Prayer for godly wisdom

A Prayer for Godly Wisdom
By Tracie Miles

“Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” Proverbs 19:20-21 (NLT)

Over several months of dealing with a difficult circumstance, I received a lot of godly counsel from beloved friends and family. Yet I found it hard to heed their good suggestions at times, because my feelings seemed to be in control of my thoughts.

Recognizing this struggle within, I bowed my head and prayed: “Lord, please help me see with eyes that are wise, not eyes blurred with overwhelming emotions. Help me act out of a heart that follows You, not a heart heavy with worry. Help me think with a holy perspective, not a mindset based on my own opinions or feelings. Give me wisdom and discernment, and the ability to recognize and follow wise instruction when I receive it.”

I opened my eyes and reached for my Bible, and immediately came across today’s key verses, Proverbs 19:20-21 … “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.”

My heart quickened at the thought of God whispering the comforting answer I had just prayed for. I sensed His assurance that it was okay to accept and trust wise advice that aligned with Scripture, because His plans and purposes would always prevail even if my decisions weren’t perfect.

Obviously my first place for wisdom and guidance is God’s Word and prayer, and I had been anxiously seeking His direction for weeks. But as I read this verse, I felt prompted to ponder all the people who’d offered me loving wisdom. With grateful humility, I bowed my head again to pray, intentionally thanking God for all the people who continually poured wise instruction into my heart and seeking discernment about the best advice to follow.

God sends people into our lives for many reasons, and in many cases, it is in response to a need we have — whether it’s now, or yet to come. No relationship happens in the Kingdom of God by circumstance or without reason, whether it’s to provide friendship, help us through a season of difficulty, provide wisdom or inspire us to stand strong in our faith when we feel weak and unsure.

Throughout Scripture we are instructed to choose our friends wisely, because with godly friends comes godly wisdom — just when we need it most.

Lord, thank You for the people You have divinely placed in my life who speak holy truth, love and words of wisdom. Give me a heart of discernment to know when You are using someone to speak instruction into my heart and my circumstances, and give me the strength and courage to follow through with that advice, even when it’s hard. Fill me with peace in knowing that even if I take a wrong turn, Your purpose will prevail. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Editor’s Note: Content taken from the Encouragement for Today devotional, “Godly Friends, Godly Wisdom,” written by Tracie Miles. You can read that piece in full here. All rights reserved.

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Throughout Scripture we are reminded of God’s direction over our lives. He is our good Shepherd who leads us and He desires that we follow the path that leads to joy and contentment.  When we pray for God’s guidance and for discernment through the Holy Spirit, we can rest assured that God will provide wisdom! We do not have to worry about our next step or about tomorrow because we know who guides our way! Do not rush your day without going before God to seek guidance!

A Short Prayer for Guidance

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your guidance. Forgive me for getting ahead of Your plans, and help me know when to stop and listen for Your direction. Your ways are perfect, Lord. Thank You for offering gentle grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
– Kristine Brown

Prayer for Guidance from the Holy Spirit

Lord, I pray you would move the Spirit more boldly in my life. I know that any sin can grieve and diminish the voice of the Spirit, and I pray against the temptation to sin. Help me crave your presence more than I crave sin. Help me grow in the fruit of the Spirit and so walk closer with Yourself. I pray for guidance from your Spirit- let your will and promises always be a meditation of my heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
– Kenny Luck

A Prayer for Guidance When Life is Challenging

Lord, I’m here today with open hands and an open heart, ready to depend on you to help me through the day and all it will bring my way. Help me be like Nehemiah, help me come to you for guidance, strength, provision and protection. As I face tough choices and hard situations, help me remember my belovedness, help me remember that I am Your child and Your representative to the world around me. Help me live today in a way that brings honor to Your holy name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
– Charles Stanley

Prayer for Guidance in the Day Ahead 

Good morning, Lord! Today’s a new day, a chance for a new start. Yesterday is gone and with it any regrets, mistakes, or failures I may have experienced. It’s a good day to be glad and give thanks, and I do, Lord. Thank you for today, a new opportunity to love, give, and be all that you want me to be.

Today I want to start the day with you on my mind and in my heart. As I dress, let me wear the armor you’ve provided daily: the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the belt of truth, the shoes of peace, and the sword of the spirit—with prayer on my tongue: praise for you and petitions for those around me and those I meet.

Feed me today with your daily bread. As the Bread of Life, your food, like manna, will sustain me throughout any trials and hungers. Help me to set my thoughts on things above and to speak only what will help and encourage others. Keep me from putting my foot in my mouth, and help me guard the affections of my heart today, Lord. Make whatever work I do be marked with excellence rather than perfectionism, as I seek not to make a name, but to make a difference. Help me to treat each person I encounter as you would, with respect and love, forgiving others and asking for forgiveness myself when needed.

As I start this day, help me remember that I belong to you, and my desire is to act accordingly. Keep my feet from stumbling and my mind from wandering into distractions that could steal precious time and energy from the most important things you have designed for me. I’m proud to be your child, Lord. And I’m so grateful that you died for me—rising again on your own new morning—so that every day could be filled with the wonder of your love, the freedom of your Spirit, and the joy of knowing you.

