Choosing Wisdom Over Wealth: A Prayer for Prudence and Purpose

King Solomon prayed, and prudence, understanding, and wisdom were granted to him. According to him, compared to wisdom, riches are nothing (Wisdom 7:7-11).

1. Apply Prudence to Your Life or You Will Self-Destruct

Prudence can be defined as being wise in your everyday dealings. It involves good judgment, caution, understanding, and discernment. Prudence is a form of practical reasoning and self-management that helps achieve long-term goals effectively by carefully considering the consequences of actions and their impact on emotional, physical, and mental health.

Being prudent means practicing the Principle of Delayed Gratification. This principle involves resisting the temptation of immediate rewards in favour of more valuable long-term benefits.

We need prudence to manage our lives, families, spirituality, speech, finances, moral behaviour, and decision-making. It requires the ability to govern and discipline ourselves through reason and moderation.

Many individuals, organizations, marriages, relationships, and churches have been destroyed due to a lack of prudence. The absence of prudence, discretion, and understanding is detrimental to our culture and society.

I pray for prudence and understanding for you. You need them to thrive; without them, self-destruction is inevitable.

2. Don’t Gain the World and Lose Your Soul; Wisdom is Better Than Silver and Gold

Wisdom involves utilizing knowledge and experience along with common sense and insight to one’s advantage.

When you pray, seek wisdom. The lack of wisdom can lead to ruin. For example, Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of porridge due to his inability to delay gratification. King Solomon, despite his wisdom, acted foolishly in his old age. King David’s lack of wisdom led him to adultery and murder. Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt due to her lack of wisdom. Similarly, the lack of wisdom may have led you to financial losses, accidents, or other negative situations.

Wisdom is the combination of knowledge, experience, common sense, and insight.
Be wise.

3. Don’t Choose the Gift Over the Giver of the Gifts

In Mark 10:17-30, a young man asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus guided him through the checklist of law and obedience and then asked him to sell everything and give the money to the poor. The young man walked away sad, having chosen great wealth over the Giver.

Jesus emphasizes that while obeying laws is important, showing love through action and adhering to core gospel values like mercy, hope, charity, forgiveness, and genuine care for others is even more crucial.

To receive something greater, you need to let go of what you are holding. Change can be difficult, and we often cling to our comfort zones, even if they are detrimental.

Being a follower of Jesus requires sacrifice, a shift in priorities, and a new way of valuing and doing things.

So, consider this: What are you holding onto that might be keeping you from receiving something greater? Don’t let the gift replace the Giver.

Never choose the creature over the Creator; it will cost you dearly. Be prudently wise, don’t gain the world and lose your soul, and never choose the gift over the Giver. That is my prayer for you today.