Thoughts on Prayer & Wisdom

As I begin a new year of teaching my children, I always seek the Lord for a Scripture for our year. This year, I also feel called to spend time teaching them more about prayer. Growing up, I remember hearing my mom pray a certain phrase often, so this morning I wrote that nugget of encouragement on my chalkboard in my kitchen as a reminder. "Lord, give us knowledge, wisdom & understanding." Simple, but oh so profound.

Thoughts on Prayer #1:

Every day, ask God for knowledge wisdom and understanding.

In a sermon I heard yesterday, one thing the pastor said is, "Knowledge is obtained by looking around. Wisdom is obtained by looking up."

We can gain all the knowledge we want from reading books, taking classes, etc., but if we don't apply that knowledge through God-given wisdom, it is based on man's thinking, and is foolishness, as the Scriptures say. Even the knowledge that we obtain, I want to be hand-picked by the Lord for us to know. He is the source of all knowledge and wisdom, and He is the One who alone can give understanding.

I also wanted to share a link that I found on prayer this morning found here: Perspective on Prayer -- Horatius Bonar.

"In one single quiet hour of prayer the soul will often make more progress than in days of company with others. It is in the desert that the eye gets the clearest, simplest view of eternal certainties; it is in His presence alone, it is then that the soul gathers in wondrous refreshment and power and energy."