A prayer based on 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.

<aside> 🙏🏻 To You, the only wise God, We come before You now, as those who marvel at Your wisdom. Creation proclaims it. Providence shows it. Salvation magnifies it. Yet without Your Spirit revealing it to us in Your Word, and giving us understanding, we would be left in the dark. Your wise plans and purpose and Your wise ways and works would be hidden from us. So, we give to You our thanks, that Your Spirit, who inspired the biblical authors to write down the words of Scripture has given us the understanding we need. Especially concerning how we might be saved from our sin and the judgment which is to come, through faith in Jesus, and how in response we might worship and serve You and live holy lives.

It therefore is to our shame, to confess to You, and acknowledge that we so easily turn from Your wisdom and think we know better than You do. We turn to the wisdom of the world. We listen to the voices found there. We follow the direction they give which seems right in our eyes and which takes us further away from You, our God. Forgive us we pray. Forgive us for the sake of Your Son who listened to Your voice and He did not once rebel against it, even when it took Him to the cross where He died in the place of sinners. We thank You that it is through that death we found forgiveness, but also received Your Holy Spirit who is at work in us to enable us to see the wisdom of living for You and the folly of ignoring You.

Help us we pray, not only to hear the Spirit’s voice as He speaks wisdom to us, but to hear these words above the noise of the world that clamours for our attention. Lord, we pray that this would happen when we gather together each Sunday to hear Your Word read and preached, and the truths sung and prayed. Lord, we pray that this would happen when we are on our own and we read and meditate on the Scriptures. Give us understanding and shape and fashion us by it to the likeness of Your Son and keep us from sin. What we pray for ourselves, we also want to pray for others who are ignorant of You. Gracious God, in Your mercy, would you give to family members, friends, and others in our community, the knowledge of Your wisdom and power made known in Christ. Use us to faithfully speak of Jesus, and as we do, Holy Spirit, open their blind eyes so that they can see the glory of the gospel – that which no eyes had seen, no ear has heard, and no heart has conceived – unless it has been made known to them. Only You can do this, so we beg of You to, so that more people will praise You for and marvel at Your wisdom.

Amen.

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