The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 2:1-15 (day seven)

For the Lord gives wisdom. vs 6

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5 (ESV)

We have a group of 12 teenagers and 4 adults in Brooklyn, New York serving the Borough Church (Pastor Zach Van Veldhuizen). We are putting on a Disciple Now (similar to our Freedom Weekend) for this growing church plant in anticipation that this will springboard their youth ministry program. The most beautiful part of this weekend is the work that our teenagers are doing. Our 17-18 year old “kids” are the primary teachers in the Bible Study/Small Group time. The wisdom that these students are displaying is makes it abundantly clear that wisdom is not determined by age or by having a certain degree, but wisdom is a gift given by God. James tells us that all we have to do is ask, and God will generously give you His wisdom. He doesn’t ask for credentials. He generously gives! Do you feel like you lack wisdom? Me too. Let’s ask together!

Also, pray for continued wisdom for us as we serve the city of New York as well as the other groups from our church in Kenya and at home doing community missions.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 2:1-15 (day six)

Then you will discern righteousness and justice
And equity and every good course.
For wisdom will enter your heart
And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
– Proverbs 2:9-10

When I read this Proverb, my mind immediately goes to this verse in the New Testament, 1 Cor. 2:14 “But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

The people in this world cannot accept God’s wisdom and it isn’t pleasant to them because they do not have the Spirit of God. We shouldn’t be surprised when there isn’t righteousness, justice, and equity because the ungodly cannot distinguish between a good and bad course of action. I think we as Spirit-filled Christ-followers should be spiritually discerned and concerned for the wickedness in this world. The problem is that other things besides wisdom has entered our hearts. God’s knowledge isn’t pleasant to our soul. We allow too much of the worldly media to enter our soul and corrupt it. Instead of being enlightened by the Light of God’s Word, we are constantly watching little and big screens and these False lights are invading our souls with darkness. See Matthew 6:23, “But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

We should ask God to help us guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We must be Holy and strive to be different than the rest of the world. If we don’t, then we will be unable to discern God’s wisdom and even unwilling to search for His knowledge.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 2:1-15 (day five)

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;” v. 6

I love the Kids’ Time during our Sunday morning services. It is a moment for us to let kids know that our services are for them, also, and that they can expect that God will speak to them during our time together. They are fun and lighthearted mostly, but there is deep meaning and importance to that four or five minute time with them.

I am extremely excited that while we study the book of Proverbs together, our Kids’ Time moments that occur during the Traditional and Logos services will mirror each other. These times will feature many sayings and writings from various people throughout history that deal with wisdom and knowledge, all presented alongside a portion of scripture from our weekly Re:Verse readings.

During our Kids’ Time together each Sunday, we want to highlight for kids that the world has its own version of truth and wisdom that is contrary to what God says in His Word. There are a lot of times that worldly truth and wisdom looks extremely similar to what God says, but is, in fact, not what God says. Proverbs 2:6 carries this tone for us: all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding comes from God. Only by the Lord’s guidance will we know what is right, just, fair, joyful, honest, good, and so on. The world longs to know these things but looks in the wrong places. Our kids need to know where to look and whom to follow.

So, join us each Sunday as we encourage kids to know God’s Word and guide them to seek the Lord, and not the world, for truth and wisdom. See you Sunday!

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 2:1-15 (day four)

“He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.”

The more we pursue wisdom, the more God’s world opens up to us. What was formerly black and white becomes full of color. As we push closer and closer into God’s ways and live in his wisdom, we see more of God’s power and provision. Highlighted here in chapter two is God’s protection.

Solomon says God is a shield to those who pursue wisdom, he guards their paths as they pursue justice, he preserves their way. Of course, this doesn’t mean that bad things won’t happen to Christ followers, but it does mean that as we encounter adversity, God will continue to give us the supernatural wisdom it takes to handle it in a way that honors him. He protects us from the schemes of the enemy.

Just a few weeks ago we read in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” When we walk in wisdom and grow in godly discernment, we find ourselves protected from wolves in sheep’s clothing. We don’t fall victim to the enemy’s schemes because we have seen for ourselves that God’s way is higher. Wisdom helps us live in the light of God’s protection.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 2:1-15 (day three)

“If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
And discover the knowledge of God.”

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament teach that you will find what you seek. Will the search take as long as your entire life? It might. Will seeking prove hard? It will. Time and effort are characteristic of any quest. Otherwise, you might not even know what you’ve found or why it’s important. Time will give you room to contemplate and to grow in your ability to recognize what it is you seek. And effort will reveal your longings, leading you to understand the you God has made. When you find the wisdom you’ve looked for, you’ll be ready for it, and you will treasure it. This is God’s word to you.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 2:1-15 (day two) 

Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; vs. 2

Solomon makes clear if you truly desire wisdom, it is an active pursuit. It is not enough for us to pray ‘Lord, make me wise’ and then sit back and hope for the best. There is quite a bit of housekeeping that must be done in your heart, your mind, and your daily pursuits. Chapter two of the book of proverbs is a necessary baseline for all who would pursue the wisdom of God. We must constantly be in pursuit. There should be a hunger to know the will and word of God. Beyond that knowledge we should implement those teachings into how we think and how we relate to others. This is a wholesale shift in how we look at life’s challenges. The lens of wisdom requires a submission of the heart.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 1:1-7 (day seven) 

Wisdom and knowledge are not interchangeable. It is completely common to see individuals who have plenty of knowledge but lack wisdom. It is also possible to have immense wisdom and not be highly educated. Why is this?  Wisdom is the right use of knowledge in your everyday life. Wisdom is not a given because you are intellectual. Wisdom shows you have put in the effort to truly know who gave you the knowledge in the first place. When your relationship with the Lord is intimate, you will find that it becomes easier to apply the knowledge you have gained to the situations that arise (wisdom). The Holy Spirit becomes a part of you, guiding you, leading you, to move step in step with Him. Those steps are always wise, always smart. If the beginning of knowledge is fearing God, the beginning of wisdom is knowing God.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 1:1-7 (day six)

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! Genesis 1:31

By good, I do not think God meant aesthetically pleasing, although his creation is awe-inspiring. I believe he meant that the way he ordered the universe (and the land) for our flourishing was good. Another way to say it is, God’s order in creation is intended for our good, that we would flourish in every way. As image bearers, we were always meant to walk in this goodness.

When we walk in God’s goodness, it is called wisdom. That’s what King Solomon is after in Proverbs.

Re:Verse passage – Proverbs 1:1-7 (day five)

“To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;”

Are you excited about this study in Proverbs?  Are you ready for this study of Proverbs? How can you tell?  Maybe a hint is found in these opening verses. Several similar words appear in these introductory verses. Learning. Instruction. Understanding. Knowledge. Sounds like a classroom doesn’t it?  So, are we teachable?  Are we desperate to learn and grow?  Are we humble (honest) enough to admit that we don’t know it all?  Are our hearts soft enough to confess we need help and guidance to live and think more like Jesus?  The book of Proverbs gives us opportunity for progress- in all areas of our lives. Ready to learn?  Ready to grow?  Ready to think, live, and love others more like Jesus?  Proverbs = Progress