Category: Praying for wisdom

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Pray for Wisdom with Reliance on the Holy Spirit

When we pray for wisdom with reliance on the Holy Spirit, he imparts wisdom to us normally from within, in a way that seems like our own thoughts or feelings, but with divine clarity and calm.

pray for wisdom with reliance on the Holy Spirit

As you seek wisdom for everything that matters to you, it is helpful to reflect on which member of the Trinity actually illumines your mind with that wisdom.

Jesus said, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26, ESV).

First John 2:20, 27 says, “You have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge…. The anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”

Pray for Wisdom with Reliance on the Holy Spirit

The One who imparts wisdom to you is God the Holy Spirit. His presence on you and in you is called “the anointing,” and thus in one sense his presence resembles oil smeared on your skin.

But his anointing goes deeper. His anointing is not merely on the surface. It “abides in you” (1 John 2:27). First Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?”

1 Corinthians 6:17 says, “He who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”

So the God who teaches you is not distant, out there somewhere external to you. Rather, he is as near to you as he can possibly be. His Holy Spirit has united with your human spirit. He now indwells you. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He has anointed you as if smearing you with oil or pouring into you as into an oil jar.

As you seek wisdom for what matters to you, this means the divine person who will reveal that wisdom is as near as your own beating heart. And when you receive that wisdom, it will typically seem as though you conceived it yourself, rather than it coming like a voice from outside.

Your ceiling

Because you as a Christian have the Holy Spirit, your ceiling for wisdom is not your IQ—whatever that is in the physical human brain and immaterial spirit, and whatever it is that determines it. Rather, your ceiling is the divine knowledge of the Holy Spirit, which is unlimited.

First Corinthians 2:11–12 says, “No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”

The Holy Spirit is able to reveal wisdom and knowledge to you in a way that also gives understanding. He is not limited like a human teacher, who can only explain and illustrate and so on, and then it is up to you to comprehend. A human teacher cannot get inside of your mind and actually enable you to understand—actually turn on the lights. But the Holy Spirit can do that.

The Holy Spirit understands the deepest thoughts of God, and he enables us to understand what he wants us to know.

What God is willing to teach you

Moreover, the Holy Spirit does not limit what he will teach about.

First John 2:27 says, “His anointing teaches you about everything.”

John 14:26 says, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

This verse highlights what it means to have inside of you the Holy Spirit himself.

“the Helper” – Do you need help? Do you feel your limitations? Do you lack wisdom? The Holy Spirit lives in you in order to help you. He knows you need help and wants to give it to you. You are not asking him to do something outside of his divine role.

“whom the Father will send in my name” – The Holy Spirit cooperates with the other members of the Trinity to help you. He applies to you all the unlimited resources of the Sovereign Father and his beloved Son.

“he will teach you” – Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit himself will teach you. Trust him and be patient. He is the master teacher, along with the Father and the Son the most competent instructor in the universe. Place yourself in his competent hands as a teachable student.

“all things” – Things like understanding the Bible; overcoming stubborn sin; managing your work, body, emotions, ministry, and finances; organizing your home and possessions; overcoming challenges and problems; and having a healthy marriage, single life, family, and relationships of all kinds.

“bring to your remembrance” – He not only teaches what you do not know, he helps you remember what you have forgotten.

How George Washington Carver learned to help poor farmers

George Washington Carver’s scientific work on behalf of poor farmers is an example of the Holy Spirit’s willingness to help those who depend on him with anything they need to know. A Christian and botanist who lived from 1864 to 1943, Carver taught at the Tuskegee Institute in the years after the emancipation of slaves in America and devoted his work to helping former slaves become self-sustaining farmers.

One significant challenge they faced was poor soil depleted of nitrogen by generations of planting cotton year after year. To address that need Carver taught the necessity of crop rotation. In alternating seasons, farmers needed to plant crops like peanuts and sweet potatoes, which restored nitrogen to the soil. But peanuts were not a profitable crop, and farmers balked. Carver realized he needed to create demand by discovering new uses for them.

So he prayed for God’s understanding, and then he went into his lab, which he called “God’s little laboratory,” and followed God’s leading.

