4 Bible Verses about Intentions

in doing what He intended through Christ, to make known to us His secret plan, according to what pleased Him.

For God's word is alive and active and sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates [deep enough] even to divide [a person's] soul [from his] spirit, and his joints [from his] bone marrow [Note: This is figurative language describing the penetrating effect of God's word into a person's spiritual, inner being] and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of a person's heart.

For which one of you who wants to build a [lookout] tower will not first sit down and calculate its cost, to see whether he has enough [money and materiel] to complete it? For if he does not, maybe after he has laid the foundation and [then] is not able to complete [the tower], everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build [a tower] but was not able to finish it.'read more.
Or what king, planning to engage another king in war, will not first sit down and evaluate whether he will be able, with ten thousand [soldiers], to defeat someone who attacks him with twenty thousand [soldiers]? Or maybe, while the enemy is still a long way off, he will send representatives to ask for peace terms. So therefore, every one of you who does not say 'goodbye' to everything he owns, cannot be my disciple.

When daylight came, [a group of] Jews conspired together, agreeing under oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. There were more than forty men who made this pact. They went to the leading priests and [Jewish] elders and told them, "We have bound ourselves under an oath [with serious consequences] to eat nothing until we have killed Paul.read more.
Therefore, [all of] you, together with the Jewish Council, should notify the commander so that he will bring Paul [back] down to you, as though you wanted to consider his case further. Then we will be ready to kill him, [even] before he comes near [you]." But Paul's nephew learned of their plot and went to the headquarters and told Paul [all about it]. So, Paul called for one of the officers and said [to him], "Take this young man to the commander; he has something [important] to tell him." So, the officer took Paul's nephew to the commander and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called for me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you." The commander took him by the hand, and walking along together, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?" And the lad said, "The Jews have plotted to ask you to take Paul down to the Council [meeting] tomorrow, as though you were going to question him further. But, do not listen to them, because over forty men have laid a plot and bound themselves under an oath [with serious consequences] neither to eat nor drink [anything] until they have killed him. They are now ready [to carry out the plot] and are just waiting for you to agree [to their arrangement]." So, the commander let the young man go, urging him, "Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me."