I. Prayer to enter the Lord’s presence:
Be still for a moment. “Lord, I give the day that is now past to you. It is yours. I give the day that is to come to you; help me to see where you are working and to join you there. Speak to me during these moments. I commit them and myself to you.”
II. Prayer of Confession:
“Lord, you are faithful to forgive me and cleanse me of my sin when I confess it to you. I confess my sin(s) of ______________. Thank you for forgiveness.” (1 John 1:9)
III. Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Choose to be thankful, speak out loud of what God has done.
“Thank you, Father, for _________________. Fill my heart and my mouth with gratitude throughout this day.”
IV. Scripture Reflection
Read: Proverbs Chapter 28
Reflect:
Proverbs 28:11
11 The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.
Here the rich and the poor are contrasted. The rich are wise in their own eyes—in other words, they know it all. Their wealth has blinded them to the reality of their own limitations. Because of money and material comfort, they are quick to tell you all the ways they are superior in their own wisdom. So much so that they are blinded to reality. All the praise they receive causes them to think of themselves as entitled. They depend on no one but themselves. They end up taking credit for all that they do. This is a scary place to be, yet they are blinded to their predicament. We don’t want to live like them.
The poor, on the other hand, live in dependence on God. Through their struggles, they understand that it is the Lord who provides all that they need. They know that money can be helpful with a myriad of issues, but it can’t give what is truly needed. Wealth doesn’t improve their standing with God, it can only take a person so far. Through the poor and discerning’s struggles, a richness of spirit is developed that no amount of wealth could ever provide. They understand that wisdom for this life comes from the Lord. Their discernment gives them a perspective that far exceeds that of the rich. They know that true wisdom starts with the Fear of the Lord—the Sovereign One, not us. We want to live with this kind of perspective.
Jesus makes this same point clear to us with the parable of the rich man who had an abundant crop. The man thought he’d tear down his old barns and build some new ones to store all of his wealth. This is where we read those sobering words of Jesus, “God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you” (Luke 12:16-21).
Those with discerning eyes can see through the delusion of wealth. The good life—the life that walks on wisdom’s path—has nothing to do with wealth and everything to do with a right relationship with God.
Respond:
Ask God to give you discerning eyes to see all the deceptive trappings calling out for your attention. When you’re faced with a fork on the path—choose wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom! Never forget this.
V. Prayer for others:
Pray specifically for the concerns of your life and the lives of others.
VI. Prayer of commitment:
“Lord God, I commit to love you with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength and with all my mind and to love my neighbor as myself. Empower me today to love you and others with everything that I am.” (Luke 10:27)
This Week’s Scripture Memory:
Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: “How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?