Over time he identified more than 300 uses for the peanut and published 105 food recipes using peanuts.

To demonstrate the value of his discoveries, writes Glenn Clark, “He himself took a plot of land that was 19 acres of the worst land in Alabama to experiment on to find what could be done to improve production. The first year it brought him a net loss of $16.25 an acre. After his first year of scientific treatment and cultivation it showed a profit of $4.00 [an acre]. Within another year the profit was $40.00 an acre and every following year brought better returns.”1

For perspective, at the time, in the South “most of the farmers contrive their best to live on an average cash income of $310 a year per family of five persons.”1

Quotations from George Washington Carver

Carver said:

“As I worked on projects which fulfilled a real human need, forces were working through me which amazed me. I would often go to sleep with an apparently insoluble problem. When I woke, the answer was there.”

“Believe. The promises of God are real. They are as real, as solid, yes infinitely more solid than this table which the materialist so thoroughly believes in. If you would only believe, O ye of little faith.”

“God is going to reveal to us things he never revealed before if we put our hands in his. No books ever go into my laboratory. The thing I am to do and the way of doing it are revealed to me. I never have to grope for methods. The method is revealed to me the moment I am inspired to create something new. Without God to draw aside the curtain I would be helpless.”

“There is no shortcut to achievement.”

“Start where you are, with what you have. Make something of it and never be satisfied.”

“Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough. Not only have I found that when I talk to the little flower or to the little peanut they will give up their secrets, but I have found that when I silently commune with people they give up their secrets also if you love them enough.”

Honors

That Carver helped poor farmers, accomplished extraordinary things, and had enormous positive effects on his fellow Americans both black and white is beyond question.

After Carver died in 1943, “President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated $30,000 for the George Washington Carver National Monument west-southwest of Diamond, Missouri, the area where Carver had spent time in his childhood. This was the first national monument dedicated to an African American and the first to honor someone other than a president.”2

Among many more honors and recognitions, “in 1977, Carver was elected to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans. In 1990, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. In 1994, Iowa State University awarded Carver a Doctor of Humane Letters. In 2000, Carver was a charter inductee in the USDA Hall of Heroes as the ‘Father of Chemurgy.’ In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed George Washington Carver as one of 100 Greatest African Americans.”2

(Lawrence Elliott’s biography on Carver inspired me: George Washington Carver: The Man Who Overcame. It is probably available at your library.)

Life principle

When seeking God’s wisdom, people often look for external guidance of some sort, such as a voice or a sign, or for dramatic guidance that is unlike their normal experience. But it is God the Holy Spirit who imparts wisdom to you, normally from within your human spirit, in a way that will usually feel like your own thoughts or feelings, but with divine clarity and calm.

God wants to help you if you will persevere. The Holy Spirit is your helper. Like Carver, we can learn to work with him. He will teach us what we need to know.

A Prayer: Lord, teach me how to work with the Holy Spirit. Teach me how to receive wisdom and help from him. Holy Spirit, I need and request your help in ________. In Jesus’ name, amen.

1. Glenn Clark, “The Man Who Talks with the Flowers,” (Kindle location 568 of 638)

2. Wikipedia, “George Washington Carver”

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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Newsletter for December, 2021

Merry Christmas! May this newsletter be my holy kiss to you (1 Thessalonians 5:26) for this happy season.

I’m looking forward to having all our family with us this year for a downtown Chicago Christmas.

Happenings

Since my last newsletter the biggest event for me and my family was the joyous marriage of my son Aaron to his fiancé Lucia. We will never forget how beautiful the wedding was and how blessed we were to have family, church members, and friends sharing this special time.

Aaron and Lucia have attended our church for years, but it was the virus lockdown that altered their schedules enough to where they got interested in each other and took time to do things together. In all things God works for the good!

Lucia, Aaron, Nancy, CBL

The picture below is of my four sons, from the left: Brian, Aaron, Ben, and Mark (I do not yet have photos from the wedding of them with their wives and children).

