A Prayer Through Proverbs

Lord, today I do not ask to understand everything.

I ask for wisdom.

Because Your Word tells me that wisdom begins with reverence for You. Before my plans, before my opinions, before my feelings and before the voices around me, You will have the first word. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” (Proverbs 1:7)

So today, I choose Your wisdom over my worry.

I will trust in You with all my heart. I will not lean on my own understanding. In all my ways I will acknowledge You, and I trust You to make my paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5–6)

That means I do not have to know the entire road.

I only need to know the One leading me.

When I cannot understand what You are doing, I will trust Your character.

When the door does not open, I will trust You.

When the answer takes longer than I wanted, I will trust You.

When my plans change, I will trust You.

When I thought life would look completely different by now, I will still trust You.

Because I can make my plans, but You establish my steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

And Lord, perhaps that is exactly what I need today.

Not control.

Direction.

Guard my heart

Your Word tells me:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

So help me guard what enters this heart.

I will not allow bitterness to live here.

I will not allow somebody else’s opinion to become my identity.

I will not allow yesterday’s failure to prophesy over tomorrow.

I will not feed fear and then wonder why I have no peace.

I will not continually rehearse every offence, every disappointment and every worst case scenario.

My heart belongs to You.

Teach me what deserves access to it.

Guard my mouth too, Lord

Because Proverbs has a lot to say about this mouth of mine!

“The tongue has the power of life and death.” (Proverbs 18:21)

So today I choose life.

I will not speak defeat over myself.

I will not constantly announce disaster over circumstances You are still working in.

I will not call myself useless when You have given me purpose.

I will not call myself finished when You are still writing.

I will not use my words to destroy what I have spent years praying for.

Make my words gentle where I have become sharp.

Make them wise where I want to react.

Remind me that “a gentle answer turns away wrath.” (Proverbs 15:1)

Sometimes the most spiritual thing I can do is close my mouth for five minutes.

Lord, give me that miracle too!

Teach me to receive correction

Give me a teachable spirit.

Proverbs does not celebrate the person who is always right. It celebrates the person wise enough to keep learning.

So correct me.

Redirect me.

Expose my blind spots.

Send wise people who love me enough to tell me the truth.

And when truth hurts my pride, help me remember that correction is not rejection.

“Whoever heeds life giving correction will be at home among the wise.” (Proverbs 15:31)

I do not want to become too successful to listen.

Too spiritual to learn.

Too wounded to trust.

Too proud to change.

I want wisdom.

I will not envy another person’s road

Proverbs tells me not to let my heart envy sinners, but always to remain zealous for the fear of the Lord, because “there is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 23:17–18)

So I will stop looking sideways.

Their timing is not my timing.

Their calling is not my calling.

Their blessing does not mean there is less available for me.

Their open door does not mean mine has been forgotten.

Their chapter twelve cannot be compared to my chapter three.

There is surely a future hope for me.

I love that.

Surely.

Not perhaps.

Not maybe if everything goes perfectly.

I can live today knowing my story is still moving.

I will get back up

This one is for somebody who thinks they have fallen too many times.

Proverbs says:

“Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.” (Proverbs 24:16)

Notice it does not say righteous people never fall.

It says they rise again.

So I will rise again.

If I made a mistake, I will rise.

If I trusted the wrong person, I will rise.

If I failed, I will learn and rise.

If I lost something, I will grieve and rise.

If yesterday was terrible, I will wake up and rise.

The fall does not get the final word.

Get up.

There is wisdom to gather from this place.

I will stop trying to control tomorrow

Lord, I surrender my plans to You.

Proverbs 16:3 says:

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

So here they are.

My family.

My work.

My ministry.

My finances.

My relationships.

My dreams.

My unanswered questions.

My next season.

My future.

My plans.

I place them before You.

And when my plan and Your direction disagree, Your direction wins.

Because I would rather walk slowly with God than run quickly somewhere He never sent me.

I choose integrity

Proverbs 10:9 says:

“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely.”

So I will not build anything that requires me to become somebody I cannot respect.

I will not compromise character to gain position.

I will not exchange peace for applause.

I will not manipulate what God can provide.

I will walk honestly.

I will do what is right when nobody sees.

And I will leave the outcome with God.

There is tremendous freedom in having nothing to hide.

And today I choose wisdom

Not noise.

Not panic.

Not comparison.

Not impulse.

Not revenge.

Not fear.

Wisdom.

I will trust the Lord with the road I cannot see.

I will guard my heart.

I will watch my words.

I will receive correction.

I will seek wise counsel.

I will work diligently.

I will walk with integrity.

I will get back up when I fall.

I will stop comparing my journey with everybody else’s.

I will make my plans, but I will give God permission to redirect every single one of them.

Because:

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’S purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)

And perhaps that is one of the safest places a human being can live.

Not knowing everything.

Not controlling everything.

Not understanding everything.

But trusting the God who does.

So today I declare:

I don’t need to see the whole road to take the next faithful step.

God knows where I am.

God knows where I am going.

God knows what I need.

And wisdom says:

Trust Him.

So I will.

V.L