Ushering In The New Year With A Prayer For Wisdom

Happy New Year!!!  2013 is here and with the start of a new year comes new resolutions, new beginnings, new accomplishments, new opportunities, new life, and new blessings from God.

Happy New Year!!!  2013 is here and with the start of a new year comes new resolutions, new beginnings, new accomplishments, new opportunities, new life, and new blessings from God.

As you celebrate the New Year have you considered asking God to make you wiser this year?  Can I challenge you to start off this year with a prayer to God to impart His wisdom to you?  Remember, wisdom is different than knowledge.  We all have a degree of human knowledge and can associate with those things that are familiar to us through our life experiences, but not everyone has wisdom.

The definition of knowledge according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary online is, “the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association.”  On the other hand, Godly knowledge or wisdom according to Solomon in Proverbs 1:7 is summed up this way; “Fearing the Lord is the beginning of moral knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  NET

God imparts wisdom to those who fear Him and who seek His instruction, understanding, and direction for their lives throughout their earthly journey.  Those who seek God’s wisdom will be given pure motives; peaceful, loving and joyful words; considerate and fair actions; submission to Him; merciful acts, sincerity, kindness, fairness, compassion, integrity, and a life demonstrated with spiritual fruit.  

According to 1 Kings 3:2-15, God gave Solomon a dream which prompted him to seek wisdom.  Through the dream Solomon demonstrated an attitude of gratitude, praise, and humility towards God.  Solomon knew he needed God’s wisdom to lead a nation.  His desire was not to benefit himself, but he requested wisdom so that he would benefit others and the people of Israel.  

As a result of Solomon’s humility and desire to put others before himself, God granted him favor and gave him the discerning heart he had asked for, so that he could render fair judgment on others behalf.  But that wasn’t all, because of Solomon’s desire to seek wisdom he was given additional blessings of riches and honor, so that he could serve God’s people well.   As the dream concludes, God promised Solomon a long life if he continued to pursue the will of God, obey Him, and follow His commandments. 

Often we view our children’s ministry as insufficient and in need of a new beginning.  Perhaps you believe the ministry is not reaching enough children because it is not entertaining enough or you don’t have enough up-to-date equipment, games, classrooms, or activities.  Yet, children can learn from a truly wise teacher in the classroom full of His Holy Spirit, without the need to just be entertained.  Perhaps, you are that person who God will impart wisdom to, so that you can effectively minister His Word to children at your church. 

As you pray for the New Year, ask God to impart to you wisdom to serve your children, volunteers, and parents effectively this year.  Praise Him for calling you into leadership in children’s ministry and using you to teach children His truth, as you encourage volunteers and parents to seek counsel from the only true and wise God.  Ask Him to empower you with truth and guide you to serve effectively for His glory in 2013.

Pray these things with the children, so that they can witness a godly role model seeking God’s direction.  A grateful heart is a blessing to the children and reveals an attitude of thankfulness to God.   Trust God to give you all that you have asked for and perhaps more, as He did with Solomon.  Only the wisdom imparted by God will instruct and give you purpose for a successful children’s ministry journey in 2013.  

May God answer your prayers and give you His wisdom in 2013.  Happy New Year!