Do you want someone to take you by the hand and lead you through The Bible to explain what God says about parenting--while you get to know other moms? Entrusted with a Child's Heart is for you! This quick episode explains how this biblical parenting study can guide moms, bless your church, and actually help the leaders! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-again-podcast-for-christian-moms-encouragement-in/id1700555502

In this episode of The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries, Stephanie Hickox begins a journey through the Book of Proverbs—one of the most practical and life-changing books in all of Scripture for Christian parents.

Whether you're reading the Bible for the first time, leading family devotions, discipling your children, or simply longing for greater wisdom in your own life, Proverbs offers timeless guidance rooted in the fear of the Lord.

Together, we'll explore how biblical wisdom shapes our parenting, our relationships, our decisions, and our walk with Christ. We'll also discover why Proverbs is much more than self-help—it is God's invitation to practical righteousness and wholehearted dependence on Him.

In This Episode:

• Why Proverbs is one of the most valuable books for Christian parents
• The meaning of "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge"
• How to teach children wisdom instead of merely correcting behavior
• Understanding the difference between wise and foolish choices
• Why parenting is not a formula—and what God calls us to instead
• The importance of guarding your heart and directing your path
• How parents can disciple children through everyday conversations
• Learning to trust God rather than leaning on our own understanding
• Practical ways to seek wisdom through Bible reading and prayer
• Why Jesus is the ultimate embodiment of wisdom

Key Scriptures Covered:

• Proverbs 1:7
• Proverbs 2
• Proverbs 3:5–6
• Proverbs 3:13–18
• Proverbs 4:10–27

Encouragement for Christian Moms

If you've ever wondered:

• How do I teach my child to make wise decisions?
• How can I help my kids develop godly character?
• What does biblical discipline actually look like?
• How do I pray for my children as they grow?

This episode will encourage you to anchor your parenting in God's Word rather than trends, formulas, or fear.

Proverbs reminds us that our greatest goal is not simply raising well-behaved children, but helping our children develop hearts that fear the Lord, treasure His wisdom, and walk faithfully with Him.

A Resource for Parents

Stephanie also discusses Entrusted With a Child's Heart, a discipleship resource from Entrusted Ministries designed to help parents move beyond behavior modification and address the heart issues driving their children's actions through the truth of Scripture.

Prayer Focus

This episode concludes with a powerful prayer based on Proverbs 2, asking God to help our children:

• Treasure His commands
• Seek wisdom like hidden treasure
• Walk in integrity
• Develop a healthy fear of the Lord
• Learn to depend on God rather than the world's solutions

If you're looking for a Bible-reading podcast for moms, Christian parenting encouragement, practical biblical wisdom, and guided prayer rooted in Scripture, this episode will equip and encourage you to keep walking faithfully with the Lord.

Keywords: Christian parenting, Proverbs Bible study, Christian moms, biblical motherhood, Bible reading plan, prayer for children, wisdom for parents, family discipleship, Christian parenting podcast, fear of the Lord, Proverbs for moms, raising godly children, Bible study for women, Christian family, parenting with Scripture, Entrusted Ministries, Stephanie Hickox, Christian encouragement, praying Scripture, biblical wisdom.

Learn more about Entrusted Ministries and discover additional resources for Christian families at Entrusted Ministries.

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary, Spurgeon's Treasury of David

This is The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

2

I'm Stephanie Hickox, and today

we're beginning the Book of Proverbs.

3

I promise you that every moment

that you put into this book will

4

benefit you for life in general,

and especially in your parenting.

5

Whether your children are struggling

with dishonesty, pride, greed, anger,

6

foolishness, or impulsivity, God's

Word has something to say about it.

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And even though Solomon himself would fall

short of following his own wisdom, we'll

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keep our eyes focused on Jesus because He

personified wisdom as He walked this earth

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If I had to give a two-word synopsis

of Proverbs, I would say practical

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righteousness, and you might be amazed at

how much of it applies to our lives, even

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though the cultural context has changed

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verse 1:1 tells us, "These

are the proverbs of Solomon,

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son of David, king of Israel."

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As 1 Kings tells us, Solomon

recited over 3,000 proverbs.

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It's likely that someone recorded

his wisdom and included 513 of

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these that are attributed to him.

