Proverbs 20 – if you haven’t read my thoughts on the book of Proverbs yet, you’ll want to do so here. This isn’t a comprehensive look at each verse, but it is how God spoke to me through particular chapter of His Word at this particular chapter in my life. I encourage you to read the full chapter in your own Bible first so you can see how God wants to speak to you through this chapter, and so you don’t miss out on the verses I didn’t cover. I hope it can speak to you as well, and I hope you are encouraged to seek Him in His Word. And if you missed Proverbs 19, you should also check that out here.  Otherwise, on to Proverbs 20!  

20:3 – Avoiding quarrel brings a person honor; for any fool can explode in anger (CJB). Prayer – God, help me not be the fool who explodes in anger. Teach me how to avoid quarrels, but not avoid my problems, and not run from a fight that should be fought.

20:4 – The slacker does not plow during planting season; at harvest time he looks, and there is nothing (CSB). Am I working and sowing spiritually? Or do I only view this verse with my physical eye, sowing and planting into goals I can see and work on and see physical results at the end? Prayer – God, show me how to continually sow into myself spiritually as well as physically, mentally, and emotionally. Teach me how to work for a harvest through Your Word, and spending time with You, and worshipping You throughout my day.

20:5 – Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out (NLT). The heart’s real intentions are like deep water; but a person with discernment draws them out (CJB). We must invest our time to draw out understanding and good advice from ourselves and from others. God has put wisdom and understanding and good judgement and good advice in our hearts, but sometimes it takes a little more digging to unearth it so that we can understand it. We have to fight for the right questions to ask and fight to find the answers to those questions of ourselves and of others. It is a lifelong process and gets more beautiful the more we invest ourselves into searching for wisdom. Prayer – God, teach me the right questions the ask and give me the perseverance to not let go until I have understanding about myself and others and any situation that arises.

20:7 – The righteous live a life of integrity; happy are their children after them (CJB). Integrity & righteousness bring happiness to the next generation. Our God is a God of generations – a God who cares about all generations. Prayer – God, teach me how I can live my very best, Your very best for me, so I can continue to build on the foundation that came before me for the generation that comes after me.

20:8 – When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good (NLT). Prayer – God, teach me how to evaluate all the information I have before I make a decision. Show me how to weigh the advice and stories of those around me. And with all the information and advice and stories, help me to discern between what is bad and what is good. Give me the strength to discard what is bad, and follow and pursue what is good.

20:10 – False weights and unequal measures – the Lord detests double standards of every kind (NLT). To include the double-standard I create when I hold others to a different set of expectations than I hold myself to – whether it be that I am too harsh on them, or too harsh on myself. Prayer – God, help me see when I am myself or others to unequal expectations. Keep me from judging myself or others in light of that, and help me let go of the double standards I have set up against myself and others.

20:12 – Ears to hear and eyes to see – both are gifts from the Lord (NLT). Prayer – God, let me use these gifts well. Help me to listen well and listen for understanding. Help me to see others and myself with your eyes.

20:13 – If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat (NLT). Prayer – God, teach me to really see what I am looking at. Help me to see what is already in my hands that I can put to use. Show me the resources and skills I already have that I can work on and improve.

20:15 – There is gold and a multitude of jewels, but knowledgeable lips are a rare treasure (CSB). Prayer – God, please increase my wisdom and put knowledge and good counsel on my lips.

20:18 – Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without good advice (NLT). In Proverbs 19:21, we talked about how a person can make their own plans, but it is still God’s will that prevails. This verse might then seem contradictory, but instead, I think it makes a more complete and very beautiful picture. It is still a good thing and biblical thing to make plans. Jesus says the most important commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:27). Making good plans is loving the Lord with our mind. And to make good plans, we can consult God, bringing our plans into alignment with His plans for us. Prayer – God, help my plans to align with your plans. I want to honor you and love you with my mind. Show me whom to seek out for finding good counsel and wise advice.

20:24 – The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? (NLT) Again, another beautiful element to the picture of plans and steps and God’s will in our lives. Proverbs shows us here, that God’s ways are still more complex and better than our ways, and there is no way for us to understand all of it. Yes, make good plans. Yes, seek good advice. Yes, seek God’s plan and will. But sometimes, there are just going to be elements of life that we just don’t understand entirely, and we have to continue anyway. And that, is faith. Prayer – God, give me your grace to understand that sometimes I cannot understand everything.

20:27 – The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive (NLT). Prayer – God, thank You for knowing me better than I know myself. Show me my true motives for my actions, and show me how and give me the strength to correct my motives to the right ones.

20:29 – The glory of the young is their strength; the grey hair of experience is the splendor of the old (NLT). Every age group has their own skillset and value. Just because we find ourselves in a different season or stage of life, doesn’t make us useless or irrelevant, it just means that what we have to offer has changed.

Friend, I have prayed these same prayers over you today. I pray you continually gain discernment and insight into yourself, others, and the situations you find yourself in. I pray you have the strength to give yourself grace, as well as to those around you. And I pray that you would know that God knows you, sees you, cares for you, and is planning and guiding your steps for you.

Until next time,

– Just a girl pursuing her reflection in the mirror of God’s Word

Scripture quotations marked (CJB) are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, Copyright © 1998 and 2016 by David H. Stern. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (CSB) are taken from the Christian Standard Bible® Copyright© 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.