Amplify Conference

Another important happening for me over the last six months was an evangelism conference I attended in October. It is an annual event sponsored by the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, called Amplify.

What made this important to me was its relationship

(a) to one of the driving passions in my life, which is leading others to faith in Christ,

(b) to the main thing for which I have been inquiring of the Lord for several years, which is how to do evangelism successfully, and

(c) to the topic I have been writing about on the blog since August: How to Get Wisdom for Everything That Matters to You.

Since finding wisdom for successful evangelism is a focus of my life, when I saw an ad for the conference, I said, I should go to that. Although I did not want to take two full days out of my schedule, it does not make sense to pray daily for wisdom on a subject and not pay attention to what others who have been successful at it are saying. God often answers our questions by speaking to us through other people and their content in books, videos, and so on.

The conference was outstanding, definitely worth my time. I came away with numerous resources that I am confident will help us. And I believe this was one piece of how God is answering my prayer for wisdom to successfully lead others to faith in Christ.

Fun stuff

We bought a bread machine, and I’m using it weekly. Cuisinart model CBK-110P1, where have you been all my life! I appreciate being able to control what ingredients are in my bread, the fresh-baked taste, and the smell of bread baking in the kitchen for hours.

Reading list

Contagious Faith: Discover Your Natural Style for Sharing Jesus with Others, by Mark Mittelberg

George Washington Carver: The Man Who Overcame, by Lawrence Elliott

Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

Acting the Miracle, edited by Piper and Mathis

My Favorite post

How to Get Wisdom for Everything That Matters to You, posted August 2, 2021

You can read the posts in this all-important series one month at a time here:

August

September

October

November

December

Thank you for reading. I’m praying for you! Merry Christmas!

Brian

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Pray for Wisdom Using This Method

You will be more successful at praying for wisdom if you have a method that keeps you on track and on target.

a method to pray for wisdom

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)

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Pray for Wisdom When Wisdom Fails

What should we do if we pray for wisdom, implement the wisdom we receive, and then the wisdom fails?

Pray for Wisdom When Wisdom Fails

The story we examine today smashes assumptions. Nevertheless it yields important lessons about praying for wisdom.

The assumption it breaks into pieces is, if God guides me what to do, the results will immediately be golden. In the story we now examine, success came after several failures, and yet each time Israel had inquired of the Lord.

Civil war

Judges 20:11–35 narrates a civil war among the twelve tribes of Israel. One of the cities of the tribe of Benjamin had committed great evil, and the other eleven tribes gathered their armies to punish them.

Verses 12–13 say: “And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, ‘What evil is this that has taken place among you? Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel.’ But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel.”

The result was war.

Day 1

Before entering into battle, the army of Israel prayed for wisdom. “The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God, ‘Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?’ And the LORD said, ‘Judah shall go up first.’” (Judges 20:18)

So it seemed that Israel was good to go. God had answered their prayer and told them a crucial element of strategy: which tribe should lead the attack.

Judges 20:19–28 says, “Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites.” (ESV)

So the result of the first day of battle is a defeat for Israel, a devastating defeat. We are not told why here, but the wider context of the Book of Judges explicitly states and shows that the entire nation had fallen into depraved apostasy: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6 and 19:25). Although in the present situation Israel had done two commendable things—they inquired of the Lord and came against Benjamin because of its sin—this defeat is most likely God’s punishment upon Israel for their backslidden state.

The war continues.

Day 2

“ [22] The people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. [23] And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening. And they inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?’ And the LORD said, ‘Go up against them.’ [24] So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. [25] And Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who drew the sword.”

Again Israel suffers a devastating defeat. Yet this defeat came after God had answered their inquiry and told them, “Go up against them.” Again we are not told why Israel lost the battle, but verse 25 says it was not because they were poor soldiers. These were “men who drew the sword.”

God never has to explain his actions, and in this account he does not. But the rest of the Book of Judges does make sense of it: the entire nation has fallen from God and deserves to be judged.

The war continues.

Day 3

“ [26] Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. [27] And the people of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, [28] and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, ‘Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?’ And the LORD said, ‘Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.’”

And that is exactly what happens. Israel employs a different strategy, and this time they prevail against the tribe of Benjamin and the wicked city of Gibeah.

Notice that verse 28 says for the first time that God would give Benjamin into the hands of Israel in this battle, which means he had not done so in the previous two battles. That explains why Israel had been defeated twice. Benjamin deserved to be punished for protecting a wicked city, but so did the entire nation for its apostasy.

Takeaway

This story has valuable lessons.

1. We should not assume that God’s wisdom will bring direct and immediate success every time. We should not assume that praying for wisdom will give guidance that will be a foolproof, failproof silver bullet, making everything easy, answering every question, solving every problem, providing perfect success from that moment forward. That can happen, but we should not be disillusioned if it does not.

2. We may not experience immediate success because God has other larger purposes he is pursuing. Our situation is part of a much larger picture. For instance, God may be disciplining or teaching us (see Hebrews 12:5–11). But there are many other purposes God may be pursuing.

3. If received wisdom fails, we should not conclude that praying for wisdom does not work. We must not lose confidence in God’s promises, in God or his Word, in our ability to recognize God’s wisdom when it comes. We should keep humbling ourselves before him, repenting, and praying for wisdom.

In the story, Israel increased the intensity of its inquiry each time: on the first occasion, “The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God.”

On the second occasion, “the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening. And they inquired of the LORD.”

On the third occasion: “…all the people of Israel, the whole army [which suggests not everyone had come to Bethel the previous two times], went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.”

4. God might at times lead us through failures and setbacks to reach success, but he is using even those setbacks to accomplish his mysterious purposes.

5. When you implement the wisdom you believe is from God, if it does not bring the result for which you hoped do not be disillusioned, quit, and fall into unbelief. Rather, keep praying for wisdom and using your understanding of it. In this way you acknowledge him in all your ways and receive the promise of Proverbs 3:5–6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

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 in a Persistent Trial

To pray for wisdom in a persistent trial is to pursue the ultimate cause of the problem.

pray for wisdom patiently

At some point, many Christians go through a deep and long trial that no human effort solves, not even the effort of prayer. Naturally we wonder why. The story we explore today might be relevant for you. It shows you might need to pray differently. Instead of continuing to pray that the trial would end, you might need to pray for wisdom about the reason for the trial.

Persistent famine

The story is another from the life of King David.

2 Samuel 21:1 says: “Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, ‘[It is] because of Saul and [his] bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.’” (NKJV)

So David’s need, in fact the need of the entire nation of Israel, was food and water. They had been in a drought and famine for three years. That will get people’s attention. They had just enough supply each day to survive for years, but rainfall and food were minimal.

No doubt, David and the people had cried out to God for provision day after day, week after week, month after month, even year after year—for three years! That is over 1,000 days.

The reason famines came to the covenant people of Israel

Actually they understood the meaning of an extended famine. They had a clear theology for it: God gave rain when his people walked in covenant faithfulness, and God withheld rain when his people broke covenant with him by doing evil. It was as simple as that.

Centuries earlier, through Moses, God had told Israel:

“If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely.” (Leviticus 26:3–5)

On the other hand, if they did not listen to the Lord, he said:

“I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.” (Leviticus 26:19–20)

Pray for wisdom in a persistent trial

No doubt, David and many of the people had confessed sins already in general. But the rain had not resumed. So again, with his nation in the terrible grip of famine, “David inquired of the LORD.”

Rather than answering David’s prayer with rain, the Lord answered with wisdom. He told him specifically what sin had brought the famine and why it had persisted despite many prayers. David’s predecessor King Saul had broken a covenant that Joshua and the Israelites had made with a foreign people called the Gibeonites many generations before (see Joshua 9).

God watches over the covenants people make with one another, even ill-advised covenants, as this one had been (again see Joshua 9). He rewards covenant-keeping and punishes covenant-breaking.

So David, now knowing specifically what had caused the famine, gave the Gibeonites justice, “and after that God heeded the prayer for the land” (2 Samuel 21:14).

Persistent trials happen to holy people

However, applying this to our lives, it would be a serious mistake to conclude that every persistent trial we suffer results from some particular sin.

James 1:2–4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (ESV)

So trials come to all Christians, even the most holy of the saints. God allows trials to perfect us.

Therefore the only way to know if God is disciplining us for some particular sin (see Hebrews 12:5–11), for which we need to repent, that our own prayerful soul-searching has not recognized, is to inquire of the Lord, to pray for wisdom. And that is exactly what the very next verse tells us to do. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Takeaway

When we go through a deep and long trial that prayer does not solve, we need to pray for wisdom from God about the reason for the trial. Until we address the reason for some trials, they might persist.

If we inquire of the Lord, and he does not reveal sin in our lives, then we should go on trusting and enduring as James 1:2–4 instructs and not keep suspecting that we must have some hidden sin that is the root of the problem. Such uncertainty is debilitating. It weakens us. It kills faith and leaves us feeling chronically guilty and condemned.

Once again we see how important it is that we develop the ability to pray for wisdom. We need it to be able to know God and his ways, to work through problems and challenges with him, and to see his promises fulfilled in our lives.

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 Step-by-Step

God can bring you through complicated situations when you pray for wisdom step-by-step.

pray for wisdom step-by-step

Sometimes we pray for wisdom about simple situations. The situation is simple not in the sense that it is easy to solve or trivial, but that the answer to just one or two crucial questions will answer what is basically just one important need.

At other times we pray for wisdom about complicated situations that have many moving parts. Such is David’s situation in the following story.

As you read, notice two things. First, note the complications in David’s situation, that is, the number of individuals, groups, opponents, and problems he must address. Second, notice how many times David inquires of the Lord and how the narrator wants to call attention to this.

The context of these events: David is living in the wilderness with his personal army of 600 men, avoiding King Saul, who jealously seeks to find and kill him. David and his men have been living in recurring danger, on the move and insecure.

Pray for wisdom step-by-step

1 Samuel 23:1–14 says:

[1] Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” [2] Therefore David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

[3] But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” [4] Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”

[5] And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

[6] When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech [the high priest of Israel whom King Saul had just murdered] had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. [Note: The ephod of the priest was a vest to which was attached the Urim and Thummim, which were sacred lots used for decision making.]

[7] Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” [8] And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

[9] David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” [10] Then David said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. [11] Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.”

And the LORD said, “He will come down.” [Note: Perhaps David used the Urim and Thummim in this inquiry, but God went beyond the yes or no answer that casting the lots might have provided and spoke his answer.]

[12] Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will surrender you.”

[13] Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.”

It’s complicated

In this story, David prayed for specific wisdom four times, all of which God answered—succinctly—no extra words, no information beyond what David asked. (Compare these brief answers with the detailed map of upcoming events that the prophet Samuel provided Saul early in their relationship, recorded in 1 Samuel 10:1–13.)

David had to take into account the strength of the Philistine army, as well as the support of his own troops, and then the threat from Saul and his army, and then the loyalty of the residents of Keilah. This was a complicated situation with tens of thousands of people and numerous groups involved. David had to take into account military tactics, geography and travel, troop morale and loyalty, and so on.

And when David inquired, God told him what to do one step at a time.

Three takeaways

1. God can bring you through complicated situations when you pray for wisdom step-by-step.

2. Getting one piece of a complicated puzzle in the right place does not solve the puzzle.

Inquiring of God and getting one answer might not enable you to live happily ever after. When God’s wisdom gave David victory over the Philistines, that led to his being in a new position of danger from Saul, which led to being in danger from the people he had just rescued. So do not be surprised if you need to keep going back to God for additional wisdom.

3. God might give you reassurance when you feel legitimate need to keep asking more questions.

Notice in verses 1–4 that God clearly answered David’s first inquiry, but when David told his troops they objected. Instead of saying, “Men, God told me what to do. You have nothing to worry about,” David went back to God and apparently asked the same question to make sure he heard it right. Remember, they were going into battle; this was a life-and-death question for 600 men.

David also showed his need for reassurance by asking for the ephod from the priest Abiathar, who had just come into the camp. David had not had the ephod available previously, and yet he had inquired of God successfully without it. But now that the ephod is available, he apparently felt this could help him pray for wisdom more effectively.

