“Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.” (Psalm 119:34 NIV)
If you want understanding, ask God for it. Understanding is important. If we understand our circumstances, they are easier to accept. If we understand other people’s perspective, they are easier to love. Only God knows the complete picture. He is the only One who knows why you are in your circumstances. He is the only One who knows why that person did what they did. No one else. If we want understanding, we must go to the One who knows.
God wants us to understand. Ultimately, the law God wants us to keep is to love Him and love others (Mark 12:30-31 NIV). Accepting our life circumstances affirms God’s purpose. Like a seed planted in a garden, God wants us to grow wherever He plants us. We can’t grow if we’re rebelling against our lot in life. We grow when we accept God placed us where we are for a reason. Our reason is to love those God has placed in our lives. Loving the people in our lives is easier when we understand them. In order to understand other people, we need God’s intervention. In order to understand, ask God for understanding.
In order to understand, ask God for understanding.
God intervenes when we begin to pray. Prayer is how God helps us understand. As we shift our focus from ourselves to Him, He transforms us. He opens our eyes to things within ourselves we don’t see. He shows us ways to love, not by changing others, but by changing ourselves. Controlling other people’s thoughts, emotions or actions is impossible. Controlling ourselves is possible. Prayer is what makes positive change in ourselves possible.
I had an individual in my life I felt feelings of hatred towards. The fact I felt hatred made me angry. My mother raised me not to hate anyone. Yet, hatred for someone consumed me. I started to pray about the situation. I asked God for clarity and understanding. I asked Him to remove the hatred from my heart. He did. Not immediately, but over time. He revealed things within me that needed attention. I began to understand why I was feeling the way I did. I identified triggers in my life which were adding to these negative feelings. I started viewing this person differently. Over time, the hatred turned into love. The person didn’t change at all, but God changed me. He used this situation to grow me closer to Him. He helped me understand, which allowed me to turn hatred into love.
If you need understanding about a situation or person in your life, go to God. Ask Him for clarity and understanding. Let Him reveal His understanding to you.
Question of the Day:
What do you need God to help you understand today?
Further Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-8:18 NIV, John 14:15-31 NIV, Psalm 119:33-48 NIV, Proverbs 15:33 NIV
