Category: Praying for wisdom

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How to Get Answers to Your Questions about the Bible

To understand the Bible, we need God’s wisdom

In October of 2023 I began preaching a series of sermons and writing in this blog on the marks of a true disciple of Jesus. The series resulted from my devotional reading of the four Gospels, in particular the Gospel of Luke. I was struck by how many times Jesus says certain qualities must be found in those who want to be saved by him and how high he raised the bar. Eventually, compelled by what I felt Jesus required, I developed a list of 15 marks of a true disciple of Jesus.

Around this time I also read two books that refined my theology and deepened my confidence in my understanding of the nature of faith and works: What Is Saving Faith? Reflections on Receiving Christ as a Treasure, by John Piper, and Free Grace Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel, by Wayne Grudem. Both authors taught that true faith in Christ necessarily results in a changed heart and life. These changes do not save us; only the righteousness of Christ received as a gift of God’s grace through faith in Christ can do that. But true faith always results in the necessary works Jesus requires of us. As Martin Luther famously said, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”

I concluded that unless these marks are present in the life of a believer, he or she is not a true Christian. In other words, if you are not a disciple of Jesus, you are not a Christian, no matter what you call yourself. Certainly no one is a perfect disciple, and every believer sins. We begin the Christian life as a babe in Christ, with many things to learn, many thoughts that need to be renewed, and many evil habits to outgrow. True Christians mature at different rates over the entire course of their lives. Some true Christians will stumble and fail in serious ways. Nevertheless to some degree these 15 marks of a true disciple, as taught by Jesus, will appear in the lives of those who have true, living faith in Jesus.

Second thoughts

I taught that series with conviction in our church for four months, and wrote on it in this blog over the same period. However, sometime after finishing that series I began to question myself. Many pastors and theologians would disagree with what I taught in that series. Was I raising the bar too high? In effect was I preaching a gospel of salvation by works?

The more I thought about it the more concerned I became. To preach salvation by works is to preach a false gospel and to become a false teacher. That is serious, deadly business, as the Book of Galatians makes clear. I presented my series to a respected pastor and asked him to read it and evaluate my theology. To my relief, he gave his stamp of approval.

Still, wanting further reassurance, I soon put the question on my list of prayer requests for wisdom, writing, “Does my teaching about the marks of a true disciple agree with the true gospel, or is it a false gospel? Is it a false gospel to say that a believer is not saved unless he is a true disciple?”

Questions answered

A few months later I received what I now regard as the definitive answer to my request for wisdom. On February 21st, 2025, I was fasting and praying in my office, and for some reason my eyes settled on a book that I have owned for at least 13 years but had only partially read: Magnifying God in Christ, a New Testament theology by Thomas R. Schreiner. Over the years my respect for Schreiner as a theologian has grown, and for some reason I pulled the book off the shelf. I opened to the table of contents and read. I saw that chapter 10 was titled Faith and Obedience, and it occurred to me this might say something pertaining to my burning question.

As I read, it felt as though the chapter was written directly to my question and that it affirmed my conclusions. Schreiner’s book felt like a God-send. (Caveat: I do not know if Schreiner, Piper, or Grudem would affirm my conclusions as I worded them, or my list of 15 marks, but I understand their writing to support what I wrote.)

Praying for wisdom about theological questions and biblical interpretation has become one of my most cherished categories for inquiring of God. I believe this was one more example of God’s answering my prayers for wisdom. When I pray for wisdom, God leads me to answers in providential ways, as he led Moses to the burning bush.

Learn to pray for wisdom in all things from my book, Know, available on Amazon.
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Inquiring of God about a Longstanding Challenge with PowerPoint

Praying for wisdom can bring solutions to longstanding, stubborn problems. For example, every week I take one or two hours to create PowerPoint slides to display with my sermons. Although PowerPoint makes many functions easy, for years I could not find a way to simplify two functions I used regularly, and the result was tedious work and lost time.

