I wrote my initial response prayer for Proverbs Chapter 5 during the Wisdom Challenge in January. Now as I come to submit the chapter to my blog and reread my musings, I discover how God is using this process to highlight things in my life that require me to reassess my thinking, return to the Word for greater truths and revelation, or redress my beliefs born out of lies or deceptions from my past that drive my responses to situations and relationships in the present.
It can be easy to read Scripture and somehow believe what’s before me is not relevant to me in that moment. I would dare to suggest that the Holy Spirit, if invited, would surprise you, as He has me, by revealing the relevance of even the most unlikely portions of Scripture, to situations, attitudes and personal responses to our experiences.
Proverbs 5, at a glance, is speaking to warn a young man of the dangers of entanglement with a seductress and its likely outcome of ruin.
In my own circumstances in my cancer journey, I began to find myself entangled in a myriad of protocols and supplemental “benefits” that have been so consuming of my time and attention that I was struggling to find time and ways to squeeze God into the processes. The recent revelation that my health choice was as much driven by fear as the conventional route of treatment came from reading Proverbs. The father of lies is subtle and will use anything he can. He knows my weakness and how to manipulate any and every situation to gain the upper hand. My belief and actions on those beliefs dethroned God and His power and authority usurped in favor of the lie before me. In doing that I came into agreement with my condition.” Fear is misplaced worship and dishonoring to God”. (Bill Johnson) Never underestimate the power of the lie. So easily done and given away without our realizing. This could be any addiction…food, drink, social media…anything that seduces me to behave other than in God’s truth. Verse 12 says….”and then finally you’ll admit you were wrong and say, if only I had listened to Wisdom’s voice.”
So, this Proverb begins with “Listen to Me….”. This is my call to receive the wisdom being offered…. Believe me. It is relevant to us all.
One word that came from the challenge guest, Jim Rohne was to “borrow some pain from your future” (Verse 9). “Take a moment to think through the long-term outcomes and consequences of my actions or plans before I proceed, not just for myself but for the others involved or affected by my choices to go down this path.” A sobering and sage suggestion.
Prayer…
Lord, open my eyes, ears and heart to Your wisdom and discernment so that my words then express all I learn from my relationship and intimacy with You. Your warnings to be aware of anything that distracts from You and all You teach through Your Word and the life of Jesus’ example I hold in my heart. Keep me on high alert from the temptation to trust my own judgement, regardless of how good an offer seems to me because I know from bitter experience just how destructive and crushing to my soul it can be falling under that spell.
Those temptations are a slippery slope. So quickly to fall for, take the wrong path and make the wrong choice. Always two trees to choose from! Run from these things! Help me see the deception and lies of the enemy, defer any decision until I have brought the matter before You… and act with wisdom…. not to even entertain any thoughts, watch that show, have that drink, be caught up in the flattery, turn that page, click that button. In that one moment of ill-decision, I squander my honor to another, or to You.
Lord give me strength to stand against such things and not be caught in the trap of providing wealth to another by my inability to control myself and my desires. Regret is a bitter pill to swallow and self-forgiveness a difficult thing to give oneself when guilt overrides Your grace. So, help me to be willing to receive Your correction and discipline and not shun those You use to call me out of these dark places of my soul. Give me courage to act when I realise my mistakes. Ultimately, I am responsible for my choices and accountable to You for them.
I bring to You all my plans asking You to grow them, change them or improve them. My success is in Your hands. The investments I make in myself and others in my pursuit of kingdom principles, when yielded to You, will result in us becoming people of value, distributors of Your blessings and instruments of Your peace.
Lord, help me be constantly aware of my need to keep my marriage bed pure and enjoy the love of my life. We have committed to each other for life so let our eyes and hearts be only for each other. Give me the grace to honour that in my love and its expression to my lover, so we find delight and joy in each other and know our union will be blessed as we yield to You.
Lord, You see all we do. May I be ever mindful of that as I walk through life and in every detail and aspect of my being, knowing You examine and audit all I am and do. A quote from Jim Rohne states that “Wisdom is the ability to discern the difference between where I am and where I want to be. If I am not where I think I should be, there’s something I just don’t know”. Help me then to discover that thing I don’t yet know.
Holy Spirit, keep my life on track with your plans and purposes for my destiny, prompting me to remain in You. You have given me a spirit of power, love and self-control. Let it never be said of me that my bad choices made me a hostage…. a “kidnapped captive robbed of my destiny”. (Verse 23) Rather, Lord, as a God of love, let me be all You have determined me to be as Your child and live always in the fullness of Christ Jesus, forever redeemed and loved, living in wisdom daily.
Amen
The Passion Translation New Testament Proverbs Chapter 5
Photo: Art Journal page by Naomi…..inspired by Lyn Henderson