Have you ever reached the start of a new year with a long list of goals and resolutions—things you want to do better, manage better, finally get under control—and yet still feel unsure where God fits into all of it?
I’ve been there. Many of us plan our time with good intentions, but Psalm 90 invites us to something deeper than planning. It invites us to seek God’s wisdom before we decide how to use the days He’s given.
How do you number your days? Psalm 90:12 shows us that numbering our days isn’t about getting more organized—it’s about asking God to teach us how to live with wisdom, gratitude, and an eternal perspective, one day at a time.
This is a follow-up to Episode 65, where we talked about reflecting on what God has taught us in the past year and carrying it forward. But reflection isn’t the end goal—Psalm 90 reminds us the goal is wisdom.
“Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
What We’ll Explore in This Post
- Why Psalm 90:12 is a prayer for wisdom—not a plan for productivity
- What “numbering your days” really means (and what it doesn’t)
- How an eternal perspective brings clarity to your priorities
- How to value the season you’re in without rushing ahead
- How gratitude changes the emotional weight of your days
- How to choose what to carry forward—and what to release
- Why wisdom looks like trust, not control
What does Psalm 90:12 mean by “number your days”?
When we hear “number your days,” it’s easy to think calendars, schedules, goals—especially at the beginning of a new year. I even said in the episode that I had my calendar out and was literally counting days between deadlines for planning purposes.
But Psalm 90:12 is pointing to something deeper.
To number your days is not mainly about planning efficiently—it’s about asking for God’s guidance in how you live within your time and keeping an eternal perspective.
It’s an honest awareness that your time is limited, that you have boundaries, and that God alone knows how many days any of us have.
Why does this matter? Because we want to accomplish the God things, not just the good things.
And this verse begins with a word we can’t miss: “Teach us…”
That means we need help. Left to ourselves, we don’t do this well. So Psalm 90:12 becomes a simple, steady prayer: “Lord, teach me.”
Why isn’t this verse about better time management or getting more done?
Because the verse doesn’t say, “Teach us to number our days so we can manage them better.”
It says:
“Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
That distinction matters.
It’s easy to live with a split—your “real life” over here and your “God life” over there. But wisdom brings it together. Wisdom is lived alignment with God’s ways and His heart.
Wisdom is letting God set the pace and the priority before we make our plans.
Instead of planning first and praying later, we seek God’s wisdom before we decide how to live in the time we’ve been given.
And this isn’t just theoretical—it changes how you carry your life. When you know you’re living in alignment with what God wants, there’s a deep sense of purpose, fulfillment, and hope.
And really, isn’t that what we all want? Isn’t it good to know that this is God’s desire for us as well?
How does wisdom actually grow over time?
In the episode, I said it plainly: wisdom grows when we reflect. This isn’t the only way to wisdom, but it is an important part of the journey.
Wisdom grows when we:
- reflect on what we’ve lived
- notice patterns
- invite God to interpret our experiences
- align ourselves with what God’s Word says and how He wants us to live
Experience alone doesn’t make you wise. Reflection guided by God turns experience into wisdom.
That’s why looking back isn’t just nostalgia. It’s an invitation for God to shape how we live going forward.
How does an eternal perspective change your priorities and pressure?
One of the big themes in the episode is that numbering your days is a clarifying awareness—not a fearful one.
When you remember time is limited and eternity matters, your perspective shifts:
- Not everything deserves the same weight.
- Not every demand deserves your energy.
- Not every distraction deserves your attention.
You stop reacting to every urgency as if it’s ultimate.
And honestly? This is where we bump into what I called “the tyranny of the urgent”—that feeling of chasing urgent things while missing the important things. When we live with eternity in view, it helps us step out of autopilot and ask better questions:
- What is God calling me to actually focus on right now?
- What has lasting value?
- What does faithfulness look like with the time God has given me right now?
Living this way doesn’t make life smaller. It makes it clearer.
Habit of Hope
Receive each day as a gift while seeking God’s wisdom for how to honor Him with your time.
This isn’t about squeezing more into your days. It’s about how you hold the days you’ve been given.
When you receive time as a gift, gratitude shapes your attitude.
When you seek God’s wisdom, faithfulness shapes your choices.
Together, they help you live wisely without pressure.
https://youtu.be/aBWZNzLyRsQ
What are practical ways to live this out each day?
Here are the practices we named in the episode—simple, but powerful. I’m putting them in a numbered list so you can come back to them easily.
- Begin the day with a simple prayer.
Begin with a prayer like, “Lord, thank you for this day. Help me to honor You with the time You’ve given me today.” Starting here shifts your day from control to trust. - Pause before making a commitment.
Pause and ask, “Lord, is this something You want me to do right now?” Before you say yes, take one breath and ask the question. Sometimes the wisest “yes” begins with a surrendered pause. - End the day by releasing unfinished things to God.
Entrust the unfinished things to the Lord, remembering faithfulness is not measured by how much you accomplish. You can trust Him with what didn’t get done—not just what did.
And here’s the heart beneath these practices:
Wisdom grows not through control, but through trust—and not through striving, but through attentiveness.
How do you value the season you’re in without rushing past it?
Numbering your days means valuing each season for what it is.
Psalm 90 was written with a long view of life—wilderness years, loss, faithfulness over time. And that matters, because numbering your days doesn’t mean rushing through a season just to get to the next one.
It’s easy to mentally fast-forward and tell yourself: Life will be better when…
- when the kids are older…
- when things slow down…
- When I retire….
- when this season passes…
But when we appreciate the season we’re in, we allow it to shape us.
Different seasons require different rhythms, priorities, and responsibilities. My time looks very different now than it did 30 years ago. So the question isn’t, “How do I live like I did in another season?” Instead, ask yourself, “What does faithfulness look like here and now?”
Instead of planning our way out of a season, we seek God’s guidance within it.
How does gratitude reshape the way you carry time and responsibility?
Numbering your days also means receiving time as a gift and living with gratitude.
When you recognize your days are given by God, gratitude becomes more than a feeling—it becomes a way of living. It helps you stop taking your days (and the people in them) for granted.
And it changes the emotional weight you carry:
- less pressure to prove yourself
- less need to make every moment impressive
- more patience with those around you
- more ability to trust God with what you cannot finish or control
Larissa said something in the episode that’s worth repeating because it’s such a strong reframe:
It shifts us from “I’ve got to get all of this done” to “I’ve been entrusted with this day.”
Gratitude doesn’t deny difficulty. It reframes it.
When you’re overwhelmed, it can give you a pause instead of a spiral.
When you’re frustrated, it can soften you instead of harden you.
When you’re disappointed, it can keep you grounded instead of resentful.
Gratitude helps anchor us in the present without denying the hope of what’s ahead.
How do you choose what to carry forward into the new year?
When your days are numbered, you stop trying to carry everything into the future.
Instead, you begin to live with discernment instead of default.
That means you pause and ask:
- What is God inviting me to keep?
- What might He be asking me to release?
- What lessons from this season are meant to guide my choices now?
And when it comes to goals, we can ask different question. Instead of:
- What do I want to accomplish this year?
Ask:
- What is God calling me to prioritize with the time He’s given me?
We let God set our priorities before we set our plans.
Numbering your days empowers you to choose wisely. And when you live this way, your pace becomes lighter, your choices become clearer, and you carry less pressure into the days ahead.
Why does numbering your days require trust instead of control?
This is where Psalm 90:12 can bring real rest.
Because no matter how wisely we live, there are things we cannot control:
- how many days we’ll have
- what each day will bring
- how this year will unfold
Wisdom isn’t certainty. (And yes—I would love the roadmap some days.)
But the wisdom Psalm 90 points us to is dependence: seeking God’s plan rather than just making ours.
We don’t number our days to master them. We number them to walk with God one day at a time.
That’s where wisdom settles—when we stop trying to grip time and start entrusting it.
5) Short FAQ Section
How do I number my days as a Christian?
Numbering your days starts with prayer: “Lord, teach me.” It’s living with an awareness that time is limited, eternity matters, and God gives wisdom for how to live faithfully today.
Is Psalm 90:12 about time management?
Not primarily. Psalm 90:12 isn’t a prayer for better organization—it’s a prayer for wisdom. It invites you to seek God’s guidance before you set your agenda.
What does it mean to gain “a heart of wisdom”?
In this episode, we talked about wisdom as lived alignment—bringing your “real life” and your “God life” together, letting God shape your choices, pace, and priorities.
How can I live wisely when I don’t know what this year will bring?
Psalm 90:12 reminds us wisdom doesn’t mean certainty—it means dependence. You walk with God one day at a time, with open hands, trusting Him with what you can’t control.
Cultivating the habit of numbering our days.
Psalm 90:12 calls us to more than managing our time. It calls us to seek God’s wisdom. It invites us to listen before we decide, to receive our days with gratitude, and to let God shape how we live within the time we’ve been given.
And as you step into this year, you don’t have to have everything figured out to live wisely. You don’t need a perfect plan for your year. You need a heart that’s attentive to God—one that receives each day as a gift and listens before deciding.
Receive each day as a gift while seeking God’s wisdom for how to honor Him with your time. This is a habit that is worth cultivating.
As you begin this year, let’s step into it with hope—not rushing, not striving, but walking toward wisdom one day at a time.
Resource Mentioned
Article: Tyranny of the Urgent
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- How to Build the Habit of Trusting God with Your Work
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- Finding Soul Rest from the Burdens that Weigh You Down
So glad you're here. I help busy women—gals like you— build healthy habits for living well with biblical wisdom and practical steps to deepen your faith, increase your hope, and thrive in your purpose.
