A Review of Scriptures on Prayer, Wisdom, Understanding and God’s Peace!

07 Aug 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Colossians 1:9b.       to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

Oh my people, can you believe it’s already the 7th of August; we’ve already completed a week of this new month. It seems to be going just as fast as the others, and also being just as hot and dry, with bad air advisories and little or no rain. But being children of God, we have the godly ability to handle anything that comes against us. As the Bible tells us, we are more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37) and nothing that comes against us will prosper. (Is. 54:17) But be that as it may, all our God given help begins with prayer. And today we’ll check out one titled ‘A Daily Prayer for Wisdom.’  And as so often is the case, I cannot remember who sent it to me, but it’s still very viable. (smile)

So please pray with me. ‘Father, I trust you with all my heart, not relying on my own understanding. In all my ways, I acknowledge You, confident that You’ll direct my path. Today, fill me with the knowledge of Your will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so I may live a life pleasing to You. I lay down my anxieties, presenting every need with thanksgiving, trusting that Your peace which goes beyond all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Guide me Lord, into Your truth, and strengthen my faith as I seek Your presence each day. In Jesus name. Amen.’

And what I like about that prayer is that it’s a compact, combination of several verses of the Bible. As the card says, ‘This daily prayer is based on Scripture verses from: Proverbs 3:5-6; Colossians 1:9; Philippians 4:6-7.’ And what better time and place to review those foundational scriptures that we all know but don’t live up to as we should? None like right now! (smile) So let’s begin our review with these marvellous words from Cousin Sol’s amazing Book of Wisdom, Proverbs.

He wisely advises: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight) your parts.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) Oh friends, that’s wisdom to the nth degree! You know, if we would do only those things contained in those two verses, our lives would be so enriched, both spiritually and physically, that we would not know what to do with ourselves, for that’s the basic wisdom of our Christian faith; trust the Lord, listen to His commands and do them.  And when we add these other words of that scripture passage to those above, we get such a beautiful picture of Christian living!

Listen up, ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) be filled with new wine. My son despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as the father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:7-12) And right there friends we have a synopsis of the Bible in a few verses. If you followed them sincerely, you could not go wrong.

Then there’s this other beautiful scripture passage from the pen of Bruh Paul to the Colossians re his prayer for them. ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.’(Col. 1:9) Now that’s the verse quoted by the prayer, but we cannot leave out the other parts of Bruh Paul’s prayer which gives us such understanding into his prayers.

He then continues: ‘That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)

Wow friends! What a wonderful prayer! Please note that Bruh Paul didn’t pray for them to be rich or healthy or have no problems, but for them to be totally anchored in God; learning His word and doing it, thus growing in spiritual maturity. And it’s a method of prayer that we can all adopt that rises above our physical and material desires. And the last scripture used in our earlier prayer is another marvellous passage, this time from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he desires to introduce them to the God of peace.

He consequently writes. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) Yes my fellow saints, more foundational scriptures; we must not be anxious or fearful about anything, but take all our anxieties and fears to the Lord in prayer, and when we do that, His outstanding peace, which is greater than we can ever understand will keep our hearts free from worry, fear and anxiety.

And then in Bruh Paul’s practical style, he tells them what to think about. ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)

Oh my people! What more can we ask for eh? Not much. However, the Lord in His overwhelming generosity has given us, what we call our Thursday Blessings. That’s undeserved blessings, to do His earthly work. So let’s declare them (chuh!!!) and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!

I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord blessed us with them, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…wisdom is the principal thing…therefore get wisdom…and with all thy getting…get understanding…  (Prov. 4:7)

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 October 2021 John 3:17.

09 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

John 3:17.     For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Oh, what a perfect Saturday morning for sleeping in, at least in my area! We are talking about dark skies on a fairly warm morning for this time of year, and a lulling, drizzle of heavenly blessings. But here I am up early, working. Chuh! That’s because I went to bed early this morning, that’s early by my standards. (smile) 

Anyway, it’s no use griping about it now, because I’m already up and at ‘em. So, like we do every Saturday, let’s check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week. I pray the Lord will give me the wisdom and understanding to do a good job on them, because it’s all for His glory. 

