American Reformation Church Prayer Journal 118
ARC Prayer Meeting:
This pass Sunday at the American Reformation Church we expounded on the book of Proverbs, chapter 2, verses 16-19. Proverbs 2 is a chapter about seeking God's wisdom and allowing that wisdom to protect and direct our lives. It moves us from the responsibility of pursuing wisdom to the protection wisdom provides.
Proverbs 2 calls us to pursue wisdom in a somewhat desperate way. We are to “Search for her as for hidden treasures.” We must also search for wisdom in the right place. Only the One true and living God is the sole means to obtain this most prized possession. Once we find it, however, wisdom must penetrate our hearts. God’s truth must bust through the stubbornness of our hard hearts to guide our lives. And once wisdom becomes part of the heart, it begins to guard our decisions and develop a sense of discretion.
From there, Proverbs 2 promises us certain benefits once wisdom penetrates our hearts. It protects us from the evil man that will attack God’s way in your life and misdirect your steps and from the immoral woman that will seduce to attack your devotion to God and tempt to break our covenants.
In light of these truths, how then do we pray? Off the bat, we pray for protection from the wiles of Satan, the evil man, and the immoral woman. Proverbs 2 reminds us that prayer is not only asking God to bless the path we have chosen; it is asking God to keep us from paths we should never take. This must be tempered also with the understanding, we make our plans, but ultimately God directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9).
God promises wisdom will help deliver us from evil. Jesus in His famous prayer model for the church made that one of the prayer targets for those who know Him, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (Matthew 6:13).
We need to pray for discernment from God to help us see the destination, not merely the attraction of the moment. Biblical discernment is the God-given ability to distinguish between what is true and false, right and wrong, wise and foolish, and then to choose and act according to God's truth.
Hebrews 5:14 says: “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Discernment enables us to recognize that something may look good, sound reasonable, or feel attractive while actually setting a trap that leads us astray. It tempts us to veer off the path of uprightness to wander on the path of darkness.
Paul taught the early church: “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). A discerning Christian is not gullible. He doesn't believe everything he hears or follow every attractive opportunity. He tests it against Scripture.
What is the conclusion of the matter? Proverbs 2:16–19 teaches us that there are paths that look attractive but lead to death. Prayer asks God to give us the wisdom to recognize those paths and the strength to stay off them.
So our prayer should be: “Lord, guard my heart, guard my eyes, guard my relationships, and guard my steps. Give me wisdom to see where temptation leads before I take the first step. Keep me faithful to You and faithful to the covenants You have given me. Lead me in the path of life.”
