Let's Ask for Knowledge and Wisdom...and More | Shirley Mozena Speaker and Author

It was a spring April morning. The night before it had thundered with pounding rain and lightning. On this sunny morning after the spring storm had passed, I prayed for different needs on my list. At the time, I was in a relationship I thought was good. We were to be married in five weeks. There were a few people who wondered if I was moving too fast and even if this man was right for me. I ignored their concerns, thinking I knew best. It will work out, I thought.

And then, out of the blue, I prayed out loud, “If this marriage is out of your will, you will have to end it, because I cannot.” Within me, the Holy Spirit guided those words. I didn’t think any more about them and went about my day.

That evening, on the phone I heard a voice sounding cold, saying he didn’t want to get married. I was shocked. I didn’t understand. And then, I remembered my prayer earlier that day. God had answered that prayer.

Sometimes prayers are answered differently than we expect.

In the disappointment of the breakup, I realizedI had moved too quickly. I wanted companionship and rushed into a relationship that wasn’t right. I learned to trust God more completely and allow Him to be the companion I so desired. In those days I spent alone, I began to know God better. I begged God to help me move forward, away from the planned marriage, toward peace and to learn His future for me. Perhaps I would never be married again. In any case, I needed to submit my will to God. After that prayer, I surrendered all my thoughts to God and began to feel peace. I was sad, yet realized I wasn’t alone. I began to learn more about God through Bible study and prayer. I began to be content in my circumstances of living alone.

I’ve been reading about prayer this week and learned how the Apostle Paul prayed for people in the Colossian church.

We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better (Colossians 1:9-10 NLT).

This prayer asks for 1. Complete knowledge of God’s will, 2. spiritual wisdom and understanding that will help us always honor and please the Lord. And 3. our lives produce every kind of good fruit, and 4. learn to know God better and better.

Sometimes we don’t know what to pray–for ourselves or others. We can be assured if we pray the above passage in Colossians we are praying in God’s will.

So you, dear readers, here is my prayer for you(insert your name or a loved one’s name in the blank): “I pray that ________, will gain complete knowledge of God’s will. ____will gain spiritual wisdom and understanding to help always honor and please the Lord. That ____ will produce every kind of good fruit and______ to know God better and better.”

I’ve had the pleasure of traveling this week and today, we have been watching our great grandson while his parents are at work. It has been pure joy! I pray that same prayer for him as well.