I know earthly life is short and fleeting, Lord. But I want to live today as if it were the first or the last day of my life, giving thanks for every good and perfect gift you choose to give. Today, and every day, I want to live my life for you, Jesus. In your precious name, Amen.
– Rebecca Barlow Jordan

A Prayer for Discernment and Wisdom When You Need God’s Direction

Lord, thank You for the people You have divinely placed in my life who speak holy truth, love and words of wisdom. Give me a heart of discernment to know when You are using someone to speak instruction into my heart and my circumstances, and give me the strength and courage to follow through with that advice, even when it’s hard. Fill me with peace in knowing that even if I take a wrong turn, Your purpose will prevail. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
– Tracie Miles

This Beautiful Version of Psalm 23 Had Me in Tears from biblestudytools on GodTube.

Bible Verses about God’s Guidance

Psalm 25:4-5 – “Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Psalm 16:7-8 – “I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 32:8-9 – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.”

John 16:13 – “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

What decisions and situations are you praying for guidance over? Join in our large praying community in the comments below and recieve encouragement! 

This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can’t find the words to pray.

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“Dear God, please give me wisdom…”

This might be the prayer I lift more than any other.

We desperately need wisdom in virtually every aspect of life, don’t we?

In our relationships.

In our finances.

In life’s decisions.

Certainly in our marriages.

In our places of employment.

And perhaps most of all, in our parenting.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes the whole idea of “wisdom” seems sort of ambiguous. Just when I think I may have grasped it, I look down at my clutched hands to find them empty.

How do we know if we’ve attained wisdom? At what point do we become wise? What does it look like?

God is so good to give us His counsel about this topic. The Bible, after all, is full of descriptions of what it means to be wise.

It seems to me that it’s a very good idea to combine my prayers for wisdom with a study of what God has to say about the subject.

Let’s get started praying the Scriptures for wisdom, shall we?

Prayers for Wisdom

Thank God for His gracious promise to give wisdom generously to those who lack it. Claim that promise for yourself by asking Him for it in faith (James 1:5).

Acknowledge to God that fools always think their way is right, but a wise person listens to advice (Proverbs 12:15). Ask the Lord to help you to be humble and teachable, willing to ask for and receive counsel from others.

Pray that you would grow in wisdom as God defines it, and that you would humbly and wisely do good works. Ask Him to keep you from bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, and also from boasting and deceit, as those attributes are not characteristics of godly wisdom. Implore God to fill you with the wisdom from above – wisdom that is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:13-17).

Confess to God your own responsibility to pay careful attention to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Ask for His grace to keep you from foolishness, and to enable you to understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:15-17).

Ask God to help you restrain your words and keep a cool spirit, as those are evidences of wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 17:27-28). Confess to the Lord any sinful tendencies in these areas.

Pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might (Ephesians 1:16-19).

Acknowledge to God that while you desire wisdom, it’s not worth boasting about, and that you want to boast only in your knowledge of Him, growing in your understanding of His character as the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

Ponder the truth that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight (Proverbs 9:10). Ask God to increase your knowledge of the Holy One.

Join Paul and Daniel in marveling at God’s wisdom: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!” (Romans 11:33) “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him” (Daniel 2:20-22). Boldly ask Him for wisdom and knowledge, that He would reveal deep and hidden things to you.

Commit to the Lord that you will choose wise companions and not foolish ones, agreeing with Him that whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm (Proverbs 13:20).

Ask the Lord to keep you from being deceived about true wisdom, understanding that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God (I Corinthians 3:18-19).

Share with God your desire to seek wisdom above every earthly possession. Ask Him to give you a passion for it, and a willingness to search for it as for hidden treasures. Praise Him for giving wisdom, and for pouring knowledge and understanding from His mouth. Ask Him to give you the wisdom He has stored for the upright, as well as insight about righteousness, justice, equity, and every good path. Pray that wisdom would come into your heart, and that knowledge would be pleasant to your soul, with discretion and understanding watching over you. Acknowledge to the Lord that wisdom will deliver you from evil, protect you from temptation, and help you stay on the path of the righteous (Proverbs 2).

Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your infinite wisdom that is abundantly evident in all that You do. You are the essence of wisdom, and the source of it. Whereas You are abounding in wisdom, I am lacking. Please help me to grow in wisdom as I increase in my knowledge and fear of You. By Your Spirit, please increase my depth of insight as I study Your Word. Hold me back from leaning on my own understanding, and make me willing to be counted foolish by the world, for then I will have begun to display godly wisdom. It’s in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, that I pray. Amen. 

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Shape me, mold me

Jehovah Nissi, night departs and day arrives. As I go out into the world fulfilling Your will for my life, I ask that You keep me out of harm’s way. Lead the way.

Oh Heavenly Father, guide me accordingly. Shape me and mold me into a better person. As I draw near to You, may I understand Your teachings and apply them to my life.

Proverbs 2:6-7 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly

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

Speak into my life

Grant me the understanding and knowledge of You and Your word. As I open my Bible to read the scriptures give me wisdom and discernment.

And even as I sit and listen to pastor, preacher or apostle reveal what Your Holy Book is speaking into my life, help me to see and understand.

Help me to understand Jesus Christ, and the way in which He lived His life, so that I can follow in His precious footsteps.

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Ecclesiastes 7:12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

Bless me with divine knowledge and wisdom

I long to be in Your Holy presence, Oh Lord. Sit right beside me as I learn. Bring understanding to my mind as Your teachings are revealed to me.

Bless me with divine knowledge so that I could one day teach others. Help me to learn how to be more understanding, kind, patient and compassionate towards my brother just as You were when You walked the earth and came to save us.

In Jesus’ mighty name, I declare and decree that a revelation of wisdom and knowledge of the word would be dawned upon me, Amen.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

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