- Praying for Wisdom and A Listening Heart
By Josephine Lim Weston
It's very easy for us to recite prayers or just throw a quick get up morning prayer before getting out of bed with a hurried mind to face our day. If only we realise that every prayer we make carries power and an answer from heaven I wonder will we treat prayer differently? Will it still be a rush-through prayer or a prayer from a victorious state of peaceful heart and mind presenting our sincere prayer request to a faithful God who is willing to heal, restore, provide, protect, honour and bless.
Praying for wisdom daily has been a prompting I received on the first day of 2018. An important prayer request for myself and my family (besides grace, provision and protection). Now that I only found time to complete this blog article I realised that God has also been speaking to church pastors, leaders and fellow believers of the importance of praying for wisdom and His grace daily.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].
I realised one day as if being prompted by God regarding my son Jean-Luc. He would get cranky and overly active when he missed or overdue getting his nap. He was still his active and curious self but it didn't come from a sober or sound state of mind hence he caused chaos wherever he threaded.
But when he has enough sleep he can be the gentlest of souls (at least for a while) and more cheerful. By the same principle, God prompted my heart that if we only spend some time at the beginning of our day in a restful state of mind with Him, without rushing through our prayers and pray for wisdom we will find more strength and grace to face the day in a restful state of mind than tackle the day head on with our own strength. God is more than willing to be involved in ourlives as much as possible and as often as we need Him to because He is the ultimate source of all Wisdom (our creator and the creator of the whole universe). He knows the in and out of everything.
It's so easy to get into doings first then pray later especially when we encounter problem. Why not start our day on the right footing with the Lord? Just take time to pray and enjoy the rhythm of peace He has so graciously given us and allow him to be the God of our everyday (without rushing through our prayers). We'll be surprised and blessed by how our day turns out. We will not be (easily) shaken as we know God's grace has covered our whole day no matter what happens. We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.
Let us take time to pray and pray restful prayers. Not repetitive (Matthew 6:7-8) or out of fear or trying to twist God's arms to answer our prayers but pray with confident trust by depending on the richness of His grace and love for us that we pray with the knowing that He knows everything and more than able to bless us. When the answer to our prayer will come? Well, time is in His hands and it will happen at the right time. He is a God that is full of surprises and always does things that are beyond our comprehension and expectation.
Let us not lose faith in prayer. Believe as we pray and don't let numbness of prayer overtake our whole being. Don't ever treat prayer like a duty because the prayer of the righteous person (believer) is powerful and effective (James 5:16b).
Praying with a listening heart and if we can't sit still any longer in silence then pray that God will help us to listen more (to Him) throughout the day and be sensitive to His guidance. Also by praying for wisdom and a listening heart we will tend to want to listen more to Him and to what others have to say instead of us jumping into conclusion too quickly, and say or do things that we will regret later.
1 King 3:6-13
Solomon’s Prayer
9 So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart [with which] to judge Your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge and rule this great people of Yours?”
God’s Answer
10 Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life nor for wealth, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize justice, 12 behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise and discerning heart (mind), so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall anyone equal to you arise after you. 13 I have also given you what you have not asked, both wealth and honor, so that there will not be anyone equal to you among the kings, for all your days.
Be blessed and inspired by this beautiful song:
Grace by Javen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPGsUKQDAX8
Proverbs 3:13-18 (Best to read the whole passage of Proverbs 3)
13 Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences],
14 For wisdom’s profit is better than the profit of silver,
And her gain is better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies;
And nothing you can wish for compares with her [in value].
16 Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are highways of pleasantness and favour,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is everyone who holds her tightly.
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