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 21
Reflect:
Proverbs 21:16
16 The person who strays from common sense
will end up in the company of the dead.
Common sense is another way of saying prudence. It’s having sound judgment concerning everyday matters. We all like to think we have it but if we’re honest, I know there are times when we all have lacked common sense. It wasn’t like we woke up one morning and just decided to empty our minds of it, it just happened. Or did it?
Look at the first line again. Notice the word stray? It means to move away aimlessly from a group or from the right course or place. That doesn’t just happen; it takes a choice. Now that choice may be subtle, but it’s a choice, nonetheless. With that in mind, we begin to see how much our choices matter.
The book of Proverbs, especially the first 9 chapters, has made clear that there are two paths we can walk: the path of wisdom or folly. Obviously, we want to walk the path of wisdom, for it’s the path that leads to life. But when we allow ourselves to begin to drift and slowly move aimlessly away from wisdom’s path, we move from prudence to a lack of common sense. And that, my friends, is folly! Nothing good comes from it.
To stray can happen subtly, but we don’t need to be caught off guard by it. This means that we have to stay engaged and mindful of what is coming into our heads and take action to keep bad thoughts out. So, what does that look like? How do we know when we’re beginning to become unmoored?
Here are some key indicators that can help you identify when you’re beginning to drift: rudeness, daydreaming, neglect, carelessness, slackness, disregard, inconsiderateness, wildness, selfishness. These are just a few. When they show up in our lives, we’re beginning to lose our moorings—and if we’re not careful, we will drift away. You know what straying looks like in your life. Don’t let it happen to you. Keep choosing to walk the path of wisdom.
Respond:
If you’re straying or feel yourself beginning to stray, stop and take action! Pray and confess the ways you’ve allowed yourself to stray. The prayers you offer are like throwing a rope to the pier and securing your boat to the dock! Use the ACTS prayer model (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). Do the work required to stay on the path of wisdom.
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:
Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.