisdom from a book I read years ago. I still keep the tattered notes within reach anytime I’m considering routines and schedules. Today’s post is the first step in a happy planner girl’s life, pray.
Years ago I picked up the book, Life Management for Busy Women: Living Out God’s Plan with Passion and Purpose by Elizabeth George. I intently took notes on every single section. My favorite set of notes and the pages I return to over and again when I’m considering routines and schedules is titled, “A Prayer for Living Out God’s Plan.” In this prayer, the author lists seven areas to pray over as you plan and schedule your day. In this happy planner girl series, I’ll share each area of prayer as I dig into the various planners I use for the different aspects of my life.
Happy Planner Girl: Pray
There are seven areas of prayer listed in the back of Life Management for Busy Women: Living Out God’s Plan with Passion and Purpose. From the author, “Pray, dear precious one! Pray the prayer that follows. Pray it each day. Pray it throughout the day. Pray it at the end of your day. And pray it every day. Then live out each day with all your might.”
The author also states that to plan out the day, plus scheduling our day, equals protecting our day. This is a habit I so often fail at when filling out my planner, praying over my plans, schedules, and priorities.
Pray Over Your Priorities
The first prayer Elizabeth George shares is, “Lord, what is your will for me at this time in my life?” What a beautiful, humbling, and trusting prayer. Praying this prayer first and foremost invites God’s will into the overall plan of our days, weeks, months, and years. As we fill in calendar squares and hourly slots, we begin by recognizing all time belongs to God, the Creator of time.
Beginning our planning with this prayer recognizes that the calendar squares and hourly slots are so much bigger than we are and ultimately don’t belong to us at all. I think this is extremely important to remember, our time is not our own. We can color code planners and calendars all the live long day, but remember Proverbs 19:21, “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.”
We call it an interruption or a cancellation, but in the light of eternity and God’s will, it’s called His purpose. The Good News Bible translates that same verse as, “People may plan all kinds of things, but the Lord’s will is going to be done.” Can you imagine how less frustrating our lives would be if we just humbly submitted to the fact that God’s will is going to be done?
God’s Will
I love that the prayer the author shared mentioned God’s will. Honestly, if left to our own wills…that could be anything from hiding under the covers to binge-watching Netflix with a canister of chips in our hands. For others, it could be a continually, frantic pace that can’t stop, won’t stop. We’re fallen, human creatures with equally fallen wills that can easily bleed out onto a pretty planner for the sake of planning a “well-lived” life. Did you get all that? Go back and re-read that one.
At This Time
I also appreciate the author recognizes seasons in life. If the earth we live on experiences seasons we shouldn’t be surprised we do too. The Word of God even mentions seasons and times for all things under the sun. Our life and plans are in constant motion and we have to be able to bend and sway with that motion or we’ll break.
Dayspring Planners
The planner I’m sharing with you in this Happy Planner Girl post is the Illustrated Faith – Just Give Me Jesus – 2019 18-Month Agenda Planner. This pretty planner is 7″W x 9″H x 7/8″D with metallic spiral binding. It features a month on two page with a notes column on the side. The weekly layout covers two pages horizontally, beginning with Monday. Each month begins with a beautiful, decorative, and colorful quote page with cheerful colored tabs. A small notes section of lined pages is followed by a “Holiday’s” page and a Year at a Glance page. There are two pages of colorful stickers and a double-sided pocket at the back. My sister has used the Illustrated Faith Planner for a couple of years and my college daughter has started using one this school year.
? Do you have a planner you love?
? Do you pray over your planner as you schedule your days, weeks, and months?
Other Happy Planner Girl Posts:
Happy Planner Girl: Recollections Hourly
Happy Planner Ideas: Planning the Night Before
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