Proverbs 18 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 18.

Meditate on verses 1 and 19.

He who separates himself seeks his own desire;

he quarrels against all sound wisdom.

A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city,

and contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

The world of church work is often difficult because the flock is often difficult to work with. There are many reasons for this, but it basically boils down to the fact that people are imperfect and want to do what they want to do rather than what God wants them to do. Add to this the spiritual battlefield for the souls of people, and it does not take much for many to take much offense. As humans, who are right in their own eyes, many refuse to forgive until others come to their senses. And until others change, people often separate themselves rather than humbly asking God for the wisdom to know what they need to do to make the situation better.

Being separate from other believers is wrong. If you or someone you love is physically separated from fellowshipping with believers because of sickness, imprisonment, persecution, etc., do not grow weary and lose heart. Stay strong in the LORD, and pray for opportunities to be with other Christians even in adverse circumstances. If you are not in one of those situations, God commands you in Hebrews 10:24-25 to be a part of the church, so you can encourage others, and others can encourage you. As a Christian and part of the bride of Christ, you are gifted by the Holy Spirit to minister to other believers in love and unity.

In Proverbs 18:19, the offended one has fortified their life around the bitterness and hatred that comes from being wronged or perceiving they have been wronged. God can take down walled cities; He enjoys doing the impossible. God wants you to forgive others just as He has forgiven you (Matthew 6:12-15).

You know people who are not living their Christian lives to the fullest because they are not faithfully part of the body of Christ. You may be that person.

You may know someone who is living so offended they refuse to forgive. Ask God to search your heart to see if you are that person.

As a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7), pray Proverbs 18:1 and 19 over yourself and those who need to forgive and be part of church.

“LORD, help ________ and me stop separating ourselves and seeking our own desires.

Help us not quarrel against all sound wisdom.

LORD, win my offended brother who is like a strong city.

Break the contentious bars of this citadel.

By Your strong name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 17 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 17.

Meditate on verses 1 and 22.

Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it

than a house full of feasting with strife.

A joyful heart is good medicine,

but a broken spirit dries up the bones

Chapter 17 is full of individual proverbs to pray over your loved ones. In this chapter many negative characteristics and consequences of those characteristics are revealed. You may know people who are shameful, wicked, contentious, mockers, gossips, fools, and abominations to the LORD. This is a great chapter to slowly journey through and seek God to change them while there is still time.

The meditation verses reflect the value of Godly fruit in your life and in relationships with others. In verse 1, starving in a quiet home is contrasted to a full house of feasting with strife. A feast blessing many in a home of love and peace is the ideal, but strife robs the scene of the joy that ought to be there.

In verse 22, a joyful heart is good medicine to a person, but a broken spirit destroys the fabric of the body. As a believer, you are commanded to be joyful always (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Through the power of the Holy Spirit in you, this is possible despite crushing circumstances that may cause you to feel that your spirit is breaking. Ask God to restore the joy of your salvation and renew your spirit (Psalm 51:10, 12).

Pray Proverbs 17:1 and 22 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, let _______ and my house be filled

with Your joyful feasting and Your peace.

Remove the strife!

Give us a joyful heart that is good medicine for others and ourselves.

LORD, heal our broken spirits.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 16 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 16.

Meditate on verses 2-3.

All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,

but the LORD weighs the motives.

Commit your works to the LORD,

and your plans will be established.

Another word for clean in Proverbs 16:2 is innocent. The idea is you make your plans and they appear to you to be right, with no ulterior motives. God however knows you better than you know yourself and is concerned about your deep motives.

To ensure your motives are right and your plans are really God’s, you must surrender them to the LORD and prayerfully seek His path. Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

Jesus said in Luke 9:23-24 that walking with Him required losing one’s self, taking up the cross, every day, and following Him. This is Lordship. Are your plans yours or God’s? Are they a product of your desires and dreams independent of the LORD, or are they His?

Pray Proverbs 16:2-3 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, since _____ and my ways are clean in our own sight,

and since You weigh our motives,

help us commit our works to You,

so You will establish Your plans for our lives.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 15 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 15.

Meditate on verses 1, 18, and 33.

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,

but the slow to anger calms a dispute.

The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom,

and before honor comes humility.

A friend of ours, whom I will call Mark, was a pastor. One day, he was having an argument with his wife, whom I will call Ann. Mark had finished his last round of statements, and Ann was returning her salvos of reasons why she was right and he was wrong. Mark was not listening but thinking of what to say next when Ann took a breath to reload.

Mark had been reading Proverbs daily for a long time, and God decided it was time to remind him of that fact. Proverbs 15:1 came to his mind. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

He responded, “Not now God, I am arguing!”

