The Beginning Of Knowledge

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

—Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV)

Loving and Gracious LORD,

Never allow me to take lightly who You are—to fail to acknowledge that You alone are worthy of all my love, reverence, worship and service, that You alone are truly awesome in glory, power, and majesty, and that You alone should I fear.

Help me to hold onto the truth that a proper and worshipful fear and reverent respect for who You are is the very beginning, the ever-firm foundation, the principal part of knowledge—without which I cannot claim to know anything.

For only in fearing You and in serving You obediently—so that each of my thoughts is brought into obedience to Christ—can I profit from the rich blessings that You have promised.

Keep me from the foolishness of despising wisdom and instruction—thinking that I could know anything apart from You—and save me from believing that I don’t need Your favor upon my life, or I don’t need to fear Your wrath for my disobedience.

Never allow me to take lightly who You are—to fail to acknowledge that You alone are worthy of all my love, reverence, worship and service, that You alone are truly awesome in glory, power, and majesty, and that You alone should I fear.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

No One Else Can Fully Know Or Share

Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can fully share its joy.

—Proverbs 14:10 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Help me to remember that only You can fully know the hearts of the those around me—and help me to carefully consider that fact, in all my dealings with others.

So guide me as I compassionately consider my neighbor, keeping me mindful that I can never truly know the depth of the hurt that they have experienced, because of what they may have been through—things that have helped to shape them into the persons that they now are—whether for the good or for the bad.

And remind me that each person’s heart carries its own bitterness—because of its brokenness, pain, and wounds—which cries out, searching for healing wherever it might be found. 

Use me to help point the broken-hearted to Your Son and our Savior, Jesus—the only One that can bring true healing to the broken—as I speak truth and grace with love into their lives.

And help me to rejoice with those whose hearts are rejoicing—though I can never fully share the joy that is uniquely theirs—in order that my own joy would be awakened within me and I would give you glory.

Help me to remember that only You can fully know the hearts of the those around me—and help me to carefully consider that fact, in all my dealings with others.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Searching For Good And Finding Favor

If you search for good, you will find favor;
    but if you search for evil, it will find you!

—Proverbs 11:27 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Grant this day that I would encounter the favor that comes when I set my heart to search only after that which is good.

Show me that there is good to be found all around me and help me to look for that good in every person I encounter and in each circumstance that I face—that I might not only receive the favor of man, but all the more, I would receive Your gracious favor in my life.

Remind me that when I search for evil, I have walked away from Your sheltering protection—and that I won’t find evil before it finds me, as it watches for every opportunity of catching me unprotected, in order to try to destroy me.

Help me to stay far from evil by only searching after things that are good—knowing that You are the author of all things good—so that my thoughts, words and actions can be lifted as a praise to Your glory and honor.

Grant this day that I would encounter the favor that comes when I set my heart to search only after that which is good.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.