Colossians 1:9–11 (NIV)
“9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.”
Have you heard the story of Tyler Staton?
Tyler is the senior pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland and the national director of 24-7 Prayer USA. By all appearances, he’s a young, vibrant leader—thriving in ministry, leading with vision and strength.
Then cancer disrupted all of that.
Until that point, Tyler had never truly confronted his own mortality, nor experienced the deep physical and emotional disorientation that comes with severe illness. Chemotherapy stripped him of his strength, his voice, and even his thick mane of hair. It was a humbling experience—one that shifted how he showed up, not just in ministry, but in prayer.
You might assume that someone in Tyler’s position—leading a national prayer movement—would immediately pray for miraculous healing. And yes, many prayed for that on his behalf. But Tyler’s first prayer was different. It wasn’t a plea for instant healing. It was a question: “God, how should I pray about this?”
This is a discerning prayer.
Tyler understood that God heals in different ways: sometimes supernaturally, sometimes redemptively. Supernatural healing is a powerful, instantaneous act of grace—a divine intervention that removes brokenness in a moment.
Redemptive healing, on the other hand, is not immediate—it’s a sacred journey. It walks a person through the valley of the shadow of death, not around it. And when someone emerges on the other side, they haven’t just recovered physically—they’ve been changed. Their heart has been transformed because they’ve received a deeper knowing of the Shepherd’s comforting rod and staff (Ps 23:4), a more intimate awareness of His nearness, His mercy, and His sustaining grace.
And that’s what Tyler received—a redemptive healing. Through cancer, God invited him to experience love and grace not through strength, but through inescapable weakness. And it changed him. He now identifies with the weak in ways he couldn’t before. He discerns God’s movement in subtle places he once overlooked.
This is the power of discerning prayer.
It begins with surrender: a humble acknowledgment of our limitations and God’s infinite wisdom. It shifts our posture from self-will to Spirit-led attentiveness. Rather than rushing into our preferred outcome, we ask, “Lord, how would You have me pray?”
Discerning prayer aligns us with God’s purposes—whether He chooses to act through power or through process. It also aligns us with His justice. Notice how Proverbs 2 connects wisdom with justice: “For the Lord gives wisdom… He guards the course of the just” (Prov 2:6, 8). Only God knows how to redeem what is broken with a justice that rolls like a river (Amos 5:24), a dignity that clothes the wounded in glory (Isa 61:3).
In this season of prayer and fasting, may our faith in God’s power deepen—but may our trust in His wisdom grow even more. Before asking for outcomes, may we ask for insight. Before calling for deliverance, may we seek discernment.
And when the Spirit leads—whether toward miraculous healing or redemptive refinement—may we have the courage to follow.
Listening Prayer:
Take a minute to breathe and quiet yourself. Petition the Holy Spirit:
“Before I ask for Your intervention, I ask You to change my perspective. Teach me how to pray for this need. Give me wisdom and discernment to see what You want me to see, to understand what You want me to understand. And help me to trust You in the uncertainty.”
Listen. Wait.
What comes to mind? An image? A word? A person? A situation? A wound? A hope?
Prayer:
God of justice and mercy, I trust Your wisdom. Give me ears to hear Your voice, courage to follow where You lead, and faith to believe that You redeem all things in Your time and in Your way. Amen.
Resources:
Tyler Staton shares his story on the Carey Nieuhof show (starting at 33:01)
https://youtu.be/xmTv3C44Rnw?feature=shared&t=1981
Wisdom in Relationships by BibleProject (5m24s)
https://bibleproject.com/videos/wisdom-in-relationships/
Scriptures on God’s Wisdom
James 1:5–6 (NIV)
“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. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
Proverbs 2:1–8
2:1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
1 Kings 3:9–12 (NIV)
9 “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.”
Daniel 10:12 (NIV)
Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.”
Worship Song: Christ Our Wisdom – Sovereign Grace Music