Praying for Wisdom: Truth from the Life of King Solomon
Do you ever find yourself praying for wisdom? Making major life changes and decisions can be tough. And it’s often in these moments that we come to God for His wisdom. But what about wisdom in our every day lives? Do we pray for wisdom when it comes to how we interact with our children? Do we rely on His wisdom when having simple day-to-day conversations with friends and loved ones? If you’re anything like me, you’ve gone to God for wisdom when facing big, life-altering decisions. But the truth is that He longs for us to walk in His wisdom in every life circumstance… big and small.
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Ask and you shall receive…
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. – James 1:5
I love this promise in the book of James. We are told to ask God for wisdom and it will be given to us “generously.” God never meant for us to walk this life alone. Because let’s face it, life can be difficult to navigate sometimes. One life decision can affect the course of our life forever. But God is good! He will be faithful to guide us if we ask.
But…
But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. – James 1:6-8
Reading the Bible in context is crucial. Yes, verse 5 tells us that God will give us His wisdom if we ask, but verse 6 tells us that we must ask in faith. It’s not enough to ask God and hope He gives you wisdom. You have to ask God in the expectation that He will. Do you trust God to keep His word? Do you trust His Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you as you walk through this life?
God wants us to pray for wisdom…
“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 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?” – 1 Kings 3:7-9 (NIV)
When Solomon became king after his father David, he was overwhelmed by the responsibility. One night in a dream, God appeared to him and told him to ask for anything he wanted. Can you imagine? What would you have said at that moment? Solomon was aware of his weaknesses. He knew what he needed most was God’s wisdom to guide him as king.
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 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, 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. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.” – 1 Kings 3:10-13 (NIV)
God was so pleased with Solomon’s response that He gave him even more than he asked! You see, God longs to give us His wisdom. He wants us to seek it. He loves to display His wisdom in our lives and to use it to shame the “wisdom” of this world. (1 Corinthians 1:20-31)
Wisdom is a gift from God and requires us to act…
Have you ever heard the phrase “walking in wisdom”? The truth is that it’s not enough to be wise, we have to act in that wisdom. In my own life, I find that I frequently know in my heart what the next step is, but walking it out is an entirely different story. God will often ask us to step out in faith… to do something that seemingly contradicts the world’s wisdom. It’s in those moments that we have to trust God fully and completely. We have to be willing to walk in His wisdom even when the world around us is telling us that it is foolish.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. – 1 Corinthians 1:25
When praying for wisdom, remember that we serve a God who longs to display His wisdom here on earth.
This post is part of a larger series called “Let There Be Light.” Join me as we journey through the Old Testament leading up to the arrival of Jesus, the Light of the World!
*Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
**Photo by Ben White at ChristianPics.co