I tried on various occasions over several years to figure out how to simplify these functions, which included reading Microsoft help pages and doing internet searches. And I prayed for wisdom. Nevertheless, I did not find the answer.

On December 14th, 2024, as I prepared to create my weekly sermon slides, I decided to try again to find a better way to do these two functions. I prayed for wisdom and began reading slowly through the PowerPoint menus. I tried several experiments, but none worked.

Then I saw a command in the PowerPoint menu that appeared to provide a solution. I tried it, and it worked! As simple as that. Why had I not seen this before? Was this feature added to the menu in a recent update? Had I tried it before but done something wrong? 

Buoyed by the success, I set out to find an answer for the second function that had eluded me for years, and in less than 15 minutes I found a workaround that would accomplish what I needed.

I cannot explain the sudden success; what I do know is, in the end my prayer was answered. I had occasionally prayed for wisdom about these challenges and occasionally tried to find answers. Eventually God gave me the hope and desire to try again, and then he gave the answers. Perhaps God worked in this way to encourage my faith and then to tell you the story and encourage your faith.

Learn how to inquire of God for wisdom

There are three essentials for successfully asking God for wisdom: faith, perseverance, and a method that will sustain your inquiry until the answer comes. My new book addresses all three. It will change your life for the better. Most importantly, you will grow in the knowledge of God. Get the book on Amazon.

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When I Prayed about What to Eat

For several years prior to 2021 I was unintentionally losing weight. I mentioned it to the doctor at my annual checkups, but he did not find anything that concerned him. Finally in the fall of 2021 I decided I needed to take intentional action to maintain my current weight and then gain some pounds.

I made it the top priority in my prayers for wisdom, and researched the subject. Then on November 26, 2021, I wrote in my wisdom workbook this prayer concerning one particular nutritional question: “What kind of fat should I eat, and how much of it? Should I eat coconut oil? Should I eat bison meat?” That morning I fasted, not eating breakfast, and I had not eaten since dinner the night before. I spent several hours waiting on God in prayer to see if he would bring anything to mind, but no answers came.

On December 1st and 3rd, two things happened that I concluded might be partial answers to my questions, so I recorded them in my workbook. But I still did not feel I had definite wisdom, so on December 9th, while fasting since dinner the night before, I spent almost eight hours waiting on the Lord regarding this inquiry. I did not have any dramatic breakthroughs, but I came away with the settled impression that exercise was as important as what I was eating.

On December 30th, I found several helpful articles and videos on exercise, and I modified my regular workouts accordingly, with an emphasis on strength and resistance training. On January 1, 2022, I lowered the priority of this question.

Since then my weight has increased several pounds, and my overall strength and conditioning has improved significantly. With the wisdom gained from the research, I now know how to eat and gain weight when needed, and feel as though my current weight and food habits are healthy. I still pray now and then about specific foods and exercises, but I believe God has overall answered the prayer I made for wisdom begun in 2021.

We do not have to pray for eight hours or fast from food every time we need wisdom. Still, sometimes, when a question is extremely important to us and our previous prayers have not yet been answered, we may need to seek God more earnestly. Then, if God does not give us any specific guidance, we can be confident it is not yet his time for us to know what we are asking. He wants us to wait patiently on him for his perfect time.

The above story is from my new book, Know: A Workbook for Gaining Wisdom from God about Everything That Matters to You. Buy it on Amazon today and gain the wisdom you need for your most challenging situations.

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The Story of My New Book

I want to tell you the story of how my new book came about. It is titled Know, and last week it released on Amazon.

The book is the product of praying for wisdom. Two or three years ago, I concluded that I would probably not be able to publish any more books through established publishing companies. I had been working for several years with an agent to find a publisher for another book I had written, but nothing fell into place, and the agent eventually stopped working with me. I did not want to waste months or years trying to find another agent and then more time finding a publisher.

So I wrote this prayer in my inquiring-of-God journal: “Lord, give me wisdom how to publish my books to bring you glory and advance your kingdom and truth in the maximum way possible.” I spoke that prayer numerous times over several years.

