Prayer To Walk Wisely And Be Willing to Learn In These Early Days of Reopening
Tuesday June 16, 2020
JUNE 16 – SEEKING TO WALK WISELY
During these extraordinary days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and actually on ordinary days in ordinary seasons, we need to take the time and make the effort to seek after wisdom and good judgment.
I love the book of Proverbs that follows Psalms in the Bible because it is filled with practical ideas and often uses everyday things to help us understand and apply what is being said.
For example:
Listen to wisdom and do your best to understand. Ask for good
judgment. Cry out for understanding. Look for wisdom like silver.
Search for it like hidden treasure. If you do this, you will understand
what it means to respect the Lord, and you will come to know God.
The Lord is the source of wisdom; knowledge and understanding
come from his mouth.
Proverbs 2:2-6
Let’s come to God and ask for wisdom – including the heart to search for it and the courage to apply what we are shown. Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You that all the wisdom we need is available to us today. Help us to make every effort to learn Your ways and to put them into practice. You tell us to “Listen. Ask. Cry out. Search”. That really suggests having an attitude of being humble and teachable.
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.
He will not rebuke you for asking.
James 1:5
You’ve promised that if we will simply ask you, in your great generosity You will give it to us in abundance. You won’t ridicule us or shame us for not knowing. You’ll never tell us, we should have already figured that out and we’re stupid for not knowing. You recognize that we need lots of practical wisdom every single day and You offer it to us.
The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought
low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
Isaiah 2:11
Unfortunately our problem is that too often we believe that we don’t need the wisdom you have. We think we have all the solutions and we are ready to tell others, and even You, how things should work. We confess our arrogance and ask You to change our heart and lead us in a new way. Help us to pause today and seek Your input on all the things we are planning or doing. Your promise to guide us if we will simply ask for it and pay attention.
We need that guidance. We want to have a heart that seeks wisdom. Help us to have open eyes, ears, and hearts to the lessons we are being given all around us in everyday situations. Help us to pay attention to Your Holy spirit who is showing us how to fit everything together.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving,
gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and
the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. James 3:17
Your kind of wisdom is pretty practical and so we pray to be peace loving, gentle at all times, willing to yield to others, full of mercy, showing no favorites and always sincere. It’s a tall order but if you’ll help us, we’ll be able to move forward one more step today.
We know that the first source of ongoing wisdom will come by reading the Bible on a regular basis. Help us to make time in our schedule each day to read and meditate, and then apply Your word.
You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood,
and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation
that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:15
Thank You for mentors and friends who’ve walked this way before us and who are willing to share their experience, strength, and hope with us. Help us to humble ourselves and listen to what You and others have to say – like sponsors, pastors, mentors, and those who are obviously living successful Godly lives - so we too can grow in wisdom and be more like You.
We now it’s not enough to simply find out what works but we need to follow the example we’re given in order to stay on the right path.
Wisdom will help you follow the example of good people and stay on
the right path. Honest people will live in the land, and those who do
right will remain there.
Proverbs 2:20-21
And so for ourselves, our loved ones, and our friends we pray today that You would give us complete knowledge of Your will and give us spiritual wisdom and understanding.
We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give
you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Colossians 1:9
Let’s enjoy, even these strange days of physical distancing and some reopening/coming together as we walk in the wisdom of God today.
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