It is God’s absolute will for our kids to walk in wisdom. He wants them to be “bright and brighter” not “dumb and dumber”! He wants them to know what to do and how to do it. And there is a good reason for that. The most important decisions people make in life are made when they are just kids.
Your kids are going to decide who their friends are, what career they will pursue, where they will go to school, whom they will marry, where they will live, and what church they will attend. These are major decisions that will affect the rest of their lives, and they need God’s wisdom.
The important decisions kids make can get parents completely freaked out if they don’t turn to God’s Word and begin to pray! In the book of Ephesians, Paul prayed a prayer that we can pray for our children and for every kid in our lives who needs wisdom.
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
(Eph. 1:15-17)
Paul said, “Listen, I’m praying for you, Ephesians. I’m praying that God will give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.” He didn’t pray for them to be smart or for their IQ to go up thirty points. He prayed that they would have God’s wisdom and revelation, supernatural discernment and insight, regarding the affairs of life.
Paul knew and we must realize that it is not enough for our kids to have great book knowledge. That is important, but without wisdom they will not know how to rightly apply the information and knowledge that they have gained.
Knowledge is the accumulation of facts and truths, but wisdom is the correct and proper application of those facts and truths. You can have all the facts and information, but if you don’t apply them in your everyday experience, you can make a mess of your life. You will make bad decisions and get into trouble.
It is interesting that Samuel anointed David and greatly influenced him when he was a kid. Then David had a son, Solomon, who was known for his wisdom. In fact, when David died and Solomon became king, God told young Solomon that He would grant him whatever he asked for. What was Solomon’s deepest desire?
Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”
(2 Chron. 1:10)
Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge! And from this passage of Scripture we see how much God valued Solomon’s choice.
Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king—wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”
(2 Chron. 1:11,12)
God was extremely impressed that Solomon asked for wisdom and not riches, power, fame, or even a long life. He was so impressed that He gave Solomon all that too! Obviously, King David and Bathsheba had prayed for their son and had taught him well to value wisdom.
We need to pray for our kids to have the wisdom to apply what they know. Then, like Solomon, God can bless them with success in every area of their lives. Following is a prayer that you can pray, asking God for your kids to have wisdom. Again, if you don’t have kids of your own, I am sure there are some kids in your life who could use wisdom, and your prayers can have a profound effect on their lives.
Prayer for Wisdom
Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for giving our children a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. We believe that their heads are covered with the helmet of salvation, and that they have the mind of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We pray that our children will make intelligent, informed, and Spirit-inspired decisions today and every day. Father, please give them supernatural discernment and a godly evaluation of every situation they encounter. And surround them with counselors who abide in Your Word and walk according to Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Blaine and Lori Bartel didn’t set out to build a place like this. They became it.
Blaine once lived at the top of the ministry world—national TV, a booming youth movement at Church on the Move, and a growing church in Dallas. But while the stage lights were bright, the darkness underneath was darker. A secret 23-year sexual addiction buried everything he valued—his marriage, ministry, finances, reputation, and identity.
Crushed and barely holding on to life, he spent over a year in deep therapy, wrestling with shame and fighting for healing. Then, somewhere on a windswept highway between Kansas City and Tulsa, he heard the voice that lifted him out of the soil:
“I am not going to give you a recovery. I am calling you into resurrection.”
Everything changed.
Blaine found complete freedom and began decoding a Jesus-centered path that leads men out of the grave and into new life. For more than a decade, he’s been guiding other men through that same resurrection.
Lori was walking her own road—rebuilding after 17 years married to a chronic alcoholic, carrying both the wounds and the courage of a woman who refused to stay broken. She was searching for purpose, for peace, for somewhere her heart could breathe again.
Then God crossed their paths.
They met over pasta at Ti Amo (“I love you”—God’s little wink).
A year later, in a simple wedding wrapped in hope, they said yes to each other and to a calling bigger than themselves.
Today—13 years in—they share one mission:
To pull men out of addiction and to rebuild the marriages addiction has shattered.
House of Resurrection is the fruit of the very ground that once tried to bury them—a sacred space for honesty, healing, and brand-new beginnings.
They are joyful parents of four grown kids, proud grandparents of two, and happiest anywhere with lakes, beaches, sunshine, and reminders that darkness never gets to write the final chapter.