Three Things I Pray for When Making Decisions

There are times in our lives when we are called to make decisions. When we are placed in situations or positions of importance that our decisions affect others and have lasting value. This happened to me a few years back. I was asked to join a Board in our community that is very important in so many ways. There was some controversy and conflict within the Board – it was basically divided. My part on the Board was Chairperson which entailed leading meetings, overseeing discussions and at times making the decision that would break the tie/division. I knew I had to make the right decisions that would benefit the community.

On another situation years ago Dearest and I were talking with one of our daughters about college choices. She had dreams of travel and of big cities and such. She and I even visited a wonderful Christian college. Then my husband looked at our ability to even consider this college. This wasn’t going to work, but there are some amazing colleges nearby. My daughter’s dreams of travel and big cities had to wait. What seemed disappointing at the time in the end, if things had worked out differently, she wouldn’t have met, fell in love and married her husband.

Buying our house was one of the biggest decisions we made some fourteen years ago. We relocated to a very small, rural town and were looking for a ‘fixer upper’. Boy, did the real estate agent show us some real fixer uppers too. At the time we still had all our children in tow. We needed a safe, comfortable place for them to live and to grow. If it were just Dearest and I…we may have jumped on some of those amazing houses with potential. Then our house was presented to us at the last minute…it was perfect in so may ways. We still have the old house we desired, dreamed of…but we also had a wonderful place to continue to raise our children.

I could share more and more times where I could look back over my shoulder at time so to speak at decisions we have made…one thing I’ve learned about decisions is to fully trust in God. His plans are so much better than ours – He sees the whole picture.

What I pray for and what I ask God for when making a decision is, ‘wisdom, discernment and clarity of mind’.

Wisdom

The right use or exercise of knowledge; the choice of laudable ends, and of the best means to accomplish them. This is wisdom in act, effect, or practice. If wisdom is to be considered as a faculty of the mind, it is the faculty of discerning or judging what is most just, proper and useful, and if it is to be considered as an acquirement, it is the knowledge and use of what is best, most just, most proper, most conducive to prosperity or happiness. wisdom in the first sense, or practical wisdomis nearly synonymous with discretion. It differs somewhat from prudence, in this respect; prudence is the exercise of sound judgment in avoiding evils; wisdom is the exercise of sound judgment either in avoiding evils or attempting good. Prudence then is a species, of which wisdom is the genus. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Seeking direction, wisdom from God, is a prudent way to make decisions. God will give you wisdom to know how to and what to do rightly.

“And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” Exodus 30:3 (of Bezaleel who was given the skill to build things for the LORD)

The Hebrew word for wisdom is skill. To gain wisdom means to develop the ability to live life skillfully and produce something of quality.

Discernment

The act of discerning; also, the power or faculty of the mind, by which it distinguishes one thing from another, as truth from falsehood, virtue from vice; acuteness of judgment; power of perceiving differences of things or ideas, and their relations and tendencies. The errors of youth often proceed from the want of discernment. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

“Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them.” Hebrews: 14:9

Praying for discernment means wishing to fully understand and to see the whole totality of the matter to make right decisions.

Clarity of Mind

clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding; freedom from indistinctness or ambiguity.

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:17-18

In all that we do in life we can only do the best we can in and of ourselves. When we seek God in our life, learn from Him we also want to focus on what’s the most important thing. To know wisdom, to have discernment and clarity we need to seek God in our life.

“The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130

The word of God has a lot to say about being wise and seeking wisdom. We have to learn from His word. There are a lot of voices around us willing to give us advise on what to do and what to say and even what to believe.

Seek first the Kingdom of God…if you want wisdom, discernment and clarity of mind in life and in your decisions go to the source of all things. Pray, and ask God. Have peace knowing that in due time, He will give you what you ask for. Sometimes ‘things’ we want aren’t the best things for us. Sometimes ‘people’ are not the best influence in our lives. Sometimes life situations are not really meant for us. To know what to do in situations seek God, read his word and pray for His direction in your life.