In the Fall of 2023, in the middle of one night, I was lying in bed awake and thinking. I had already written a series of blog posts on the subject of praying for wisdom, and as I laid in bed I was thinking about how I could repackage these and add value. That is when the idea came to self-publish this content as a book. I had never self-published a book before and never had any desire to do so.

But at this moment the idea germinated in me—with excitement. I was not worried about how many copies the book would sell or how I would spread the news about it. I wanted to pass on what has been so helpful to me. I figured if I could give a copy to each member of my family and leave copies to my heirs as a heritage, and if the members of my church and the readers of my blog read it, that would be worthwhile.

At the same time, the idea came to make this a workbook, a journal. I had already experienced the difference journaling had made in my successful prayers for wisdom. Moreover I had experienced the power of God’s Word to inspire faith as I had memorized many scriptures on this subject. I realized what would be most helpful to readers would be to combine and rework the material I had already written into a book with space for journaling. Every journaling page would feature a promise from God.

All this came together in about 20 minutes, and it came with excitement.

I wrote in my inquiring-for-wisdom journal: “Answer: Create a workbook for inquiring of the Lord.”

Almost a year later, I invite you to read the final product:

Share with us

I welcome your feedback on the book in the comments below.

Moreover, I would like to hear your stories about how you have prayed for wisdom and received God’s answers. Please share them in the comments.

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Knowing God by Inquiring for Wisdom

Below is an excerpt from my new book “Know,” releasing on Amazon on September 16, 2024

Stuck

Recently I was stumped by a technology problem. Our church does not have a building or office space, and so I work from the office in my apartment. Our church also relies on volunteers for bookkeeping, and I oversee the process of our monthly financial records. That means each month I transfer computer files back and forth to our volunteers.

For many years we have transferred files using the cloud (through the internet). Well, recently when I began training a new volunteer, I could not get that to work. It was evening, we were wasting time, and I was frustrated. I decided to end our training session and solve things the next day. Before going to bed, I prayed for wisdom.

The next day I prayed again for wisdom and then began to ponder how to solve the problem. Quickly the answer came to me. It was so simple I am embarrassed to say it. We needed to stop transferring files via the cloud and just use a flash drive, which we could hand back and forth when we transfer the bank statement and other financial documents. For a long time we had been using a system that was unnecessarily complicated. Mentally I had been accustomed to it, so I needed God to open my mind to other options. When I prayed for wisdom, that is what he did.

More Answers

Would I have found that solution without asking for wisdom? All I know is, I regularly get stuck and stay stuck and frustrated with problems large and small—until I pray for wisdom. Then, in God’s timing, the answer suddenly comes to me, in ways that seem normal and natural—rarely dramatic. Usually the answers seem so unsurprising that I wonder why I had not thought of them earlier. Everything works better for me when I ask God for wisdom.

Knowing God

Learning to pray for wisdom for everything that matters to you is an important way to know God practically, in daily experience, as someone you can rely on to help you. Knowing God and his ways is not just an intellectual experience; it is also a lived experience of prayer, trust, and dependence. If we know how to explain God doctrinally but do not know how to depend on him for what we need, we are missing something important and wonderful.

My new book on inquiring of God releases in two weeks!

inquiring for wisdom

On Monday, September 16, 2024, my new book titled Know: A Workbook for Gaining Wisdom from God about Everything That Matters to You releases on Amazon, in hardback, for $14.

I believe it can build your faith to pray for wisdom and thereby change your life. Most importantly, as I wrote above, it will help you know and walk better with God.

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The Wisdom of Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

If you desire wisdom, the question is not whether God also wants you to have it, but rather whether you will ask, seek, and knock for however long it takes.

ask, seek, and knock

Jesus said,
“Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives,
and the one who seeks finds,
and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
(Matthew 7:7–8)

This is a lifestyle that Jesus commends to us, the asking, seeking, knocking way of living. He approves of this approach to daily life. It pleases him, and he responds to it, as shown in the Bible from beginning to end and in the ministry of Jesus to people who came to him asking, seeking, knocking. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Lord, let me recover my sight.” “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her.” “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

For those of us who seek wisdom from God with specific questions, it is especially important for us to believe that and practice it. Those who desire wisdom need to ask, seek, and knock persistently. Those qualities need to be our mindset, our approach to life. Moreover, we must know that our gracious God delights in those who live this way.

