The Top Two Things You Can Pray for in Any Circumstance
Do you have a big decision to make? Are you searching for a job, a house, a dreamboat of man? Are you going through a difficult trial? Are you overwhelmed at your to-do list?
Here are Two Things you can always ask for in any situation. I find they are my top two prayer requests when something overwhelming or complicated or heartbreaking comes up. So pretty much everyday, a few times a day.
I ask for Wisdom & Discernment.
Here’s why.
Wisdom
Wisdom is like the slam-dunk of prayer requests. There’s no part of me that doubts God will give me this request. He promises wisdom to those who ask. Ask in faith, and it’s a sure-fire “Yes!” from God.
“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.”
He gives wisdom generously WITHOUT finding fault. So you don’t have to be, like, a certain level of wise to get more wisdom. (Did you read that with a ‘valley girl’ accent from the early 90s? Because you should.)
You don’t have to earn a slot to get more wisdom. He gives it generously. He just gives.
The wisest thing you can do is say, “Lord, I don’t know how to handle this one. Please give me wisdom.”
Slam-dunk.
Discernment
Discernment is wisdom’s companion.
Discernment helps you know if your intuition or emotions or logic or analytical thoughts about this predicament are of the Holy Spirit or are just of you. It’s the difference between being “wise” in your own eyes and wise in the Lord. (Whether you are a Meyers Briggs NFPs or STJs or any other combo thereof, discernment will help you out in your blind spots). Discernment can help a very logical person trust God’s leading when it doesn’t make sense. And discernment can help an emotional-response driven person reign it in and do/not-do something according to God’s leading even if it’s not according to their gut feeling.
Things get really tricky in our minds.
We have a lot of different thoughts: some are our own, some are the Lord, and some are the enemy.
Sometimes, we give our earthly analysis too much credit and we miss the things of God.
Sometimes, we make logic our “god” instead of following whatever the Holy Spirit is leading.
Sometimes we give our emotions too much credit and what we think is “discernment” is really just an aversion in our mind messing with our spiritual senses.
The enemy is pretty tricky too, and he’ll try to slip you a judgmental thought and he’ll masquerade that critical spirit or religious spirit by pretending it’s a “discerning” thought. He’s getting more and more sly as the day draws near.
So here’s your defense…
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Ask God to put on the helmet of salvation, to guard your thoughts and mind in Christ Jesus, and ask for Discernment. He will answer.
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If you hear a thought and aren’t sure of it’s origin, ask God. “Lord, is that you speaking to me?” I’m telling you, sometimes you’ll be shocked to find out it’s not. And sometimes, you’ll be surprised and comforted that it is Him.
The Crossroads. Amarillo.
Here’s how King Solomon prayed this same thing. Check out the same slam-dunk “Yes” from God that follows:
“Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.”
Isn’t that beautiful?!?
Do you find it intriguing that Solomon asked for discernment between good and evil? Are you thinking, ‘Oh wouldn’t it be obvious?!’ See, Solomon knew how sneaky the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is. As you may be learning, not all “good” things are God things. Solomon didn’t want tricked. He wanted to eat from the Tree of Life. He wanted what was Spirit, so He asked God to help Him discern all his options. Let’s follow in those footsteps and ask for it too.
Discernment helps you filter through your thoughts and ideas and decisions to sift out what of this is truly wisdom from God and what is not.
So there you go. That tough situation you are facing, here are two ways you can press in right now.
A Simple Prayer:
Lord, I trust you to guide me in this situation. Please give me wisdom beyond my experience and give me an increase of discernment so I can follow your lead. Thank you, Lord, for giving us such good gifts. In Jesus’ name, amen