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And then at the end, some other

authors get their work included as well

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But it wasn't until Hezekiah and his

men compiled them between 716 and 687

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BC That the book of Proverbs resulted

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In terms of the setting and the audience,

much of this is general wisdom for life.

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But a lot of guidance would've come

out of these royal court situations.

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Think about those two women that

came before Solomon with the baby,

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and he had to judge their situation

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But I think you and I are going to

most love the sections that are a

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father speaking truth to his son

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In a way, Proverbs is the fulfillment of

those commands in Deuteronomy that parents

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would train and teach their children

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Tomorrow I'll explain an activity I had my

kids do so they could understand this book

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Some of the main themes are that wisdom

is available as general revelation.

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God is the source of wisdom.

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Often we read self-help books or

encounter experts in different areas.

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They've discovered truth, but they don't

even realize it's coming from the Lord.

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That is the grace of general

revelation Next, we find that walking

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in wisdom is actually a way of

worshiping and honoring the Lord.

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One of the most well-known verses

is 1:7, " The fear of the Lord is

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the beginning of knowledge; fools

despise wisdom and instruction."

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That'll preach for your parenting, right?

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We'll often see the contrast between

the wise and the foolish, and

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Proverbs will help us understand

this is a matter of life and death

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But there's not just one type of fool

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We can be foolish out of ignorance, pride,

laziness, wickedness, and stubbornness

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But what we really need to keep

in mind is that these proverbs

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are general principles for life.

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They're not guarantees or promises.

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They're probabilities, and

they're generally true.

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But our God is anything but a formula,

and we cannot reduce Him to such.

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That's why we need to study the whole

counsel of scripture When we study Job

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and Ecclesiastes, we quickly realize that

life doesn't get tied up with a pretty

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bow Because God is steadfastly loving,

blessings often do come our way when

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we walk according to God's principles.

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But it may not feel as formulaic as

Proverbs lays out We may have to be more

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patient than we want to, and that's why we

need to keep the view of eternity in mind

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And it's the fact that kids and parenting

isn't a formula that partially inspired

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Betsy Corning to write Entrusted With

a Child's Heart It really focuses

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on getting to the heart of our kids

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instead of just behavior modification.

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And much of the wisdom in

the study is from Proverbs.

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So if you would like someone to take

you by the hand and explain what

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God's word says about parenting, As

always, it's linked in our show notes

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One of the key ideas included is that

there are blessings when we fear the Lord.

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And as a refresher, it's a good thing,

this reverence and respect of a holy God.

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I've mentioned Betsy's analogy before

that it's like standing before the ocean,

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watching the powerful waves come in.

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You recognize the beauty of it, and

you can delight in the enjoyment

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of it, but you appreciate how

minuscule you are compared to it

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and respect the power that it has

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When we consider the sins that we're

struggling to overcome in our life,

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whether it's something we wanna

stop doing or something we know we

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should be doing that we're not If

we were to really meditate on the

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fear of God We would be transformed

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I heard a story recently of a young

pastor who visited an older pastor who

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had fallen and he was in prison for

his crimes This fallen pastor declared

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that prison was God's grace to him.

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And the young man asked, " When did

you fall out of love with Jesus?"

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The elder looked at him squarely

in the eyes saying, " I didn't.

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I just didn't fear him."

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It's scary, isn't it?

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That's such a wake-up call for our

generation that wants to villainize

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any attempt to present authority or

draw boundary lines for our kids.

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A healthy awe of the Lord is necessary

for the Christian life, and in the words

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of Josh Howerton, " You'd need a scissors

to cut that concept out of scripture."

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As we begin the first section of the

book, which includes the first nine

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chapters, instead of those brief sayings,

they're actually longer discourses

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Part of which are that father imparting

wisdom to his son, and then wisdom

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herself calling out to be followed

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All right,, let's start

digging into some passages

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Beginning in one seven, " The fear of

the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

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Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

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Hear, my son, your father's instruction,

and forsake not your mother's teaching:

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for they are a graceful garland for

your head, and pennance for your neck.

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My son, if sinners entice you,

do not consent " My son, do

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not walk in the way with them.

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Hold back your foot from their

paths, for their feet run to evil

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and they make haste to shed blood."

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In 120, wisdom cries aloud in the street.

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In the markets, she raises her voice.

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At the head of the noisy

streets, she cries out.

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At the entrance of the

city gates, she speaks.

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How long, O simple ones,

will you love being simple?