David needed reassurance; sometimes you need reassurance. If you are not acting in unbelief, God might confirm his answer.

If so, he will give you wisdom not by means of an ephod, or Urim and Thummim. Instead he has given you the Holy Spirit within, who has united with your human spirit, and he has said, “The anointing that you received from him abides in you…his anointing teaches you about everything” (1 John 2:27).

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 to Solve Problems

When we pray for wisdom to solve problems, God sometimes gives answers that are surprising or counter-intuitive.

pray for wisdom to solve problems

On April 11, 1970, Apollo 13 blasted off for the moon. Two days into the mission, however, the spacecraft’s oxygen tanks exploded. Minutes later the pilot spoke the famous line, “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” The explosion did not destroy the spacecraft or immediately harm the crew, but getting the crew back to earth alive was in doubt.

Somehow, four days later, through an extraordinary display of problem-solving and engineering and resourcefulness and good decisions and courage and the mercy of God, the spacecraft splashed safely into the South Pacific.

No limits?

If only human ingenuity could solve every problem like that. But for every inspiring story like this, there are thousands in which human resources meet their match. We have a need or face a crisis, and nothing we do answers it. No matter how smart or creative we are, no matter how sophisticated our problem-solving methods, we are stuck and in trouble.

Soon after their exodus from Egypt, Moses and several million Israelites found themselves in a desert and unable to find water. After three days, they found water, but it was bitter and undrinkable. The people began desperately to complain to Moses, and Moses began desperately to cry to God for help.

Divine help came in the form of wisdom: God told Moses what to do. God did not directly sweeten the water himself, which he of course had unlimited ability to do, but rather told Moses how to sweeten it. “The LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” (Exodus 15:25, ESV)

The counterintuitive log

The log was God’s wisdom for Moses, and it was counterintuitive. If we could transport a scientist to that situation prior to God’s giving his solution, the scientist would not have said that what Moses needed to do was to find a log to throw into the water. The log is an unscientific, seemingly magical solution. Educated readers today might mock this story as mythical, as an example of many supernatural stories in the Bible that they dismiss as impossible occurrences, which uneducated and superstitious primitives gullibly believe.

But you can be sure it happened just as Scripture records, and what it reveals is a common pattern in God’s ways. Sometimes—not always—but sometimes he gives counterintuitive wisdom. And we need to have faith to do what he says even though it defies reason.

The wisdom of the log

For example, James 5:14–15 says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

Notice this says not only to pray but to anoint with oil. If we believe in God, we know it is rational to pray to an Almighty God to heal; but it defies human, medical logic to anoint the sick person with oil. If a person has a heart problem, what curative power does olive oil smeared to the forehead have? Nevertheless, it is God’s wisdom, his counterintuitive wisdom.

The hidden log

Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” The power of the log to sweeten the waters was a great and hidden thing. For every human problem, need, or crisis, there is a log, a solution from God. There is great and hidden wisdom only God can reveal, and it might be counterintuitive. If you cry out to him, he can reveal it, in his time, in his way, if it accords with his will. If you have the childlike trust to do what he says, the waters will become sweet, in his time, in his way, if it accords with his will.

Pray for Wisdom to Solve Problems

The New Testament also assures us God is willing to give logs to those who stand weeping at the shores of bitter waters. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Let’s take this verse apart.

“any of you”

Anyone can ask God for wisdom. You do not have to be someone special to inquire of God. You can be a babe in Christ, a holy person, or someone who is struggling to overcome sin.

“lacks wisdom”

God gives wisdom to those who know they do not know how to do something. They feel the lack. They sense their limits. And they might believe the situation is impossible. If you are at the end of yourself, at the end of human problem-solving, brainstorming, and methods, you qualify for the promise of James 1:5.

Remember, there are no problems God cannot solve. “All things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). He “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). There is always a log; the question is, what is God’s will, and do we have enough faith and perseverance?

“let him ask God”

The verb “ask” is in the present tense. Those who keep praying and believing receive wisdom; those who doubt and quit might not.

