Young Adults' Group

Praying To Understand Life

by Pastor Mark
May 11, 2017

The prayer for wisdom

Wisdom is vital for us to have a proper understanding of what life is. We tend to look at life in our own personal and often unwise ways. We may not have a full understanding of what life is.

David recognised how he needed wisdom to know about life and death. He prayed for wisdom to understand, “Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days,” (Ps 39:4) The end is a reference to death. He prayed for a better and wiser understanding of the end of his life and the length of his days. Should we not also make this prayer for ourselves? All of us need to become wiser concerning the reality of life. Let us pray for wisdom to know our mortality.

Wisdom to understand life

1. The frailty of life

“That I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as a handbreadth,
and my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.” (Ps 39:4,5)
What is the sum of our days on this earth? David likened it to a handbreadth. A handbreadth is very short. In the same way, our life is short. Our life, no matter what age we are, is nothing before God. This emphasises to us how frail and transient life is. No matter how great we are, we are like vapour. It exists only for a little while. It is the same for our life. Let us have a deeper appreciation of the frailty of life.

2. The vanity of life

“Surely every man walks about like a shadow; Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them.” (Ps 39:6)

In what other way did David described his life? He described it as something that is “vain”. It is like a shadow that passes. Many people busy themselves with work and the pursuit of riches. Yet, the reality is that whatever we have gained on this earth, there is no guarantee that the next generation would not squander those riches. As such, it is all in vain. Let us have the wisdom to understand the vanity of life.

Challenges for our life

1. Pray for wisdom

As we consider the frailty and vanity of life, let us pray for wisdom to have a deeper understanding of life and death…that we would live our life wisely.

2. Focus on God

“And now, Lord, what do I wait for?” (Ps 39:7)

Let us be challenged to focus our thoughts on God. The psalmist moved from his own failings and sin… to going back to the Lord.

3. Hope

“My hope is in You.” (Ps 39:7)

Let us place our hope in the Lord rather than the things of this life which is so transient. Let us be challenged to look to the Lord and find hope in Him.

Back to Article Listing