A Prayer to Help Me Evaluate My Priorities
By Kristine Brown
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, NIV)
Life seemed out of sync, although I couldn’t figure out why. Something just felt off. Restless tossing and turning replaced sleep as my life filled up with important things-to-do. I was serving my family, neighbors, and church, but I wasn’t enjoying it. In fact, I wasn’t enjoying much of anything. I needed a reset, so I turned to the Lord in prayer and asked for the Holy Spirit’s help.
I started a habit of coming to God each morning with my coffee and calendar in hand, inviting the Holy Spirit into my day. That time together became a precious gift I guarded with conviction. I learned so much about the value of my days during those morning prayers. As I reflected on my schedule and talked things over with God, I noticed a disturbing trend. My planner no longer aligned with my priorities in life, and that needed to change.
Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Moses cried out these words to God in a prayer of lament when the Israelites were seeing God’s supremacy firsthand. Moses’ prayer shows us a valuable truth. In all things— whether in suffering or blessing— we need to keep our priorities aligned with God’s will. We should value each day as we walk in humble obedience to our loving Father.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary explains it this way. “To number one's days is an act of recognition of the vast difference between God and finite humanity. The wise reckon continually with God's existence and human accountability.”
When we learn to number our days, we become more aware of the Holy Spirit at work in us and through us. And staying in sync with him helps us consider each item on our to-do list and decide whether it is a priority. One way to ensure we are living our God-directed priorities is to start each day with him in prayer, asking for his help. When we ask, he will freely give us the guidance we seek. We may discover we’ve let less important tasks replace things like prayer, Bible study, and spending quality time with loved ones. But it’s never too late to realign our priorities with the Lord.
Let’s start a new habit together with this prayer to help us evaluate our priorities. May God meet us where we are and give us the reset we long for today.
Let’s pray:
Dear Lord,
Lately I’ve been feeling out of sync, and I’ve been distracted by all the things on my schedule. I need the help of the Holy Spirit today. Search my heart, Lord. Reveal anything in my life or on my schedule that needs to change.
When I look at my calendar, I get discouraged. I haven’t been putting you first, which has thrown everything else off balance. I am starting anew right now, coming to you each morning in prayer to evaluate my priorities. Help me to see what’s most important according to your truth. As I bring each decision before you, guide me with your wisdom in how I spend my days.
Even in the midst of struggles or busy seasons, help me remember to enjoy this life you’ve given me. I will also give myself grace when I notice I’m out of alignment with you. Because you are always there, ready to give my heart the reset it needs. Thank you, Father, for filling me with wisdom and teaching me to number my days.
In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Layland Masuda
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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Originally published Sunday, 05 November 2023.
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