Tag: in Jesus’ name

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Wisdom Prayer

Stay Away From Forbidden Women!

Stay Away From Forbidden Women!

Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom for those who heed King Solomon’s message about staying away from forbidden women. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Wise men stay away from the adulteresses with her smooth words.

In Proverbs 7:1-5 (ESV) King Solomon, writing God-given words, urges the readers of Proverbs to treasure up his commandments.

“My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
to keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words.”

Speaking to his son, King Solomon, passes on fatherly advice. He wanted his children to value wisdom. He also wanted them to avoid the pitfalls of sexual sin.

Today, it is important to take the King’s advice to steer clear of temptation.

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Wisdom Prayer

Six Things the Lord Hates and Seven That Are an Abomination!

Six Things the Lord Hates and Seven That Are an Abomination!

Dear Lord, I pray for the wisdom to be able to avoid the six things that you hate, and the seven that are an abomination to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

God makes his boundaries clear, so we know what he considers offensive behavior.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (ESV) is more than just about the things the Lord hates.

“There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.”

The list is very straight forward. Either a person will avoid these things, or he or she will carry out the things God hates.

Run from the things the Lord hates.

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Wisdom Prayer

Don’t be a Sluggard!

Don’t be a Sluggard!

I pray for wisdom for those who are dedic. In Jesus’ name, amen.

King Solomon uses an example of a creature that would normally be overlooked, and he turns the ant into a hero.

Proverbs 6:6-11 (ESV) compares industrious ants to a person who does not work hard.

“Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.”

Take what Solomon says to heart. Bring renewed discipline and dedication to your work. Learn from example, and note how well a small creature can be so productive.

Take action steps. Prevent poverty.

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Wisdom Prayer

Don’t Cosign for Another Person’s Debt!

Don’t Cosign for Another Person’s Debt!

Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom for those who give their eyes no sleep or their eyelids no slumber until they are free from having bound themselves to pay for another’s debt. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Never agree to pay for someone else’s debt, for if he or she defaults, you must repay it.

Proverbs 6:1-5 (ESV) argues a person should urgently plead with your neighbor to release yourself from any obligations.

“My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
have given your pledge for a stranger,
if you are snared in the words of your mouth,
caught in the words of your mouth,
then do this, my son, and save yourself,
for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:
go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor.
Give your eyes no sleep
and your eyelids no slumber;
save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
like a bird from the hand of the fowler.”

Avoid entanglements that can cost you dearly. If the other person were to default, you could be in serious trouble. The creditors can and will hold you responsible because you agreed to pay back the debt. Don’t let yourself get into such a situation.

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Wisdom Prayer

Listen To Your Teachers and Instructors!

Listen To Your Teachers and Instructors!

Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom for those who listen to the voice of their teachers and incline their ear to their instructors. In Jesus’ name, amen.

King Solomon’s message resonates today, even though, according to the English Standard Version of the Bible, he “reigned c. 971-931 B.C.” God used Solomon to give fair warning to those who violate God’s laws.

Proverbs 5:7-14 (ESV) continues the theme of earlier verses in Proverbs 5 about avoiding adultery.

“And now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,
lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
and at the end of your life you groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
and you say, “How I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”

With all that can befall one involved in an inappropriate relationship, it pays to stay clear of illicit involvement. Thank God for his words of wisdom.

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Wisdom Prayer

Avoid Adultery!

Avoid Adultery!

Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom for those who refuse to be tempted by the lips of the forbidden. In Jesus’ name, amen.

King Solomon gave advice to men tempted to commit adultery. His dire warning says of the woman providing the temptation, “Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol.”

Proverbs 5:1-6 (ESV) describes what happens if a person is seduced by the temptress.

“My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,
that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil,
but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to Sheol;
she does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.”

Beware the temptress. If you have already succumbed to adulterous behavior, stop. Repent and ask God’s forgiveness. Go, and sin no more.

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