This first one says: ‘All great changes are preceded by chaos.’ Now I don’t know if it’s absolutely true, but there is a fair amount of truth to it. Just look at all the great changes forced upon the world by the numerous wars and strife that’s happened down through the ages. 

Look at what’s happening right now. Chaos is in our midst, with serious differences over the cause and effect of the Covid 19 pandemic, the strife that’s been injected over the vaccine, the lust for dictatorial power that’s currently running rampant, the greed of the rich, who are getting insanely richer while the world is beset by numerous natural and man-made disasters, poverty and economic misfortune, climate change, racial differences etc. etc. There’s no doubt that when the dust settles, our society will be significantly changed… but who knows how. 

And let’s not forget the chaos and great changes made by the coming of our Lord and Saviour two thousand years ago. Jesus turned His then Jewish society upside down and the world right side up! Remember what He said: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And the world has never been the same since He came…neither will it be, after He comes again! (smile) 

The second quote tells us that: ‘If you are bored with life, if you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things—you don’t have enough goals.’ I don’t know about not having enough goals nuh, but rather of having the wrong goals. For if you even have one goal of sufficient interest and importance to you, then that will have you getting up every morning burning with passion to fulfill it. What’s the point of having goals that aren’t actively cultivating your interest? None whatsoever! 

The problem with today’s society, why we are so easily bored, is that life’s just too easy for too many of us. There are so many amenities now that we can easily get by without hungering and thirsting after anything, so serious goal setting is not as important as it used to be back when things were harder. 

A real goal is something that calls for elbow grease, for getting out of your comfort zone, that causes you to see a light at the far end of the tunnel and drives you towards it. But since so many of us are averse to working hard, or working at all, who wants to do that eh? Consequently, when we do set goals, they are often of the easy, lacklustre kind and obviously don’t fire us up. 

And that’s where this next quote comes in: ‘Dreams are extremely important. You can’t do it unless you can imagine it.’ Yes friends, our dreams, the things we would like to acquire or do, are extremely important, and they are the things that should usually become our goals, because they will inspire us to get up and get a move on. And the second part of the quote does have some truth to it. 

Generally speaking, you must be able to imagine something before you can do it. You don’t always need to see the finished product, but there must be ideas about whatever you want to accomplish continually buzzing about in your head. Otherwise, you won’t have the necessary incentive to keep working on it. 

That’s why the following quote is important. ‘The future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious.’ No doubt about that friends. You just have to look around at all the amazing inventions in our current world to see it. They were created by those who were thinking ahead. They had an idea, a dream, a goal, to make something better, or do something differently, and they kept working at it, despite numerous failures, until they succeeded. A good example of that is the vast and tentacle-like network of social media we have nowadays. Some people saw the possibilities and took advantage of their opportunities. That’s what it takes to be successful in this world. 

And the same thing goes for believers in Christ Jesus. We also need to be forward thinking; seriously gauging possibilities and seeking opportunities to bring others to the knowledge of Christ. That’s our job as His earthly messengers and ambassadors. So don’t think for one moment that Christians don’t also need dreams, goals and successful operations in Jesus’ name. We just have to do them within His framework; that of His holy word. 

His church is His big organization here on earth. But how is that working eh? Not as good as it ought to. It cannot, with all the divisions, disunity, strife, anger and evil that’s currently going on in it. And one would think that in these terrible times, the church of Christ would take the obvious opportunity to be a calming, settling and uniting force, working to bring peace, LOVE and the Spirit of Jesus to the situation. But unfortunately, it is just as divisive and strife filled as the rest of the world. 

What can we as individuals do eh? Not a whole lot, except sincerely show Christ to those around us and pray. And what we call our Serenity Prayer is the last of our quotes for today. So, let’s pray it nuh. ‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’ 

Yes my fellow saints, that’s why Cousin Sol advises us through the Good Book that: ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding,’ (Prov. 4:7) It’s absolutely imperative that in in these dangerous, evil and ungodly times that the children of God seek His wisdom and learn what we need to do, by studying His word, talking to Him, and being led by His Holy Spirit. 

