[Please join me as we pray for our nation and world on Tuesdays this year.]
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
(Proverbs 1:7 NIV)
Quick – name ten people who are in positions of governmental leadership. Then make a list of ten people who are influential in education, media, and the arts. Now, look at your lists and mark the ones who you think operate under the influence of God’s wisdom.
Take your time. I’ll be patient.
Anyone? Anyone at all? If your list is like mine, perhaps one or two people – likely local leaders – made your list of wise leaders. The others? Not so much.
Wisdom – making choices/decisions based on God’s best practices – is in short supply in our culture and in our cultural leaders. So, today, that’s where we focus our prayers.
All-Wise God,
Praise be to the name of our God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are yours. You change times and seasons; you depose wicked leaders and raises up godly ones. You give wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. You reveal deep and hidden things; you know what lies in darkness, and light dwells with you. The praise of your Wisdom is celebrated far and wide. Yet, that song of Wisdom is not always heard in the halls of higher learning, media, arts & entertainment, or government. Today we come to intercede for our nation, for its culture, for its leadership, and for the people in these areas. We pray these institutions and leaders will not cling to deception, or mock wisdom, or fight the facts and your Truth, but will stop to listen and hear Wisdom’s courageous warning. May they allow you to pour your spirit of wisdom upon them so they can become wise. May they never come to a place of desperation because you have hidden yourself from them after they have refused your wisdom in the past. May they listen to you, live in peace, be free from fear and confident and courageous, resting unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life. Holy Spirit, pour your wisdom on our nation, its culture, and its leadership. Influence every decision made so that you receive all honor and glory, we ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN.
21Yet wisdom’s song is not always heard in the halls of higher learning.
But in the hustle and bustle of everyday life
its lyrics can always be heard above the din of the crowd.
You will hear wisdom’s warning as she preaches courageously
to those who stop to listen:
22“Foolish ones, how much longer will you cling to your deception?
How much longer will you mock wisdom,
you cynical scorners who fight the facts?
23Come back to your senses and be restored to reality.
Don’t even think about refusing my rebuke!
Don’t you know that I’m ready
to pour out my spirit of wisdom upon you
and bring to you the revelation of my words
that will make your heart wise?
24I’ve called to you over and over;
still you refuse to come to me.
I’ve pleaded with you again and again,
yet you’ve turned a deaf ear to my voice.
25Because you have laughed at my counsel
and have insisted on continuing in your stubbornness,
26I will laugh when your calamity comes
and will turn away from you at the time of your disaster.
Make a joke of my advice, will you?
Then I’ll make a joke out of you!
27When the storm clouds of terror gather over your head,
when dread and distress consume you
and your catastrophe comes like a hurricane,
28you will cry out to me, but I won’t answer.
Then it will be too late to expect my help.
When desperation drives you to search for me,
I will be nowhere to be found.
29Because you have turned up your nose at me
and closed your eyes to the facts
and refused to worship me in awe —
30because you scoffed at my wise counsel
and laughed at my correction—
31now you will eat the bitter fruit of your own ways.
You’ve made your own bed; now lie in it!
So how do you like that?
32Like an idiot you’ve turned away from me
and chosen destruction instead.
Your self-satisfied smugness will kill you.
33But the one who always listens to me
will live undisturbed in a heavenly peace.
Free from fear, confident and courageous,
that one will rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life.” (Proverbs 1:21-33 TPT)
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.” (Daniel 2:20-22 NIV)