The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked,

but the prayer of the upright pleases him. Prov 15:8

The LORD is far from the wicked

but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Prov 15:29

Commit to the LORD whatever you do,

and your plans will succeed. Prov 16:3

It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly

and only later to consider his vows. Prov 20:25

If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law,

even his prayers are detestable. Prov 28:9

He who conceals his sins does not prosper,

but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Prov 28:13

If you surveyed books on prayer in a Christian bookstore, you’d find varied and often conflicting advice. Some authorities insist that successful prayer is scheduled; others favor impromptu prayer. One writer says fasting should accompany prayer, but another tells us to pray in any circumstance. Still another says that prayer is best done when alone, though someone else urges us to join with others. Some claim that prayer requires careful preparation and thought, while a conflicting authority says prayer should flow spontaneously from our hearts.

Wisdom is needed as much for prayer as for any other area of human living. The proverbs in this study furnish us wisdom for bringing our requests to God as we seek to live wisely.

1. Which of the following do your prayers most closely resemble? (Several may be correct.)

a. A wish made when throwing a coin in a fountain.


b. A shrewdly crafted proposition to someone when you’re unsure if he or she’ll agree.


c. A distant hope a child experiences when daydreaming of something he or she wants to have.


d. Some candid advice offered to a boss who needs to make certain changes for everyone’s benefit.


e. A desperate plea made in the face of imminent disaster.

2. Read the proverbs above. In contrast to many books on prayer, Proverbs 15:8 and 15:29 ignore the context and style of praying to focus on another factor. What is it?

Why is this factor sufficient by itself to account for whether God hears our prayers or not?

3. Proverbs 28:13 assumes that sin is present in everyone. How, then, can we ever be called "upright" or "righteous" in the sense of Proverbs 15:8 or 15:29?

4. What does it mean to commit something to the Lord (Prov 16:3)?

What part do you think prayer plays in committing whatever you do to the Lord?

5. Proverbs 16:3 seems to promise unqualified success to those who commit their plans to the Lord. If this is not a "blank cheque" (and it’s probably not), what is presupposed about our plans here?

6. The background of Proverbs 20:25 is a person’s vow to God—"If you do thus and so, God, I’ll do this and that." In what situations might we be tempted to make a vow rashly?

7. Why do rash vows become a trap?

8. Proverbs 28:9 is something like a Golden Rule for prayer—if we want God to hear us, we must hear him. Suppose an unmarried friend asks you to pray for the Lord to bring him or her a spouse. Where in Scripture might you direct your friend to what God has already said about marriage?

9. Based on the proverbs in this study, how would you summarize what it means to pray with wisdom?

10. Think a moment about your own prayers. How might you begin praying more wisely?

11. What have you enjoyed most about your study of the book of Proverbs?

What has been most challenging to you?