This is an opportunity for all true believers to step up to the plate and make a real good and Christ-like difference in the lives of others and in our scarred and scared world. That’s what Jesus is expecting of us. So please, let’s not disappoint Him nuh. Much LOVE!

…when things are getting out of hand…that’s when Christians step up and take control…                                                                                                       

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 January 2015 Psalm 119:114

13 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 119:114.  Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
 
A good chilly Tuesday morning, Friends and neighbours! And believe me, it is a chilly morning out here in my neck of the woods, something like minus 19 Celsius! And that’s without the wind chill factor, which usually makes it seem a few degrees colder.
 
Ah Lord eh! And it’s not supposed to get much warmer during the day either. So if you have to go out at all today, please make sure that you are dressed very warm, with hat and gloves and scarf and all the other cold weather paraphernalia. (smile)
 
And let me apologize for the tardiness of the Bit. I was first tardy in getting up, just one of those days when the ole body would not respond to my wishes, it has a mind of its own you know. (smile) And then, for whatever reason the computer acted up.
 
Although I had perfect Internet connection and it was doing some background backup, I still had a hard time opening the browser and getting to the net itself. Steups! That’s why I’m no fan of computers!
 
Don’t get me wrong, they are useful in their own way, but they are too finicky, like ….!  No, I’m not going to say it (smile), and our world is so dependent on them now that when they fail or choose to act up, a whole lot of heartache follows. Remember though that they are man made, and thus not perfect.
 
Anyway, there’s not a whole lot I can do about it, so I’ll just have to learn to live with the finicky behaviour, as I’ve learned to live with that of you know whom. (smile)  
 
Now here is an interesting quote attributed to Euripides (480-406 B.C) the ancient Greek dramatist born in the Athens area. It simply says: ‘Along with success comes a reputation for wisdom.’
 
And in today’s world, that is very true. We all consider successful people – as the world defines it – as persons endowed with wisdom. But the reality is that’s not always true, especially when defined by the values of God.
 
However Friends, that’s where the true test of wisdom is to be found – in the values of God, not in those of the evil and lustful world!
 
Just look at the track record of some of the world’s supposed successful people, and you’ll find that their personal lives are, or have been a complete mess. But their business acumen and their worldly success have them at the top of the list of wise people.
 
Their own lives though are filled with bitter family feuds, nasty divorces, lots of hatred and resentment; all of the things that are not considered wise under the values of Almighty God.
 
Consequently, the opposite is also true; the failed and unsuccessful business person, looked at by the world as foolish and unwise, might have a very LOVING and godly family life and relationships, which makes him wise using God’s values.
 
So, technically speaking, like a lot of other things, our take on success and wisdom depends on what values we base them on; the world’s, or the Lord’s. Let’s hope that we all use the values of the latter in ALL of our doings, for that’s where TRUE success and wisdom are to be found!
 
That brings us to our Bit, the same wise and encouraging words as yesterday. ‘Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.’
 
And right there my brethren, is where true wisdom lies! There is indeed no greater wisdom in all the earth than faith, hope, surrender and trust in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
 
Now let’s look at a couple more scripture passages that cry out to us in that regard. And we’ll begin with words from Moses’ exhortation of obedience to the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness, en route to the Promised Land.
 
‘Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgements, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
 
For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh (a God so near) unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?’ (Deut.4:5-8)
 
Wonderful questions my brethren? And the correct answer is none? Even to this day, there is no greater nation on earth than one that espouses the law of Jehovah God!
 
But it’s also very sad that those nations which have hitherto espoused God’s law, are now moving away from it to the law of the jungle that’s the world. Hopefully though, with our sincere and diligent efforts on God’s behalf, that state of affairs will change soon.
 
Now listen to Bruh David from Psalm 62 – God only is my rock and my salvation. ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense: I shall not be moved (shaken).
 
In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times: ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.   Selah.’ (Ps.62:5-8)
 
Oh my people, truer words were never spoken! God is indeed our be all and end all! And thus there’s no better note to end on than that one. Yeh Friends, if God is our Creator and Provider, then it only stands to reason that He is the One we should be in tune with ALL THE TIME! That’s true wisdom!
 
