Invocation is a monthly feature at Million Praying Moms for the purpose of starting each month with a prayerful focus. In case you aren’t familiar with the term, an “invocation” is simply a prayer that introduces something…most often a sermon, or beginning of some kind of service. My husband and I had an invocation at the beginning of our wedding ceremony. On the first of each month, I’ll send out an Invocation Email that shares a personal devotion about events in my own life, events at Million Praying Moms you won’t want to miss, and other items you’ll find interesting. I’ll then point you back to the MPM website, where my friend Rachel Wojo will share a devotion and that month’s Invocational Prayer. If you don’t know Rachel, you’re missing out. I hope you’ll sign up here to make sure you get the Invocation email every month, and take the time to get to know her better! To see the May Invocation email, click here.
💚 Brooke
(And now, Rachel…)
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5&6
Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25
If you ask my husband right now which Bible verses I quote the most, without a doubt, he will say Proverbs 3:5&6. Of course, my kiddos might say Ephesians 6:1. Ha. (Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.)
Why do certain verses stick in our minds and hearts a little deeper than others? The verses that address my weaknesses are the ones I easily remember; it’s putting them into practice that I find troubling.
I’ve experienced my share of time on the struggle bus of trusting God. When things were going smoothly in my life, I thought I was trusting God. But when things weren’t going so well? My trust fell flat. I realized that I wasn’t actually trusting God when things were going smoothly either. I needed to learn the concept of genuine trust.
How to Trust
This month, our Million Praying Moms prayer community is focused on praying through the book of Proverbs (get your prayer calendar + free prayer journal here). Solomon wrote Proverbs, the wisest man ever to live. While some of Solomon’s sayings are simple statements that paint an unmistakable picture, some are statements that contain two balancing parts, like the key verses at the top of this article.
In Solomon’s book of wisdom, one of the foundational principles he repeats often is trusting God in all things. Each time Solomon mentions this importance, I find it interesting that he tells us we need to trust and explains how to trust by identifying what trust is not. When we understand which behaviors are the opposite of trust, we can recognize our poor choices for what they are.
My husband and I are teaching our son to drive. We give instructions continually; he has to obey the driving rules and signs. But we’ve found that sometimes we must explain what NOT to do. “Don’t slam the brakes so hard.” “Don’t turn the curve so quickly.”
Trusting God is two-fold, believing God is God and fully recognizing we are not.
Learning to Trust
One of the best ways to learn to trust God? Ask Him to build your trust. Pray with me through the verses above.
Lord, help me to trust you with every part of me.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart….”
God will take whatever we give him, but he wants all of us. Every single part of our story is his to redeem. When we learn to give it all to him, the good, the bad, and the ugly, then this is what trust looks like, knowing that he has all the power to turn brokenness into beauty.
Father, help me not to rely on human logic for spiritual decisions.
“and lean not on your own understanding….”
This is where I get hung up in living out the verse. Maybe you too? Because Google has great solutions, right? The next Pinterest hack could be the answer. The current bestseller or podcast is where I could reason my way through the next big decision. Except spiritual choices won’t be answered by human logic. Amen? Some of the greatest protection God has given me is saving me from my own reasoning.
Lord, prompt my heart to obey your word.
“Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers….”
As my former pastor used to say, “It’s not the parts of the Bible I don’t know that I struggle with. It’s putting into practice the parts that I do.” Walking through life on biblical principles is not popular, but God promises success when we obey his commandments.
Father, bless my decision to trust you fully.
“and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”
Trusting in God results in joy and blessing. Solomon knew and experienced this firsthand.
Lord, keep me from the trap of fearing human power.
“Fear of man will prove to be a snare,”
Fear has wrecked the hearts of the world over the last few years as the COVID-19 pandemic surged. While wisdom asks God to navigate murky waters, fear relies on human instinct. Yes, even in a worldwide pandemic, God is in control, and he can be trusted!
Father, provide the safety only you can give.
“but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”
When we choose to trust God, remembering his character, we are promised safety. Relying on God’s promises provides security and strength. He is the One who straightens our paths and reveals our next step.
Pray with me today?
A PRAYER TO LEARN TO TRUST GOD
God, I give you every part of me. With all of my heart, I long to trust you fully. When I’m tempted to rely on my understanding, align my heart with yours. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who prompts my heart to follow your word. Lord, bless my decision to trust you fully. Flood my soul with your joy and peace. When fear lurks, threatening to void my trust in You, save me from it. Protect me with your Almighty power and keep me safe. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
