If you want to learn about purpose, one of the best places you can look is in the Bible. 

The Bible is the written Word of God so it helps us to understand God and His will for us. 

Since God is the Creator, it makes sense to look to His Word to find out what He has to say about purpose. 

There are several Bible verses that talk about it and you will clearly see the word “purpose” in some of them. 

However, there are some that can teach us valuable lessons about the topic even though it never uses the word “purpose”. We will be looking at both types in this article.

7 Important Bible Verses About Purpose

Here are 7 important Bible verses about purpose. All verses are taken from the New International Version (NIV). 

1) Jeremiah 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;  I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

This book in the Bible was written by Jeremiah and he captured the words that the Lord spoke to him. 

God appointed Jeremiah as a prophet so he was supposed to listen to the Lord and then communicate the message to the people. And that’s exactly what he did. 

This verse can teach us something significant about purpose. 

Based on this Bible verse, we can conclude that God knew us before we were conceived in our mother’s womb. You are not an afterthought in God’s mind. 

We can also conclude that He has a purpose for you but it may not be revealed until the latter years of your life.

Jeremiah did not know his purpose as a baby but as I got older, God revealed it to Him. 

2) Colossians 1:16

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

If you want to know the true purpose of something, you have to ask the person who created it. 

For example, if you want to know the real purpose of a new gadget, you have to get that information from the maker by reading the label. 

Likewise, if you want to know about the purpose of life, you have to ask the One who created us. 

And this Bible verse reminds us that God is the Creator. 

It also reveals that we were created for God.

In other words, we were created for His purpose. 

3) Acts 13:36

Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.

This Bible verse complements Colossians 1:16 which states that we were created for God. 

In Acts 13:36, we get a better understanding of this as it makes reference to David’s life.

The verse explains that David served God’s purpose in his generation. So David served God’s purpose not his own purpose.

I hope you understand that we were created to serve God’s purpose not our own agenda. 

4) Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

This verse helps us to realize that God’s purpose will prevail over our plans.

It’s good to make plans and I believe that we should because it helps us to make the best use of our time here on Earth. 

But you need to remember that God is ultimately in control and His purposes will prevail over your plans.

So as you make your plans, make room for Him to lead, direct and work through your life. 

Remember you were made for Him…not the other way around. 

5) Proverbs 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.

These are two important Bible verses that have to be read together to get the full meaning. 

These verses will help you on your purpose journey. 

They help you to understand that if you want direction for your life from the Lord, then you need to do the following: 

  • Trust in the Lord with all your heart
  • Lean not to your own understanding 
  • Submit to Him in all your ways

6) Jeremiah 29:11 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

This Bible verse helps us to realize that God has plans for our lives. 

And the plans that He has for us are good plans. 

You can trust Him to lead you because His plans will not harm you. 

So on your purpose journey, I want you to stay close to God and keep reminding yourself that He has good plans for you.

7) 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.

Have you ever wondered why God created you? 

Well in this verse, we see one of the reasons. 

He created you to do good works. 

This is one of the verses in the Bible that helps you to know exactly what God wants you to do. 

You don’t have to guess or wonder. It is clearly stated so you can start taking action right away. 

Takeaway

I hope that these Bible verses helped you to have a better understanding about purpose. You can also search and study the Scriptures for greater understanding. 

If you want a Biblical perspective on finding your purpose, make sure to check out my ebook, The Purpose Roadmap. It’s a Biblical Guide and Workbook To Find Purpose and Direction For Your Life. Click here to learn more. 

Recommended Ebook: The Purpose Roadmap: A Biblical Guide and Workbook To Find Purpose & Direction For Your Life

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