Calm for the Night before a Big Decision - Your Nightly Prayer - July 24th

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Calm for the Night before a Big Decision
Your Nightly Prayer

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” - Proverbs 2:6

SOMETHING TO PONDER

Facing a big decision is stressful. When the choices affect our relationships, finances, or employment, we can be exhausted weighing up the consequences. Then there is the fear of making the wrong decision. We don’t want to live with regret. The bigger the decision, the more difficult it is to approach it feeling calm and collected. At night, our minds magnify the outcomes, making the pillow seem less like a place to rest one’s head and more like a place of rough-and-tumble and being ruffled.

If tomorrow is the day you have to decide—or if tomorrow is the day when you will step out in the decision you have already made—then the following wisdom and prayer is for you. Proverbs—the book of wisdom—gives us the guidance and reassurance we need. Proverbs 2:6 encourages us to seek God’s guidance and His wisdom for the steps we take—for He is the Giver of wisdom.

Sometimes wisdom seems beyond us, out of reach, something we have to mine and search for, something we have to work hard to get. Yet, the Bible tells us differently. We can rest instead of stress in the stillness of the night. God does not demand that we solve the puzzle alone in the dark. While the daytime is for actively seeking, the night is designed for releasing. It is an invitation to close our eyes and remember that while we sleep, God remains awake, working on our behalf.

Wisdom is a gift from your heavenly Father. You don’t need to be awake, striving to receive it. You can ask before you go to sleep and believe you will receive it. There is, however, one more thing implied in Proverbs 2:6 that we should do. We should listen to God and wait for Him to speak. For “from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.” Those two things—knowledge and understanding—are what we desire most in our decision-making. Scripture is full of God’s wise words, guidance, and commands to be followed. They give us the clarity we need.

Be willing to humbly listen and follow God’s words. Let the voice of God be the loudest in your head tonight as you lie on your pillow. As you prepare for sleep, let go of the need for immediate answers and simply rest in His presence.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Heavenly Father,
As I face tomorrow’s big decision, I release the heavy weight of trying to figure it all out on my own. The fear of making the wrong choice weighs on my heart, but I trust Your promise in Proverbs 2:6. You are the ultimate Giver of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
Tonight, I stop striving and choose to rest. I surrender my anxious thoughts, my fears of regret, and my need for control into Your hands. Quiet the competing voices in my mind so that Your voice is the loudest tonight. Speak clarity into my heart while I sleep. Wrap me in Your perfect peace, smooth my ruffled pillow, and grant me restful sleep, so I know You will guide my steps tomorrow.
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

You are already wise, for your desire to seek God is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 2:6)
Recall a time when God gave you wisdom in the past as a reminder that He will give you wisdom for tomorrow’s decision-making.
How are you committing to listening to God’s words, guidance, and commands?

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Kinga Howard

Rachel Britton is a British-born award-winning author and speaker. Her passion is to help others find comfort and confidence in their daily conversation with God. Her latest book, Pray Naturally: Finding Your Spiritual Confidence as a Woman Loved by God released with Our Daily Bread Publishing. She is the creator of the Amazon Alexa skill: “Alexa, say a prayer,” which offers a simple way for thousands to connect with God each day. Rachel is married with three adult children spread over too many time zones. Connect with Rachel on her blog rachelbritton.com and on Facebook and Instagram.

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