The LORD asked him, “Mark, am I dead to you that My promises are not true?”

Mark looked up at Ann who was still arguing and said, “Ann, I love you.”

She replied, “What?!”

“Ann, I love you.”

They do not remember what the argument was about, but they remember that true wisdom comes from God. When you humble yourself and trust in the LORD’s promises and His wisdom, the results are miraculous.

Pray Proverbs 15:1, 18 and 33 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, help _______ and me give a gentle answer, turning away wrath.

May we stop stirring up anger with harsh words.

Do not let us be hot-tempered, stirring up strife.

Make us slow to anger, so the dispute will be calmed.

Let us fear You, so we can have the instruction of wisdom.

Make us humble; honor does not come until we are.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 14 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 14.

Meditate on verses 1, 4, and 34.

A wise woman builds her house,

but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,

but much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

Righteousness exalts a nation,

but sin is a disgrace to any people

In this passage of Scripture the three heroes of Proverbs arise again: Wisdom, Discipline, and Righteousness. The meditation verses illustrate them.

Wisdom

A wise woman is someone who is looking out for her home to build it up. Are you a woman or a man who is doing whatever you can so the ones you love can be more in God’s favor? Are you changing the landscape of the Kingdom of God with your prayers? Ask God to show you how to better build up your home.

Discipline

Here is sound wisdom for your business. If you do not have oxen, you will have a clean barn; however, to have a profitable farm, you must invest in and maintain the equipment, tools, training, etc. that go into having a profitable enterprise. Simply put, no oxen mean a clean barn and no food in the kitchen. Shovel the manure, feed the oxen, and your fields are profitable. Expand the illustration to other areas of your life: entertaining in your home—no guests—no mess, but no encouragement of one another. How about ministry at your church—no investment of time—no worry about those people, but no growth in your Christian walk and the lives of others who need to be enriched by your life. How about children—purposely choosing not to have children—no mess, but no Godly offspring to carry on the cause of Christ.

Righteousness

The righteousness of a nation makes it great. Become a prayerful watchman for your country and countries where God may have you currently living. Pray for God’s justice to reign and for sin not to rule.

Pray Proverbs 14:1, 4, and 34 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 “LORD, help _______ and me to build our house wisely.

Let us not be foolish and tear it down with our own hands.

Help us not be lazy in the care of the oxen

You have given us to provide our revenue.

And LORD, please make our nation righteous, so it will be exalted.

Take away the sin, so our disgrace will removed.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 13 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 13.

Meditate on verses 2a-3 and 5

From the fruit of a man’s mouth he enjoys good.

The one who guards his mouth preserves his life;

the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

A righteous man hates falsehood,

but a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully.

There are trends that reoccur in Proverbs. Throughout the book, God contrasts the wise, righteous, and disciplined with the foolish, wicked, and sluggards.

The proper use of the mouth or tongue is part of the wise, righteous, and disciplined person’s life. Truthfulness governs the mouth of the righteous; they hate falsehood and speak the truth.

James addressed the tongue in his New Testament book, James. He came to the conclusion that no one can tame the human tongue; it must be put under the control of the Holy Spirit, so Christ can pilot a person’s entire life (James 3:1-12). As a believer, you are to be disciplined, holy, and wise in the things you say.

Continue looking for the theme of speech in each chapter of Proverbs. Ask God to make you holy in what you say.

Pray Proverbs 13:2-3 and 5 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, may _________ and I enjoy good as a result of the fruit of our mouths.

Guard our mouths in order to preserve life.

May we be careful to not open wide our lips and come to ruin.

Make us righteous people who hate falsehood.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 12 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 12.

Meditate on verses 3, 7, and 12.

A man will not be established by wickedness,

but the root of the righteous will not be moved.

The wicked are overthrown and are no more,

but the house of the righteous will stand.

The wicked desires the booty of evil men,

but the root of the righteous yields fruit.

In Proverbs 10:11, you meditated on the mouth of the righteous being a fountain of life. This theme of the righteous continues in Proverbs 12 where, in addition to your meditation verses, the righteous:

            - obtain favor from the LORD (v. 2)

            - have just thoughts (v. 5)

            - have regard for the life of their animal (v. 10)

            - will escape from trouble (v. 13)

            - are a guide to their neighbor (v. 26)

            - walk on the pathway of life where there is no death (v. 28).

Pray Proverbs 12:2-3, 5, 7, 10,12-13, 26, and 28 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, You are our righteousness!

 Please make ______ and me righteous so we will:

be good and obtain Your favor; be established and not moved;

have righteous and just thoughts; have a house that will stand;

 have regard for the life of animals; yield fruit;


escape from trouble; be a guide to our neighbor;


walk in the way of life on the path where there is no death.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell