Asking God for Wisdom

God allows us to ask for wisdom when we find ourselves lacking. This daily devotional looks at how that ties into faith, patience, and perfection.

Nuggets

  • None of us have the wisdom that God does.
  • In order to receive wisdom, we have to ask God to give it to us.
  • God gives to us in so many ways.
  • When we truly search for and seek Him, God will not withhold the wisdom and blessings.

Devotions in Living Out Our Faith series

James 1: 5 is a familiar and much-loved verse. It talks about gaining wisdom, but we need to put the verse into context.

Let’s tie this back to what we talked about in the previous two devotions. We are to count it joy that we encounter trials. It is a joy because the trials produce the faith and patience we need for perfection/maturity. This happens when we endure the trials.

That seems backwards, doesn’t it, to the worldview perception? So in order to understand what is requested of us, we need wisdom.

Only disciples need this wisdom because only we are the ones being perfected for eternity in Heaven.

Let's Put It into Context #1

Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.

Let's Put It into Context #2

Before we start the discussion, let’s look at what wisdom is. Wisdom is tied to knowledge.

What we are discussing is particular knowledge. Jortin said that we know what we need to believe and to have a good relationship with God.

Resource

We do know because God has written it of the Scriptures. He has specifically told us what we need to do to have a relationship with Him.

Wisdom is a combination of the intellectual and moral to form an enlightened acceptance of God’s principles, gained through knowledge, discernment, and good sense, that is put into practice through salvation, increasing our goodness and virtue.

  • Discernment means we can evaluate the situation and recognize right from wrong. 
  • Salvation is the gift of life through the deliverance from condemnation and sin to acceptance and holiness and changes us from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive.
    • Sins are actions by humans that disobey God and break one of His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, goes against a purpose He has for us, or follows Satan’s promptings.
    • Holiness is the transcendent excellence of His nature that includes elements of purity, dedication, and commitment that lead to being set apart.
      • Purity means possessing God’s moral character, having eliminated the stain of sin.
    • Spiritual death is the spiritual separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
      • The spiritually alive are those who have ABCDed, so they are no longer separated from God.
  • God’s goodness is His holy, pure, and righteous behavior.
    • God’s holiness is the transcendent excellence of His nature that includes elements of purity, dedication, and commitment that lead to being set apart.
    • God’s purity stems from the fact that He cannot sin.
    • God’s righteousness is the result of His being pure.
  • Virtues are standards of moral excellence.

To read a related devotion, click the button below.

We Do Lack Wisdom

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (Jas. 1: 5 ESV)

None of us have the wisdom that God does.

In a way, I am surprised that James started the verse out with “If any of you lack wisdom …” (Jas. 1: 5 ESV). We all do.

We get ourselves into trouble when we think we do know as much, if not more, than God.

Oh, some may give God the credit for creating the universe. We just think we have a better idea of how to run it – and we don’t.

Only God has the wisdom to keep this marvelous creation – including us – spinning.

When things are going smoothly, we tend to think we aren’t lacking in wisdom. We think it is our abilities that are giving us success.

But I can see why James said if any. He could be saying if anyone right now is about ready to throw in the towel because this trial is just too much.

We’ve all been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt. That is on the turbulent end.

There can be a status-quo end, too. Bayley tied this to being “… satisfied with our faith, with our Christian standing, with our conduct in the world, and with our general deportment.”

Resource

We all get that way at times. We feel we aren’t sinning. We think we are doing the best that we can in our relationship with God. We haven’t killed anyone yet, and we are an all-around nice person.

Then, here comes the trials. We find out that we aren’t as obedient as we thought.

For what are we supposed to ask?

We Have to Ask God

"... let him ask God ...” (Jas. 1: 5 ESV)

In order to receive wisdom, we have to ask God to give it to us.

Well, James doesn’t tell us to ask that the trial be removed. But then again, he doesn’t say to ask for faith or patience, which he was just talking about in verse 4.

James said we are to ask for wisdom. It is really simple. We just have to genuinely ask God for wisdom, and He will give it to us.

There are a couple of things on which we need wisdom. We need wisdom to know what area God in us that God is working. Is He trying to get me to love others more? Or is He wanting me to love Him more?

Knowing the purpose of the trial helps. I knew my spiritual tornado when I lost my job was to help me realize I would trust Him with my finances. He was going to provide for me.

We have to have the wisdom to accept and submit to the trial. We can know the purpose but still have issues with why we are going through what we are going through.

But then we have to have the wisdom to use the trial to grow. That is the whole purpose of the trial – to get us to where we need to be.

Those of us who have admitted that mankind was separated from God after the original sin, making us sinners; believe Jesus paid the penalty for those sins to become our Savior and Redeemer; have confessed God as Sovereign God; and demonstrate that commitment by submitting to living our lives following His laws and commandments confessing God as Sovereign Lord have been given wisdom by God.

That is the point here. We have to ask God to give us wisdom.

Doesn’t that bite many of us? We think we are so smart and independent.

And we are – by worldview standards.

But worldview standards are trumped by God’s standards. God’s ways are higher than ours (Isa. 55: 8-9).

Worldly wisdom is not going to gain us salvation and eternal life.

The wisdom we are asking for wisdom is the doctrine of Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer.

We can keep asking for wisdom because it isn’t downloaded into us on conversion. God reveals Himself to us as we are sanctified.

Generosity to All

“... who gives generously to all without reproach ...” (Jas. 1: 5 ESV)

God gives to us in so many ways.

  • “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3: 16 ESV)
  • “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2: 8-9 ESV).
  • “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8: 32 ESV).

How many times do we see God giving to us, and we question it? Is this really from God? Why is He giving it to me when I’m not worthy?

There is a big qualifier in James 1: 5. It is the word all.

I know. Usually when we use qualifiers, it is to show who doesn’t get it.

This shows there is no one who doesn’t receive when they ask.

That goes back to we have to ask. God doesn’t just give us salvation. He have to ABCD.

The ABCDs of Salvation

If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.

A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord

D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us

The Disciple’s Job Description

In other words, we have to humbly ask. We can’t ask because we have ulterior motives. We can’t try to bully God into doing something our way.

We have to give God the honor and reverence He deserves when we ask. We do that by asking in faith.

We like to focus on the “… who gives generously …” part but sometimes gloss over the “… to all without reproach …” part (Jas. 1: 5 ESV).

What isn’t God’s response? He doesn’t belittle us for not knowing. He doesn’t scold us for asking Him.

Just the opposite. God is pleased that we are humble enough to ask Him.

In fact, God doesn’t mind when we persistently ask Him. Remember, this is a trial to grow our faith. We don’t show our faith if we get everything we ask for the first time.

Answered Prayer

“... and it will be given him” (Jas. 1: 5 ESV)

When we truly search for and seek Him, God will not withhold the wisdom and blessings.

When we truly want God’s wisdom, He will give it to us without holding back. This has to be a heart knowledge, not just a head knowledge.

No, this doesn’t mean God will give us wisdom above our pay grade. We are not gods — we don’t need to know some things.

We just have to believe that God will do what He promised. We have to believe that, when we ask in His Will, we will be given that for which we ask.

Too often, we take that to mean we can ask for provision and release. We’ve already said God probably won’t take us out of the trial, even if we ask. It is His Will that we go through the trial so that we can grow.

It is God’s Will that we strengthen our relationship with Him. It is His Will that that we grow. It is His Will that we become perfected.

If that isn’t what we are praying for, we probably are praying wrong.

Answered prayer is wonderful confirmation that God will do what He said He would do. We can count on Him.

Now, don’t think God hasn’t answered our prayers just because He gives us a different answer than that for which we prayed. God can tell us no or wait.

There is nothing that says God has to give us exactly what we ask. James is going to get to this, but we need to hear it now. “ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (Jas. 4: 3 ESV).

What is this really saying? You asked about a worldview thing, not in God’s Will. You used what you got on worldly things.

asking-god-for-wisdomFB

Making the Connections

Foote made a great observation. He reminded us that the promise of wisdom is not given to a nominal disciple, let alone one who is a non-believer. Nominal disciples are those boasting they loved God without even trying to imitate Him — those who dig on religion and its rituals without having a change in heart.

Resource

We’ve also heard this called a formalist. A formalist is a person who gives the appearance of being a disciple, but in reality, isn’t.

Promises are, according to Foote, only given to those who are working to receive them. We have to be genuinely seeking God.

God is going for a changed heart in us. If we are only partially committed to at best, that isn’t going to cut it.

Searching for and Seeking God

Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).

How Do We Apply This?

  • Ask God to give us wisdom regarding His doctrine.
  • Ask God for wisdom to make right choices.
  • Ask God for wisdom to avoid sin.
  • Ask God for strength to consistently follow His direction.
  • Ask God for direction through trials.
  • Ask God for help to not take our focus off of Him.
  • Ask God for strength to endure trials.
  • Cultivate humility within us.
  • Submit to God in all things.
  • Depend on the Holy Spirit to teach us what we need to know.
  • Understand we need more than worldview wisdom and accept that we can only get it from God.
  • Believe in God’s promises.

Resource

Father God. You are all-knowing. Your wisdom exceeds ours. Help us to ask for wisdom so that we may live more within Your Will. Amen.

What do you think?

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