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How long will scoffers delight in their

scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

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If you turn at my reproof, behold,

I will pour out my spirit to you

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I will make my words known to you.

103

Because they hated knowledge and did

not choose the fear of the Lord, would

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have none of my counsel and despised

all my reproof, therefore they shall

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eat the fruit of their way and have

their fill of their own devices.

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For the simple are killed by

their turning away, and the

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complacency of fools destroys them.

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But whoever listens to me will

dwell secure and will be at

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ease without dread of disaster

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These are powerful warnings

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I'm sure you've also been encouraged

by Proverbs 3, trust in the Lord

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with all your heart, and do not

lean on your own understanding.

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In all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will make straight your paths.

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" Be not wise in your own eyes.

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Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

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It will be healing to your flesh

and refreshment to your bones.

117

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with

the first fruits of all your produce.

118

Then your barns will be filled

with plenty, and your vats

119

will be bursting with wine.

120

My son, do not despise the Lord's

discipline or be weary of His reproof,

121

for the Lord reproves him whom He loves,

as a father the son in whom he delights.

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Blessed is the one who finds wisdom and

the one who gets understanding, For the

123

gain from her is better than gain from

silver and her profit better than gold.

124

She is more precious than jewels, and

nothing you desire can compare with her

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The rest of the chapter tells us wisdom is

a tree of life and that the Lord founded

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and established the earth by wisdom

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And even that God blesses the

dwelling of the righteous.

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I know that's what you and I are

seeking Let's continue to hear

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how this father disciples his son.

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In 4:10, " Hear, my son, and

accept my words, that the

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years of your life may be many.

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I have taught you the way of wisdom.

133

I have led you in the

paths of uprightness.

134

When you walk, your step will

not be hampered, and if you

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run, you will not stumble.

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Keep hold of instruction.

137

Do not let go.

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Guard her, for she is your life."

139

Do not enter the path of the wicked

and do not walk in the way of the evil.

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Avoid it.

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Do not go on it.

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Turn away from it and pass on.

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For they cannot sleep

unless they have done wrong.

144

They are robbed of sleep unless

they have made someone stumble

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For they eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

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But the path of the righteous is

like the light of dawn, which shines

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brighter and brighter until full day.

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And jumping to verse 23, " Keep

your heart with all vigilance, for

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from it flow the springs of life.

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Put away from you crooked speech,

and put devious talk far from you.

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Let your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you.

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Ponder the path of your feet,

then all your ways will be sure.

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Do not swerve to the right or to the left.

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Turn your foot away from evil."

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Over and over, we heard about our

feet and the path on which we walk.

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I particularly loved that admonition

in 4:26, " Ponder the path of your

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feet, then all your ways will be sure."

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Especially as our kids get older, it's

important to train them to consider the

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impact of their choices before they act

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trusting that as chapter three,

verses five and six told us, if

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we acknowledge God in everything,

He will make our path straight.

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But we should seek Him first instead

of continuing to go down the wrong path

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and then crying out for help because

we reached dead, end We wanna be people

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who dwell and walk with the Lord, not

just cry out when they have a problem

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It may be hard work to get the

wise answer, but I'm so encouraged

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that 2:7 declared that God stores

up sound wisdom for the upright.

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Doesn't that make you wanna storm the

gates of heaven with your prayers, asking

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God to rain down the wisdom upon you?

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Let's do that as we pray

a section of Proverbs 2.

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Heavenly Father, thank you that

you are a God of all wisdom, and

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that you set up your creation

to operate in wisdom as well.

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We pray our children would

treasure your commands

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And may their ears be

attentive to your wisdom.

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Our deep desire is that they

would call to you for insight

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and seek you as hidden treasure

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Incline their hearts To understand

the blessing of fearing You.

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Thank You that You store up wisdom

for the upright, and that at

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the right time, You will give us

just what we need to honor You

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We're abundantly grateful that you

are a shield to those who walk in

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integrity, and that you guard the paths

and watch over the way of your saints.

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You are a good Father,

protecting and guiding us

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Remind us to be a people that walk

and dwell with you and prevent us

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from relying on the technology that

is all around us that falsely promises

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to solve all of our problems when

instead we have a Savior who alone

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is our and alone can satisfy us.

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We love you, Jesus, and we know

that in you are hidden all the

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treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

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It's in your name we pray.

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Amen.