Strengthen me, O God, by the grace of your Holy Spirit.

Give me discipline to be strengthened with power in my inner person.

Free my heart from all care and trouble,

    so I may not be drawn away by various desires

    after anything with little value or great.

But may I look on all things as passing away

    and myself as passing away with them,

    because there is little profit under the sun,

    and all is futile and troubling to your spirit.

Give me, Lord, heavenly wisdom,

    that I may learn to seek you above all things

    and to find you.

Help me to desire you above all things.

    May I love you.

Grant me, according to your wisdom

    to accurately understand things as they truly are.

Help me to wisely avoid the flatterer

    and patiently to bear with the one who opposes me.

It is great wisdom, not to be carried by every wind of words,

    nor to give ear to the wicked flattering seductress.

With this mindset, we go safely on in your way, Lord.

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We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.  No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.  None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  However, as it is written:

these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.