Who said, ‘I tell you Wellington is a bad general, the English are bad soldiers; we will settle the matter by lunchtime’? Napoleon Bonaparte over breakfast with his generals just before the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Who rejected an offer from Alexander Graham Bell to purchase the patents for the first telephone? William Orton, president of Western Union.

Who said, ‘I think there is a world market for about five computers’? Thomas Watson, president of IBM.

What did all these men have in common? Lack of discernment—and it cost them dearly. When it comes to seeing life’s opportunities and solving life’s problems, you need discernment. It enables you to see what others don’t, fill in the missing pieces, and get to the heart of the matter. If you can see the root cause of a problem, you have a much better chance of solving it. That means when you stay in the area of your core gift, your discernment will be stronger. So if you want to tap into your discernment potential, work from the areas of your strength.

But do more. Pray for discernment. It’s one of the nine ‘gifts of the Spirit’ promised to us in Scripture (see 1 Corinthians 12:7–10). Some of Israel’s greatest victories were won when David was king. And when we study the makeup of his army, we read, ‘The tribe of Issachar… understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.’ Discernment enables you to see doors of opportunity where others see only brick walls. It will save you from life’s pitfalls and show you what course is best to take—so pray for discernment.