A Prayer for Wisdom
I recently read an article in myjewishlearning.com by Dr. Erica Brown entitled, “Ata Chonen: A Prayer for Wisdom.”
Dr. Brown notes that in the blessing known as the Ata Chonen, Jews recite, “You grace humans with wisdom and teach humanity perception. Bestow upon us Your knowledge, insight and understanding. Blessed are You, the Grantor of wisdom.”
Dr. Brown notes that, “In this prayer, we ask that God offer us a sliver of divine insight, that we may gain the clarity we need to make a day’s worth of decisions and good judgments.”
The Bible repeatedly encourages us to pray for and emphasizes the importance of wisdom.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 ESV
And he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure. Isaiah 33:6 ESV
For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Psalm 104:24 ESV
So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12.
That last verse reminds me of a quote attributed to Confucius, “You have two lives. The second one begins when you realize you only have one.”
When we truly embrace the fact that we have but one life on this earth, the desire for wisdom becomes even more imperative.
As the Ata Chonen states, we need wisdom to make a day’s worth of decisions and good judgements. We need this to live a meaningful life. We need this to fulfill our Christian walk.
So, how do we gain wisdom?
1. Clearly, the Bible tells us we must ask for wisdom, pray for wisdom, and actively seek wisdom.
2. We must daily consult, study, and ruminate on the Word of God, the only source of wisdom for the soul and for the Christian walk.
3. We must see that our days are numbered, and that we must not fritter away this gift of life, but rather seek to bring Christ to the world in a deliberate and spirit-filled way. We gain wisdom in living deliberately and attentively as we seek to hear His voice.
I love the conclusion of Dr. Brown’s article in which she states, “We open our litany of request with the desire to know, to perceive, to understand, and to think because these capacities make us distinctly human. Yet, our rational minds are in a constant tug of war with our irrational desires. We pray that wisdom wins the day.”
Part of wisdom is seeing clearly those aspects of our lives that are in conflict with wisdom, those irrational desires that try to capture our heart and our mind. We do this by standing apart from them—seeing them for what they really are—selfish distractions, witness detractors, and impediments in our walk with God.
Each of us, deep within our soul, desires unity with God. We desire to know Him and to be known to Him. Wisdom is this path. We should seek wisdom daily in Scripture and pray for wisdom to fill our minds daily.
A good place to start is to meditate on Proverbs 8:10-36 (New Living Translation):
Choose my instruction rather than silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with it.
“I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment.
I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.
All who fear the Lord will hate evil.
Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance,
corruption and perverse speech.
Common sense and success belong to me.
Insight and strength are mine.
Because of me, kings reign,
and rulers make just decrees.
Rulers lead with my help,
and nobles make righteous judgments.*
“I love all who love me.
Those who search will surely find me.
I have riches and honor,
as well as enduring wealth and justice.
My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold,
my wages better than sterling silver!
I walk in righteousness,
in paths of justice.
Those who love me inherit wealth.
I will fill their treasuries.
“The Lord formed me from the beginning,
before he created anything else.
I was appointed in ages past,
at the very first, before the earth began.
I was born before the oceans were created,
before the springs bubbled forth their waters.
Before the mountains were formed,
before the hills, I was born—
before he had made the earth and fields
and the first handfuls of soil.
I was there when he established the heavens,
when he drew the horizon on the oceans.
I was there when he set the clouds above,
when he established springs deep in the earth.
I was there when he set the limits of the seas,
so they would not spread beyond their boundaries.
And when he marked off the earth’s foundations,
I was the architect at his side.
I was his constant delight,
rejoicing always in his presence.
And how happy I was with the world he created;
how I rejoiced with the human family!
“And so, my children,* listen to me,
for all who follow my ways are joyful.
Listen to my instruction and be wise.
Don’t ignore it.
Joyful are those who listen to me,
watching for me daily at my gates,
waiting for me outside my home!
For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the Lord.
But those who miss me injure themselves.
All who hate me love death.”
Pray for Wisdom. It will bring you joy. It will bring you favor. It will bring you Life.