Prayer To Walk With Wisdom - Humbly Learning From God and Others

 WALKING WITH WISDOM

I’m not sure I’d want to be a health official in any Centre for Disease Control and Protection office these days.  

They have many things to consider with the virus, the vaccine rollout and all these new more contagious virus variants. We’ve heard about the UK variant and the South African variant and the studies and adjustments in vaccines in response to what scientists are learning. I just heard about a new one this week – the Brazilian variant.  Not sure how it’s different from the others but I did hear the newscaster say we really don’t want that one here.  With it being detected in a border state in USA – Minnesota, I think – the chances aren’t good that we’ll keep it out.  Our numbers for both the UK and SA versions are increasing every day and there is uncertainty abounding, for sure, about what a third wave could look like that would hit before there’s enough vaccine in people’s arms.

So today we need to pray for wisdom and resilience for those who work in these Disease Control and Prevention centers.  They need wisdom from the Lord and the wisdom that comes from sharing knowledge with others and pooling that data to come up with the best-known facts.

And so we do pause, Lord, and bring these scientists and doctors before You.  We give thanks for all their hard work both in seeking treatments and vaccines, and also in coming up with action plans for things like social distancing and mask wearing that, even though inconvenient for many and bringing real hardship for some, are saving so many lives.  We pray for frontline workers who are so tired having faced so much illness and death for so many months.  Comfort and strengthen them today, we pray.  Give them back 100% for all they are giving out. 

But mostly, we pray for ongoing wisdom for those who are making discoveries and basing decision for all of us on what they know.  We pray more and more of them would turn their hearts toward You so You could download even greater wisdom than their shared learning.  Ultimately You are in control and we pray for relief from this devasting pandemic sooner rather than later.  Amen

In every area of life, to live with wisdom requires humility.  We need to acknowledge, “I don’t really know what is best for me but I’m willing to try new ways and learn from the experience of others.”  God is the source of all wisdom and His principles for living are recorded in the Bible.

The Lord is the source of wisdom; knowledge and understanding come from his mouth.  If you listen to him, you will understand what is just and fair and how to do what is right.  You will gain wisdom, and knowledge will bring you joy. Proverbs 2:6, 9

It is also helpful for us to hear from people who have walked the path before us and have learned from God and the scriptures those applied lessons that are so helpful to all of us. But, the real wisdom we obtain will be determined by whether we act on the instructions in God’s Word and the advice of a mentor or friend or choose to operate on our own.

Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces. Proverbs 13:20 ERV

Lord, we desire to put Your principles into effect in every aspect of our daily living, and follow the advice of those who’ve walked with You before us.  We don’t need advice from people who sound like us and speak things we want to hear.  Help us to seek out and pay attention to people who are not afraid to contradict our dysfunctional thinking and tell us the truth, even though it may be difficult for us to hear. 

Familiar thoughts often roll around in our heads challenging the truth of what we are being taught.  We offer these thoughts to You and ask that your Spirit would help us to interrupt old thought patterns, that lead us to feeling discontented and hopeless. Lord, we know a solid life of peace and joy with You and in good relationship with others requires that we learn to think and act in new ways and develop a wise heart.

Dear friend, take my advice; it will add years to your life.  I’m writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way, I’m drawing a map to Righteous Road.  I don’t want you ending up in blind alleys, or wasting time making wrong turns.  Hold tight to good advice; don’t relax your grip. Guard it well—your life is at stake!  Proverbs 4:10-13

So, Loving God, we ask You for wisdom to choose the right way forward.  Help us to trust Your guidance in all our affairs this day and each day going forward. Amen