Tag: Seek Wisdom

Ask For Wisdom…

James 1:5 (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.

Yesterday, our Verse of the Day challenged us with this instruction for prayer: Ask, Seek, and Knock! And we referenced this current Verse of the Day in our study. Jesus taught that prayer is the spiritual gift we have been given to have access – access to Him and access to the Father Himself. Not only did Jesus encourage prayer and teach His disciples how to pray, He modeled a life of prayer and often sought opportunities to spend quiet, intimate time with the Father. As believers, we too should ask, seek, and knock as we kneel before His throne of grace. Indeed, God desires intimate time with each of us and to come before Him in prayer! Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Cf. Hebrews 11:6)

The Word of God teaches us that we should not be afraid to approach God at any time. Indeed, we are encouraged to approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Cf. Hebrews 4:16) The Apostle John, to encourage us in prayer, said: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him. (Cf. 1 John 5:13-15) But, as we studied yesterday, there is an issue we should consider in this regard – our motives. Sometimes when we ask, we do not receive, because we ask with wrong motives that are self-centered and focused on our own personal gain or pleasures. (Cf. James 4:3) Thus, it is clear that we must ask in accordance with the will of God. Even Jesus taught the disciples to pray in this manner: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven….” (Cf. Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4) It is important that we understand prayer is the spiritual mechanism God uses to align our wills with His will.

With these thoughts in mind, let’s look at our Verse of the Day a little more: “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.” Here we are encouraged to ask God for wisdom to help us make the right decisions. If you are in the process of making a decision concerning your life, your family, your vocation, your location, your relationships, the use of your time, talent, or treasure; you should spend time in prayer before the throne of God. Why? Because there you will receive wisdom … there you will find confidence and assurance for the decisions you need to make. There you will find a compassionate Father who will give you the wisdom and discernment you seek. And note how James states that God will be generous! He will not reproach us for asking Him for wisdom; rather, He will pour it out on those who love Him and seek to do His will here on earth as it is in heaven….

So, I encourage anyone who is struggling with a decision (great or small), to enter their quiet place and kneel before the Father. In fervent prayer, ask God for wisdom. Ask Him for knowledge, ideas, solutions, needs, resources, or anything concerning you. But be sure to ask Him how the decision you need to make will align you with His will for your life. Inquire how the Father and the Son will be glorified by your decision. The answers you receive should fulfill both His will and His glory. And then you will have confidence He has heard you … and know that you have received what you asked. And so, I will close with this passage, because I think it demonstrates the power of prayer:

John 11:38- 45 (NIV)

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” He said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So, they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” Therefore, many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him.

The Father “heard” Jesus because He prayed according to the will of the Father! And God’s will is for people to believe in Jesus. Likewise, His prayer for this incredible miracle was for people to see the glory of God. Indeed, God was glorified through what Jesus prayed to happen through the resurrection of Lazarus – many people came to faith in Jesus and believed in Him! And so, I pray these two specific purposes will be the first thoughts of our hearts when we come before God in prayer. For the Father will give the wisdom and understanding needed for our prayers to be aligned with His will and to bring Him glory. Where we live … where we work … and the relationships we build through life … are just contexts for us to discover what truly matters to God. When you ask, seek, or knock, the wisdom you are requesting is really how to align your decisions with serving God and exalting Him with your life. When our motives in prayer are God centered and focused, I am confident He will hear us.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king; therefore, wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.” ~ 2 Chronicles 1:11-12

I Will Not Be Afraid…

Psalm 118:5-6 (NIV)

When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

I am excited about our Verse of the Day! I have always loved Psalm 118 and its message of reliance upon the Lord.  The opening verse reveals the foundation on which our relationship with Father God is established. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.” Yes, because God is faithful (Cf. Deuteronomy 7:9; 32:4), we give Him thanks and exalt Him for His great love toward us! King David was keenly aware of this incredible intimacy God desires to have with those who love Him. His unfailing love is the anchor of their faith and why it rests completely in Him! God invites us to trust Him in everything with our entire being … no matter what our eyes may see or how life circumstances appear. This is what moved David to seek God and His help in times of trouble.  Indeed, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. (Cf. Psalm 46:1)

Psalm 118:5-9 (NLT)

5 In my distress I prayed to the Lord; and the Lord answered me and set me free. 6 The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; He will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

When I first read this verse, my thoughts wandered to all the times I’ve felt stressed out (hard pressed in the translation).  And I think my “go-to” response has generally been to “cry out to the Lord” … meaning to pray to Him.  There will always be dilemmas to navigate. There will always be questions we want answered.  Why is this happening, Lord?  Why is this happening to me?  Like King David, we find can ourselves in the midst of great battles – distressed by difficult situations or circumstances and surrounded by an unseen enemy … fear. Somehow, David knew prayer would bring the presence of God into his personal circumstances. Prayer would be a channel for receiving discernment and wisdom from an all-knowing and all-loving God. So, no matter what we are facing, we need to remember that prayer should always be our first response. David expressed deep trust in God throughout His inspired writings. And I pray that each of us come to the place in our own walk of faith to profess: “Into Your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God. (Cf. Psalm 31:5) It foreshadows the final words that Jesus cried out from the cross: “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.” (Cf. Luke 23:46) In this prayer, we express the utmost trust in our God and Savior!

When David prayed, the more immediate benefit was that the Lord “brought him into a spacious place.”  Other translations rendered it “broad” or “large” place.  Metaphorically, David experienced a change of mental disposition.  God helped him find perspective in his circumstances. When all David could see was the immediate pressing problem in front of him, God helped him see the larger, broader picture … the view from a higher altitude.  And that is what David needed to relieve his stress … and more importantly … to calm his fear. In Verse 6, David comes to understand (through his time of prayer with God) that “the Lord is with him.”  What a wonderful and powerful affirmation to receive when you and I become stressed out, worried, or fretful. God is with us! His Name is Emmanuel! Indeed, God is for us! We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us! (Cf. Romans 8:31-39)

The surrender of ourselves has always been a challenge for the human heart; and I believe it is the lack of sincere trust in our Creator that leads us to fear and paralysis. The Father urges us to rely upon Him and His strength to face the troubles of life … to entreat Him to rescue us when the battles come and grow fierce. And God will demonstrate the faithfulness of His love toward those who love and wholly trust Him.  His Word declares His faithfulness:


You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our Savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. ~ Psalm 65:5


I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. ~ Psalm 71:22


But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. ~ Psalm 86:15


O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord? You are entirely faithful. ~ Psalm 89:8


He has remembered His love and His faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. ~ Psalm 98:3

Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. ~ Isaiah 25:1

So, the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help. ~ Isaiah 30:18


Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain He sends demonstrates His faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. ~ Joel 2:23

For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. ~ John 1:17


God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:9


No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13

My friends, the Lord is ever faithful to you! You can trust Him in all circumstances of life! As Peter advised, “Cast all your anxiety upon because He cares for you!” (Cf. 1 Peter 5:7) And remember, “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.” (Cf. Isaiah 54:17)

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9