A life of seeking wisdom

Each of these three ideas is important. They overlap, but are not the same.

At the heart of the mindset that Jesus commends, though, is seeking. Those who seek with all their heart ask and look and knock.

What Jesus commends and what therefore pleases God is an approach to life marked by exploration, learning, discovery—the quest for wisdom from Christ.

The opposite is complacency and self-satisfaction. Feeling we already know what we need to know. Being wise in one’s own eyes. A lack of curiosity. An unwillingness to think and experiment.

Mary the seeker of wisdom from Christ

Mary exemplifies a mindset of seeking more wisdom.

Luke 10:38–42 says, “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’” (ESV)

Mary made a choice to put priority on seeking wisdom. She sat at Jesus feet and listened because she wanted wisdom and sought wisdom. Seeking requires effort, discipline, and the setting of priorities. Martha had other commendable priorities, but seeking wisdom was not as important for her as it was for Mary.

A seeker recognizes a golden opportunity, and a golden source, for learning when it comes. Jesus is golden. The Scriptures are golden. The presence of the Holy Spirit is golden.

The scribe who asked for wisdom from Christ

One scribe exemplifies asking Jesus his burning question.

“One of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, ‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ And the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’” (Mark 12:28–34, ESV)

Studying the Law was this man’s life. For many years he had pondered the hundreds of laws contained in God’s covenant with Israel and recognized that while all God’s laws are important, some are more important, and some must capture the heart of all the laws. But which were these preeminent commands? Fear God? Serve God? Worship God? Trust God?

One’s burning question

When this sudden opportunity came to this scribe to hear Jesus, he recognized something extraordinary. But he didn’t stop at listening and admiring—he asked his burning question. And because he asked, he received an answer. And because he believed what Jesus answered, he received commendation from Jesus.

Seekers have the humility to ask. To ask questions is to admit you do not know everything. To ask questions of God is to show you believe he has the answers. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.” To ask is to admit you lack.

Those who seek and ask please God. He enjoys those who are on a quest, who love and desire more wisdom, who want to learn and do something for God and with God. Seeking and asking from God glorifies him.

The thief who knocked

The condemned man nailed to the cross beside Jesus exemplifies a person who knocks at the door.

He did not begin that way. At first he joined the other condemned criminal in reviling Jesus (Matthew 27:44). But as he hung on the cross and beheld Jesus and heard his words, he had a change of heart. When the other criminal continued to rail at Jesus, the man “rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” (Luke 23:40–42)

This condemned man did not say, “if you come into your kingdom,” but rather, “when you come into your kingdom.” He believed. He believed what the sign said, the sign nailed above the head of Jesus. In spite of what was happening to Jesus, the criminal believed that he really was the King of Israel, and not just a human king about to lose any chance at reigning on the throne, but rather the heavenly King, the Christ who would someday rule as the King of God’s kingdom.

And he recognized the opportunity. He wanted something, and he recognized a door by which he might get it.

Knocking

Knocking at a door is a multifaceted metaphor. Doors keep unwelcome people out of a building, or they allow welcome people in. Doors can be locked, and doors can be opened. Thus doors can be opportunities, or disappointments.

But the man wanted in, into the kingdom, and so he knocked. This thief did not merely seek and ask for knowledge and wisdom. He asked Jesus to do something for him. He asked a favor and sought the Lord’s grace.

Such requests please and glorify God, and he smiles on them. Jesus opened the door wide, answering him: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). No instruction, but an open door into a world of wisdom.

Knocking on doors means asking for the opportunity to cooperate with others. Those who knock know they cannot obtain what they desire without others. It means asking for help, permission, entrance. It requires boldness, courage, initiative, assertion. You may be ignored and rejected, but your desire is strong enough to risk that.

We knock on doors on earth with people, institutions, and organizations, but if we do it prayerfully and seeking what we desire ultimately from God, we are actually knocking on heaven’s door.

Takeaways

1. Jesus wants, invites, encourages, and welcomes us to seek. He wants us to assume it is God’s will to answer those who pursue and persevere. God’s default attitude toward those on a quest is to answer, because he is gracious (Exodus 34:6).

2. Therefore there is something in our asking, seeking, and knocking for wisdom that pleases God. And there is something in our having and using wisdom that pleases God. Both fulfill his will and bring him glory.

3. Therefore the Father’s children are called to be inquirers, explorers, learners, discoverers, people on a quest for wisdom and entrance.

4. If you desire wisdom, the question is not whether God also wants you to have it, but rather whether you will have enough faith to keep asking, seeking, and knocking for however long it takes.

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)

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Pray for Wisdom When Doors Open

Do we need to ask God for wisdom when the way forward seems obvious?

When Doors Open

If we trust God and persevere, sooner or later he fulfills his promises. We come to a turning point when our hopes near their fulfillment. The company for which you have always wanted to work gives you a job interview. The person in whom you have romantic interest agrees to a date. The big-ticket item you have long wanted to own goes on sale, and you have saved enough to buy it. The university you would love to attend accepts your application.

At times like these, who needs to pray about it? Who needs special wisdom? The way seems clear. And we might fear that God will communicate something we do not want to hear.

But when David came to such a hoped-for turning point, he had a different approach.

When doors open

The turning point for him came when King Saul died in battle. For years the insanely jealous king had been trying to kill David. Suddenly there was a power vacuum in the nation. Who would be the next king? David had been a famous battle hero, the man who slew Goliath, the man who as a military commander had victories wherever he turned. When he returned from battle, the women sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, David his tens of thousands.”

Even more important, years before this turn of events the prophet Samuel had anointed him with oil to be king. At this propitious point, how natural it would have been for David to rely on his own wisdom and pursue his personal desire.

But David had a better approach.

Even when the next step seems obvious, check in with God

Second Samuel 2:1–4 says:

“After this David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?’ And the LORD said to him, ‘Go up.’ David said, ‘To which shall I go up?’ And he said, ‘To Hebron.’ So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.”

The takeaway from this story is, when turning points come that are the desire of one’s heart, we should still inquire of God for wisdom before we move forward. We need the Lord’s wisdom for matters like what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.

In David’s case, there were no surprises in what God revealed. It made sense to go into Judah because David was of the tribe of Judah; the people would probably look for a new leader; and they would be more likely to choose someone who is present. Furthermore it made sense to move into Hebron because it was a leading city.

Q & A

One further takeaway from this story is what it reveals about God’s answers to questions. God succinctly answered David’s questions and stopped. He gave two answers, each comprising two words (in English).

David: “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?”

The Lord: “Go up.”

David: “To which shall I go up?”

The Lord: “To Hebron.”

Of course, God works differently in different times and situations, but here at least he did not give many step-by-step instructions. He was willing to tell David which city he should move to, but he did not say that until David in his second question asked specifically. And that was the end of what God wanted to reveal.

The lesson for us is, pray for wisdom specifically. Begin at the beginning without making any assumptions. Then request specifics. In this way, you walk in surrender to the Lord and acknowledge his rule. In his time he will tell you as much wisdom as he wants you to know.

When we cannot wait

Of course in many situations if we do not feel that God has communicated further wisdom to us, we cannot wait. We have to decide and act. When that is the case, pray for wisdom and then make the decision that seems best in light of what you know of God’s will and the wisdom you already have.

Do not be surprised if God does not carry on a conversation with you in answer to your questions. He will communicate his wisdom to you in the way that is best for you, at the time that is best. Trust him and be patient.

However long it takes, in the end learning to seek God for wisdom will enable you to know and trust God more.

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)