A Prayer to Discern How to Spend Your Time

Life is filled with endless choices, responsibilities, and opportunities—yet time remains limited. Whether you’re facing a full to-do list, standing at a crossroads, or simply longing for your days to feel purposeful, God invites you to seek His wisdom. James 1:5 assures us that when we ask God for guidance, He gives generously and without judgment. Honoring God with our time begins by going to Him first—listening, waiting, and trusting His direction. Even when clarity feels delayed, we can rest in the confidence that God is at work and will guide each step as we surrender our plans to Him.

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Main Takeaways

• You’ll learn why discerning how to spend your time begins with seeking God’s wisdom.

• Discover how waiting on God can sometimes be the most faithful response.

• Understand why uncertainty doesn’t mean failure, but often invites deeper trust.

• Reflect on how God works through both action and stillness to accomplish His will.

• Be encouraged that when you are in Christ, God redeems and guides every moment.

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Bible Verse References

• James 1:5 – https://www.biblestudytools.com/james/1-5.html

• Romans 8:28 (referenced conceptually) – https://www.biblestudytools.com/romans/8-28.html

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Your Daily Prayer

Dear Lord, You are sovereign over my time, my choices, and my days. Teach me to seek Your wisdom daily and surrender my plans to You. When I feel uncertain, help me wait patiently and trust that You are working even in the silence. Guide my steps, shape my decisions, and use every moment of my life for Your glory. Thank You for promising to lead me with generosity and grace.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Relevant Links & Resources

• Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes by Keri Eichberger – available on Amazon and major online retailers

• Study today’s Scripture passages at:
  BibleStudyTools.com – https://www.biblestudytools.com

• Christian living and devotional resources:
  

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your Daily Prayer,
a podcast dedicated to helping you find the words you
need to connect with your Father in Heaven. No matter
what is going on in your life today, you can

(00:24):
trust that God wants to hear from you. Right after
this short word from our sponsor, people pray through today's
prayer to discern how to spend your time together. A

(00:53):
Prayer to discern how to spend your time written and
read by Carrie Iiberger. If any of you lacks wisdom,
you should ask God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to you. James one,
verse five. So much to do, so many options, but

(01:16):
only so much time to do it all, Which is why?
What to tackle and when? Are the daunting questions at
the dawn of each day and at the turn of
each chapter and change in life. Personally, being in full
charge of how to spend my hours has been one
of the more challenging realities of self employment. On many mornings,

(01:40):
my mood whispers temptations to skip the hard stuff and
jump to what's more pleasing and enjoyable, and without a
boss checking in coworkers holding me accountable or a time
clock to dictate my day. It's easy to get sidetracked
with meaningless distractions or put off my plan to do

(02:00):
us once again. But I've accepted calls from God and
made choices to walk in obedience. That also involves as people.
So whether I dedicate time to my kids and household chores,
volunteer at church, serve my audience, or tackle one off
jobs to fill in the financial gaps, it's essential to

(02:23):
honor my commitments and make wise choices with my time
and service. But it's tough. You know this. You sometimes
struggle to determine or discern how to spend your time,
don't you now. Possibly perhaps you have a lengthy list
of tasks and don't know where to begin, or you

(02:44):
have dreams and ideas you're not sure when to take on.
Or maybe you're at a crossroads of decisions that, depending
on the choice you make, your entire next season could
look completely different from the current one. Then again, maybe
nothing feels too pressing, but you do want your time

(03:04):
and efforts to matter and provide a sense of purpose.
Whatever the circumstance, you want to know what to do
with your time. You want to honor God. And the
simplicity of it is we honor God when we go
to God, when we go to Him with it open
and sincere heart and ask for his help, asking for

(03:26):
wisdom to make choices that most glorify Him and align
with His will for our lives. We honor Him when
we listen, when we wait patiently for a response, and
when we then act as prompted. James one point five says,
if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,

(03:48):
who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it
will be given to you. We should go to God
when we need wisdom and discerning what to do, because
he gives said You may struggle to believe this when
you turn to Him and have a hard time hearing
a clear answer. But this lack of clarity can mean

(04:09):
one of two things. It may mean stay, because if
we've asked God and we are still unsure how to proceed,
but have the option to wait for further guidance, we
can keep holding tight, trusting that He is always working
right where we are. After all, he also called us

(04:30):
to that exact place. But your lack of clarity could
also mean it doesn't necessarily matter which choice you choose,
because if we are sure it's time to make a move,
we must remember that if we are truly in him,
we can't go outside of his will. His plans always prevail,

(04:51):
which is why we don't have to fret over which
way to go or worry about the specifics of when
He will work out for good. He does this for
all of those He loves, and that to you and me.
Each morning, as the day presents itself, seek the Lord

(05:12):
for wisdom. Hold your hands and plans open to him.
Surrender each hour, task and decision to him. Be still
open his Holy Word, and listen how he speaks to
your heart. And if you must move forward for reasons
out of your control before you have perfect clarity, trust

(05:36):
that He will lead you where He wants you, and
that it will honor him. It may be the more
pleasing path, or it may be the more uncomfortable route,
because sometimes what honors God is you simply caring for
yourself with rest or what refreshes you. And other times
God will lure you to lean into His strength to

(05:59):
move if you forward on missions he has called you to,
but He will help you discern. Turn to the Lord,
ask him how you can honor him. Ask him how
to spend your time, and he will answer and offer
generous wisdom. He will steer you and he will guide you,

(06:21):
and you can rest in assurance that He has you
where he wants you, and that all your days and
hours will certainly honor and glorify him. Let's pray. Dear Lord,
you are God over everything, my time, my choices, and
every outcome, and I want it all to honor you.

(06:45):
I admit there are moments and seasons I struggle to
discern what to do and when, But I know you
offer me your wisdom freely. Help me turn to you
each day for direction, to discern which way to go
and what choices to make. And Lord, when I am unsure,

(07:05):
help me to be still and patient for your answers.
Help me trust that wherever I go and whatever I choose,
as long as I am in you, you will be
with me and your perfect plan will prevail. Lord, I
praise you that you won't waste one single second of
my time. In Jesus' name, Amen, if you liked what

(07:31):
you heard today, I think you will love my latest book.
When over worry, conquer what shakes you and sore with
the one who overcomes. You can find it on Amazon
or your favorite online retail site. I hope it blesses
you. Your Daily Prayer is a production of Life Audio and

(08:00):
Sale Media. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us
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