Now let’s go out and practice it nuh, and show the evil and ungodly world a thing or two about our Mighty God! Much LOVE!
 
…our bounden duty is to…truly LOVE our God…sincerely LIVE our Faith…and diligently SPREAD His holy Word…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 June 2013 Psalm 86:11

29 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 86:11.    Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
 
Well Friends and fellow believers, we have been mightily blessed to see another glorious day on Planet Earth! Wow! I surely hope that we have all given our most gracious God some thanks and praise for that wonderful opportunity, because He deserves it for looking down on us with mercy and grace.
 
And though life on earth can be very trying at times, I doubt very many of us are ready to go home to heaven right now. I know I don’t want to, because I have so many things that the Lord has put in my heart still to do down here. And He could have easily taken us home during the night, but His not doing so means that He still has plans for us down here on Mother Earth.
 
So why don’t we talk to Him eh, and find out what He expects of us today? That’s the best way to know what’s what! And it’s usually best to communicate with our heavenly Father as soon as we awaken, so that we can begin the day on the right foot in His awesome presence, with the guiding of His Holy Spirit. That way Lucifer won’t stand a chance in hell to get to us early and sow his seeds of evil and corruption.
 
That’s what was so great about Bruh David; from his youth, he was always talking to the Lord, asking Him for His guidance, meditating on His words, wanting to learn His ways. Our Bit today exemplifies that great desire for wisdom and understanding as to the Lord’s ways and will. ‘Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart (give me singleness of heart) to fear (have reverential awe for) thy name.’
 
Ah Friends, how many of us try to dig, to delve so deeply into God’s ways and will eh? Not nearly enough! But if we want to learn more about God, then that’s the only way to go; right to the source, the fountainhead of all wisdom, truth, knowledge and understanding, to the One who created everything and everyone that exists, or has ever existed.
 
And what does Cousin James say about seeking wisdom? ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given to him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
 
And that’s gospel Friends, eternal truth! But we have to be serious, really searching for wisdom and truth, and not be wishy-washy and unstable, because the Lord won’t help us then. Now let’s look at some scriptures where Bruh David entreats the Lord to teach him His ways and statutes.
 
Listen to him in Psalm 25, A prayer for guidance and protection. ‘Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all day.’ (Ps.25:4-5)
 
Then in Psalm 27, the Lord is my light and my salvation, he earnestly petitions his God: ‘Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain (smooth) path, because of mine enemies.’ (Ps.27:11)
 
And yet again, this time in Psalm 143, Teach me to do thy will, he plaintively cries out to God for wisdom and understanding re His Word and His will. ‘Cause me to hear thy LOVING-kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my soul unto thee…. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.’ (Ps.143:8, 10)
 
No wonder Bruh David was so fortunate! He didn’t have an easy life, from being a shepherd as a boy, to king of Israel, and much of it was not his fault. But even when he was at fault, he was wise enough to cry out to the God of his forefathers for mercy and forgiveness, and the Lord usually granted him his wish, because He knew the generally right state of his heart.
 
So too my people, even unto this day, if we keep looking to God for wisdom and guidance with a strong trust and sincere surrender, He will grant them to us. We just have to have the right motives, because He doesn’t just listen to our tearful words, but bases His decisions on the state of our hearts.
 
Now it’s very obvious that we can’t handle the ruggedness of life here on earth by ourselves, and what better place to seek help and succour than at the footstool, the throne of our Creator? There’s no place better my brethren!
 
And we’ll end with a few verses of scripture that are famous in regards seeking wisdom and understanding, taken from Psalm 119. ‘Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statues; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.’ (Ps.119:33-35)
 
Yes Friends, the commandments of our God ought to be our delight! But they’ll never be unless and until we get serious about them and make a conscious decision to seek and follow them with all our heart, body and soul. Therein lies the faith and strength of a true believer. Much LOVE!
 
…to truly know God…one must have…deep and constant communication with Him…as they say…practice makes perfect…