You will be more successful at praying for wisdom if you have a method that keeps you on track and on target.
Here are five practical guidelines on how to pray for wisdom that will keep you on track and on target.
1. Journal
For those who dislike writing, Hosea 14:2 says something important about seeking God: “Take with you words” (ESV). Words are important to God. He gives what you ask for. Your request should not be a shifting, constantly moving target.
So write exactly what you want God to answer, modify it along the way as needed, but settle in on your inquiry. Then you will know when he answers, and you will be able to give him thanks as he deserves and share your testimony for the encouragement of others and the glory of God.
If you do not keep a journal, your inquiries will lose focus, and most of them will be forgotten and abandoned when persistence is required. The journal is therefore the key to taking an inquiry fully from the question to its complete, life-changing answer.
My journal for inquiring of God for wisdom is a file on my desktop computer as well as a note in my Evernote app because I work at my computer all day and I want the flexibility of a Word processing application so all the entries for a single inquiry can be in one place. But you may want to buy a spiral notebook or a high-quality, blank journal. Whatever you use, dedicate it to this purpose because as your ability grows in praying for wisdom successfully it will revolutionize your life, and you will inquire of God more and more.
2. Collect your inquiries
I have dozens of requests for which I am awaiting God’s wisdom.
To develop a reliable method of inquiring of God you need to have a good number of questions both major and minor on many concerns. If you focus only on one problem area, you might have trouble for a while getting a breakthrough to success in that area and getting the experience you need in praying for wisdom successfully. So collect prayers for wisdom about work, marriage and family, your finances, questions about the Bible, giving order to your house, and more.
3. Grid
For each inquiry, begin with the following information:
- Your precise inquiry
For example: Lord, please give me your wisdom about how to work smoothly with my supervisor.
- Dates inquiry begun and completed
For example: November 11, 2021 – January 14, 2022
- Dates inquiry answered partially or fully
For example: Partial answers on November 11, 2021 (page number 14), November 13, 2021 (page number 16), December 3, 2021 (page number 22), January 10, 2022 (page number 27). Summary of full wisdom received on page 28
- The wisdom received
For example: I need to give my supervisor more feedback on my projects at regular times during the process, especially when problems arise, so that she is not surprised with bad news when something is due. (Wisdom received on November 13, 2021)
- Lessons learned about inquiring of God
For example: In this inquiry I received the most wisdom when I prayed and journaled early in the morning before going to work.
4. Time
Depending on how important an inquiry is to you and how much time is available, you can vary the amount of time actually praying, listening passively, and thinking before God:
- 15 seconds – 3 minutes
- 5 – 20 minutes
- 1 hour
- Half day
- Full day
- 2 – 3 full days
5. Elements
The more time you take, the more of the following helpful elements you can include:
- You might want to fast.
- Begin by setting a time frame. This helps you persevere especially if you plan to pray for a long time.
- If you have not done so already, write your question.
- Establish your faith. Quote and meditate on Scripture promises such as James 1:5 and Matthew 7:7–8 until your faith is firm.
- Confess and repent of sin.
- If you are distracted by unrelated concerns, clear your mind by casting those burdens on the Lord.
- Surrender to God. Express your love toward him. Dedicate this inquiry to the glory of God.
- Worship and give thanks, in particular for his infinite knowledge and wisdom. Meditate on Christ as the one “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).
- Pause and quiet your mind. As you are quiet, write any thoughts pertaining to your question that may be from God.
- Read Scripture.
- If you have the gift, pray in tongues.
- Again state your inquiry to God.
- Wait on God until you can wait patiently and with a quiet spirit.
- Listen.
- Think and write for as long as thoughts flow.
- Thank God for the wisdom received.
Again, use only the elements above that you have time for.
Conclusion
I encourage you to develop by practice a method of seeking God for wisdom that works for you. Keep practicing until your method is proven and effective.
That does not happen in a few days or weeks, because as we have seen, God does not answer all of our inquiries quickly. Moreover, some of our inquiries will be large in scale and significance, the kind that usually do not get answered overnight or in one brief installment. On the other hand, other inquiries will be relatively minor and receive answers in one session of prayerful waiting on the Lord.
All this can be a lot of work! But one gift of wisdom from God can change your life completely.
Moreover as you learn to pray for wisdom for everything that matters to you, you will come to know how to walk with God in handling the day-to-day challenges of life, and you will trust him more than you ever have before. You will prove to yourself and others that nothing is more relevant to daily life in this world than truly knowing God.
God “rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV). If an earnest, extended time of seeking does not yield the wisdom you need, do not be discouraged. You have planted a seed that will yield its fruit in God’s due season. (See Pray for Wisdom Without Presuming How God Will Answer and Pray for Wisdom Patiently and Pray for Wisdom with Determination and Pray for Wisdom with Faith.)
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)