Above the Noise: Wisdom in Finding the Right Answer

In a math class back in high school, I once discovered that all the answers to the problems were in the back of the textbook. I got excited momentarily; I thought I had the scoop on the class, an easy A! However, the reality was that you didn't get your marks for knowing the answers to the problems. Your marks came from demonstrating your knowledge of the process and the formulas that led to the answers. Knowing the answers ahead of time didn't help me! In a recent blog post, James Emory White stated, "Never before have we had so much access to information and so little wisdom.” It made me think. At least two of our AGC churches are doing a summer preaching series on the book of Proverbs, finding wisdom! Many today are looking for answers to the problems and challenges they face. They have access to great amounts of information yet often lack wisdom and answers. Why is that? I believe, in part, that our prayer life impacts our decision-making and response to the challenges and crises we face.

Nehemiah gives us an example of a steward leader living out the task entrusted to him by God. Nehemiah begins with prayer. Prayer allowed him to seek the wisdom of God, not just his wisdom or an emotional response upon hearing of the sad state of the city of Jerusalem and its people. His first response was to seek God. “As soon as I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven” (Neh. 1:4). Nehemiah prays again when an opportunity presents itself from the king; “Then the king said to me, what are you requesting? So, I prayed to the God of heaven” (Neh. 2:4).

Prayer is the first step in seeking godly wisdom and finding the pathway to solve our problems and challenges. The yet unseen challenges of Sanballat and Tobiah to Nehemiah's plans were met intentionally by Nehemiah as part of his daily walk with God in prayer rather than reactionary responses to these obstacles. The challenge to Nehemiah, a captive living in exile, was beyond his ability or even his resources. Through strategically planning each step in the process, beginning with prayer – then gathering resources from the king, surveying the city, assessing the challenging and necessary workforce, and building buy-in from the people- Nehemiah rebuilt the walls in 52 days. The answer to the problem of Jerusalem was obviously to rebuild the walls. Yet Nehemiah was an exile in a foreign land. The answer was given through prayer, and through prayer, the resources were gathered, and the challenges and threats were overcome.

So, what again is the challenge that you are facing today? What answers are you seeking that you can't seem to find? How's your prayer life? We may have access to vast amounts of information at our fingertips, but nothing compares with the wisdom we gain from God when we walk with Him daily in prayer.

Seeking daily wisdom through prayer!

Rev. Bill Allan
AGC President