Find a quiet time and place to pray... take a few deep breaths...
be still... and know that God is near...
A word to reflect on:
My mouth shall speak wisdom,
my heart shall offer insight...
- Psalm49
If I might place an order, Lord,
I'll take at least as much wisdom as my mind will hold
and insight enough to fill, spill and overflow my heart,
a river of foresight, flooding its banks...
My foolish thoughts, my thoughtless words,
my mindless deeds - all
reveal my need for wisdom greater than my own
and born of a prudence deeper than any
my impetuous self might possibly supply...
Left to my own devices, Lord,
I can play the fool and stumble, tumbling through the day,
trampling on your will and on the hearts and good intentions
of those along my path..
I need your wisdom, Lord, because without it
I'm a fool to think that what I think and say and do
has roots to reach much deeper
than my wants, my needs, my whims...
It's not that I'm stupid, Lord - you've given me a brain -
and so I know I'm smart enough to see how wise I'm not
and wise enough to know how foolish I can be...
Your mouth speaks wisdom, Lord,
and your words ring in my ears and in my mind
with counsel, caution and a clarity that shines only
when truth is at its source...
You offer me wisdom, Lord:
give me the insight I need to know her when she comes my way,
to welcome her into my heart,
and to distinguish her counsel from my own selfish ways...
My mouth shall speak wisdom,
my heart shall offer insight...
And my heart needs the gift of insight, Lord,
lest I trip and fall without discerning, seeing, knowing
where leads the path I walk
And where along its way
might be the stumbling blocks, the potholes,
the shoulders soft with ease and pleasure but
and yet too weak to hold beneath my step...
I need your vision, Lord, to view the world around me
and to see it from your heart;
to see my life, my wants and needs as you do
and to know the plan you have and all you ask
of the life you've given me to live...
I need insight, Lord, to understand, to know, to love
how you are at the heart of all that lives,
that at the heart of every truth there lives your Word
and that the Word you speak is truth to guide me on my way...
Insight, yes, but I need hindsight, too,
for understanding whence I've come, how I've become
the person who I am and what has shaped and misshaped
my will and all my heart's desires...
Insight, hindsight, yes, Lord - and foresight,
to know and accept the path on which you chart my journey,
the life to which you call me, the hope with which you help me
face this day, this night - and the day that's yet to dawn...
You offer me insight, Lord:
give me the wisdom I need to see with your eyes,
to see you in all that's true and beautiful,
to see your hand in every day,
to see that you are with me, always...
My mouth shall speak wisdom,
my heart shall offer insight...
In this time of prayer, Lord,
help me hear the wisdom you speak to my heart:
may your wisdom shape my thoughts, my words and deeds
and lead me to the truth that helps me know your will...
In the stillness of my prayer, Lord,
fill my heart to overflowing with insight born of yours
to help me find and know and understand
how you would have me live and grow today,
how you would shape my life today
for living in your love tomorrow...
My mouth shall speak wisdom,
my heart shall offer insight...
My mouth shall speak wisdom,
my heart shall offer insight...
- Psalm49
(Before moving on to the reflection below,
spend some quiet time with the scripture verse above...)
If I might place an order, Lord,
I'll take at least as much wisdom as my mind will hold
and insight enough to fill, spill and overflow my heart,
a river of foresight, flooding its banks...
My foolish thoughts, my thoughtless words,
my mindless deeds - all
reveal my need for wisdom greater than my own
and born of a prudence deeper than any
my impetuous self might possibly supply...
Left to my own devices, Lord,
I can play the fool and stumble, tumbling through the day,
trampling on your will and on the hearts and good intentions
of those along my path..
I need your wisdom, Lord, because without it
I'm a fool to think that what I think and say and do
has roots to reach much deeper
than my wants, my needs, my whims...
It's not that I'm stupid, Lord - you've given me a brain -
and so I know I'm smart enough to see how wise I'm not
and wise enough to know how foolish I can be...
Your mouth speaks wisdom, Lord,
and your words ring in my ears and in my mind
with counsel, caution and a clarity that shines only
when truth is at its source...
You offer me wisdom, Lord:
give me the insight I need to know her when she comes my way,
to welcome her into my heart,
and to distinguish her counsel from my own selfish ways...
My mouth shall speak wisdom,
my heart shall offer insight...
And my heart needs the gift of insight, Lord,
lest I trip and fall without discerning, seeing, knowing
where leads the path I walk
And where along its way
might be the stumbling blocks, the potholes,
the shoulders soft with ease and pleasure but
and yet too weak to hold beneath my step...
I need your vision, Lord, to view the world around me
and to see it from your heart;
to see my life, my wants and needs as you do
and to know the plan you have and all you ask
of the life you've given me to live...
I need insight, Lord, to understand, to know, to love
how you are at the heart of all that lives,
that at the heart of every truth there lives your Word
and that the Word you speak is truth to guide me on my way...
Insight, yes, but I need hindsight, too,
for understanding whence I've come, how I've become
the person who I am and what has shaped and misshaped
my will and all my heart's desires...
Insight, hindsight, yes, Lord - and foresight,
to know and accept the path on which you chart my journey,
the life to which you call me, the hope with which you help me
face this day, this night - and the day that's yet to dawn...
You offer me insight, Lord:
give me the wisdom I need to see with your eyes,
to see you in all that's true and beautiful,
to see your hand in every day,
to see that you are with me, always...
My mouth shall speak wisdom,
my heart shall offer insight...
In this time of prayer, Lord,
help me hear the wisdom you speak to my heart:
may your wisdom shape my thoughts, my words and deeds
and lead me to the truth that helps me know your will...
In the stillness of my prayer, Lord,
fill my heart to overflowing with insight born of yours
to help me find and know and understand
how you would have me live and grow today,
how you would shape my life today
for living in your love tomorrow...
My mouth shall speak wisdom,
my heart shall offer insight...
To ponder and pray over...
Where's the foolishness in my thoughts and words and deeds?Where's my need for wisdom and for prudence?
What in my life, today, needs a word of wisdom from God?
Am I a person of insight?
Do I try to see from my heart, as the Lord sees from his?
Insight, hindsight, foresight: what do I need the most?
What will I ask of the Lord today?
From this prayer time, what word or phrase will I keep with me
to carry through the rest of my day?
From this prayer time, what word or phrase will I keep with me
to carry through the rest of my day?
(After you spend some time with these questions,
pray the reflection above one more time...)
Here are some tips
for praying 10 minutes a day. If you find these daily prayer
reminders helpful, please let me know - and share them with others.
You'll find an archive of these daily posts here.
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