The Bible is full of valuable messages and teachings about life. One of the most important lessons of the Bible is the lesson of living intentionally. If you are curious about stories and verses in the Bible about living intentionally, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I will cover 17 different Bible verses & stories about living intentionally.
The word Intentional means “done on purpose, or deliberately.” With this in mind, we can view stories from scripture about living intentionally.
Noah’s Intentionality in Living Righteously
The first story that comes to mind about living intentionally is the story of Noah. A classic Bible story, Noah’s story gives us the meaning of intentionality.
Noah lived an intentional life. He was committed to good works, even though he did not have a list of rules. The Bible tells us that Noah regularly did the right thing, and he stood out from the people around him by the things he did.
Genesis 6:9 says, “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”
Because Noah was intentional about following God, God saved him from the flood. Intentionality unlocks favor from God. When we actively make a choice to follow him, God honors us.
David’s Intentionality in His Battle with Goliath
Another story of intentionality in the Bible is the story of David and Goliath. Goliath is terrorizing the Israelites. He is a giant who is constantly mocking God’s people.
Everyone is afraid, but David had the peace of God. He was not afraid of Goliath, and he was not going to stand for Goliath’s mockery.
Instead of living in natural fear, David intentionally trusted God and planned for his battle with Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:40 says, “Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.”
When we face difficult situations, it can be easy to run away in fear. However, David set a different precedent for us. We should not run in fear, but we should intentionally prepare and trust God.
Jesus’ Intentionality in Acknowledging People
Moving into the New Testament, there are more stories of intentionality. One story in particular demonstrates Christ Jesus’ intentionality. As the Son of God, Jesus was more powerful than anyone else. Instead of using this as a platform of pride, Jesus was selfless, and intentionally acknowledged people.
In one situation in particular the Lord Jesus is traveling and teaching. A woman who constantly bled reached out and touched his garment. She was instantly healed.
Instead of continuing on, Jesus stopped and acknowledged the lady. “And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately… he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” Luke 8:46-48
The Bible tells us that the son of man came to seek and save the lost. He did not come for his own elevation, but instead for the elevation of others. That takes intentionality.
The Intentionality of the Good Samaritan
Continuing in Jesus’ story, there is a story that Jesus taught that has the message of intentionality. In the story a Jewish man is robbed and left for dead on the street. A religious leader and a fellow Jew pass him and avoid helping.
However the story continues when Jesus says this, “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.” Luke 10:33-34
Sometimes we let fear and hate stop us from being intentional. However, the Samaritan did not. He helped the other man intentionally.
Mary Magdalene’s Intentionality to Relationship with Jesus
Also in the story of Jesus Christ, someone was intentional to him. Jesus came to a place where a woman intentionally served him.
Luke 7 says this, “Then Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.” Luke 7:44
Mary Magdalene was living intentionally here. She was just a person and she recognized the important of serving God. She was not like the other disciples who were concerned with appearance, but instead she only cared what Jesus thought.
As people we can get caught up in what other people are going to say and think about us. But this story shows us that we should focus on being intentional in the area of serving God.
Paul & Barnabas’ Intentionality of Worship
There are even more stories about intentionality after the life of Jesus. One of those is the story of Paul and Barnabas in prison. These men have been thrown in jail while on missionary journeys to share the Gospel.
They are stuck in prison, and they don’t have much to do. Instead of doubting God, they worship him. “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25
The Apostle Paul and Barnabus were intentionally choose to worship, in the midst of uncertainty. They knew that them being in prison, would lead to the glory of God, so they worshiped. After all of this happen, God allows them to minister to the jailer and everyone in the jail. It’s a great story of how our intentionality can lead to the glorification of God.
God Intentionally Created Us
One major reason that intentionality is important, is because God is intention. He does not do anything on accident. We can see through a couple Bible verses that God is intention in the way that he creates people.
Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
And Psalm 139:13-16 tells us, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
No one knows God’s intentions when he creates us, except Him. Before the foundation of the world, he knew us. The love of God is revealed in that he is intention. The way God cares for people is intention. That is reflected through creation and through Jesus’ life.
God’s Intentionality in His Purpose
Not only was God intentional with our creation, God is intention with our purpose.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
And Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
It is clear throughout scripture that God’s purpose was always to redeem humanity for eternal life. He always wanted a relationship with us. His goal was to form each of us into a new creation.
God’s plan reveals God’s love for us in that he was always trying to connect with us. He used the Good News of the Gospel to restore our lives and to give us a new opportunity of intimacy with him.
A Call To Live Intentionally
Not only does the Bible teach us that God is intentional, it also tells us to be intention. God’s will for our lives is initiated with intentionality. No one accidentally does what God wants. People don’t naturally serve each other with acts of service.
Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
We regularly get caught in routine and forget to do God’s will. Ephesians is teaching us that we should constantly renewing our intentionality in life. We should not get in a rut, but we should always make choices that align with God’s commands.
The Benefit of Intentionality in the Bible
Luckily the Bible does not tell us to be intentional without a reason for intentionality. The Bible tells us the benefit of intentionality in our life.
Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
Intentionality is the starting point for prosperity. If we live on auto-pilot, we are not going to get far. We can use the word of God as fuel to direct our lives. The word of truth is a two-edge sword we can use intentionally make an impact on the world.
Intentionality in Living Honestly
One area that you can live intentionally in your everyday life is the area of honesty. The Bible encourages us to walk in intentionality in the area of honesty in the book of James.
“But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” James 5:12
Our words matters, so we should try our best to keep our word. Don’t promise things if you can’t follow through.
Intentionality in Our Health
Another area of intentionality that is important is our health. Health is not always talked about in Christian life. The Bible seems to emphasize spiritual health over physical health, however both are important.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
Health is one of the essential areas of life. If we don’t maintain our health, we will be less effective at glorifying God.
That is why we need to be intentional in our diet and exercise. If we are eating anything we can, that is probably not a good thing. If we live inactively, we will reap the disadvantage of that.
We must live intentionally in the area of our physical health.
Intentionality in Forgiveness
Another difficult area to live with intentionality in is the area of forgiveness. It can be difficult to forgive people at times, but the Bible teaches us to be intentional in that area as well.
Ephesians 4:31 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Few people can forgive unintentionally. As people, we tend to forget the important thing of forgiveness. We must take intentional action to forgive.
Sometimes we think we forgive, but in reality we must constantly be forgiving instead.
Intentionality in Seeking God
The final area (and probably most important), is living intentionally in the area of seeking God.
1 Chronicles 16:11 says, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”
God’s word is a tool that God has given us to help follow him. We should intentionally read it to understand his character and will. That way, we can unlock the knowledge of God.
We can also intentionally seek God in prayer. You prayer life is one of the most important areas of your life. By sharing your heart with God, and allowing Him to share his heart with you, you are able to unlock new connection with Him. You start to see how He sees.
The final discipline you can be disciplined in is in the area of worship. When we worship, we stop focusing on the problems, and focus on the solution of life. God.
I hope that this article can help you to live intentionally wherever you go.
