You may make your plans, but God directs your actions.

People may plan all kinds of things, but the LORD's will is going to be done.

The LORD has determined our path; how then can anyone understand the direction his own life is taking?

The LORD controls the mind of a king as easily as he directs the course of a stream.

So when they saw King Jehoshaphat, they all thought that he was the king of Israel, and they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat gave a shout, and the LORD God rescued him and turned the attack away from him.

Ezra said, "Praise the LORD, the God of our ancestors! He has made the emperor willing to honor in this way the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem.

Listen now to my prayer and to the prayers of all your other servants who want to honor you. Give me success today and make the emperor merciful to me." In those days I was the emperor's wine steward.

You will listen, O LORD, to the prayers of the lowly; you will give them courage.

Give me the desire to obey your laws rather than to get rich.

LORD, I know that none of us are in charge of our own destiny; none of us have control over our own life.

I will give them a single purpose in life: to honor me for all time, for their own good and the good of their descendants.

I will make an eternal covenant with them. I will never stop doing good things for them, and I will make them fear me with all their heart, so that they will never turn away from me.

I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart.

I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you.

How we thank God for making Titus as eager as we are to help you!

because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose.

Do not be deceived, my dear friends!

By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures.

The LORD said to him, "Who gives man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or dumb? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? It is I, the LORD.

Now, go! I will help you to speak, and I will tell you what to say."

You can speak to him and tell him what to say. I will help both of you to speak, and I will tell you both what to do.

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say.

Then the LORD reached out, touched my lips, and said to me, "Listen, I am giving you the words you must speak.

When they bring you to trial, do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say.

For the words you will speak will not be yours; they will come from the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

"When they bring you to be tried in the synagogues or before governors or rulers, do not be worried about how you will defend yourself or what you will say.

For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."

Make up your minds ahead of time not to worry about how you will defend yourselves,

because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say.