“who gives generously”

God gives wisdom willingly and abundantly, like a mother dishing out homemade pie. God is not stingy with wisdom. You are not coercing a reluctant God. Rather he delights in pointing you to the log, in his time, in his way, in accord with his will.

“to all”

This repeats the first point for emphasis: anyone can ask for and receive wisdom, not just leaders, prophets, and pastors. Are you in the group labeled “all”? Okay, you qualify. This means you.

“without reproach”

To reproach means to find fault. It is natural for sinful humans, which we all are, to feel that God will not give us something because we have done something wrong, even today. We might assume this is why we have the need (and we might be right). But when we ask for wisdom, God does not find fault with us. Certainly, as always when we pray, we should confess and repent of our known sins. But then we should not let our past sins create doubt in our hearts. Such thinking cripples prayer. God does not fault you for lacking wisdom, and the sins you confess and repent of are under his blood.

“it will be given”

This is a promise. God is absolutely truthful, and therefore you can put your faith in these words. He will do it in his time, in his way, according to his will, if you believe.

I urge you to meditate regularly and prayerfully on each short phrase in James 1:5. Your faith for praying for wisdom will increase.

Takeaway

When we face a need, stubborn problem, or crisis, God wants us to cry out to him and use whatever wisdom he gives no matter how surprising or counterintuitive.

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 Patiently

As Jeremiah shows in this story, even seasoned prophets must pray for wisdom patiently.

pray for wisdom patiently

The greatest obstacle to praying successfully for wisdom is a lack of patience. The story we see in this article shows that even great prophets sometimes do not promptly receive the wisdom they seek.

What to do after disaster

The prophet was Jeremiah, one of the greatest in Israel. The circumstance was a request from some of the leaders of the people that he inquire of the Lord for them about what to do in the aftermath of Babylon’s conquest of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 42:1–4 says, “Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near and said to Jeremiah the prophet, ‘Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the LORD your God for us, for all this remnant—because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us—that the LORD your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.’

“Jeremiah the prophet said to them, ‘I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the LORD your God according to your request, and whatever the LORD answers you I will tell you. I will keep nothing back from you.’” (ESV)

A heavyweight

Remember that Jeremiah is God’s right hand man in Israel. When Jeremiah was a youth, God appeared to him to call him into his ministry as a mouthpiece for God. Jeremiah describes that experience: “Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, ‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.’” (Jeremiah 1:9–10, ESV)

So Jeremiah is not a lightweight, wannabe, or novice at hearing from the Lord. And now as the leaders of Israel inquire of God through him, he has been prophesying accurately to the nation for decades. So he brings their question to the Lord.

Pray for wisdom patiently

After inquiring of God for one day, the answer had not come. After two days, no answer from God. Three days, four days, five, six, seven—no answer. Eight days, nine days, no answer. The man of God—the man who knew how to receive God’s word and wisdom—did not hear anything from God for nine days.

Moreover, God did not tell Jeremiah how long he would have to wait for the answer. He simply had to keep praying and believing the wisdom would come. For all he knew, it could take weeks or months.

But Jeremiah 42:7 says, “At the end of ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.”

Is a delay a denial?

Have you ever waited on God for ten days? My guess is that Jeremiah probably did not present his request on day one and then go about his business doing other things until the answer came at the end of day ten. Rather, he probably focused on that for each of ten days, seeking the Lord in prayer. My point is not that asking God for wisdom necessarily demands that, but rather, even doing that did not in this situation result in a quick answer.

You should not feel something is wrong if you pray for several minutes or even hours for wisdom but do not come away with something tangible. Your prayer has planted a seed; do not give up on it. God has heard you. He has his timing and his wise reasons for delay. He had a perfect reason for waiting ten days to answer Jeremiah’s inquiry. While he is patient, we are impatient. While he knows the present and the future, we know next to nothing. He is perfect in all his ways. But whether it takes ten days, ten weeks, ten months, or ten years, the rewards of having wisdom from God Most Wise are too great to quit on the promise of James 1:5.

Therefore when seeking God for wisdom takes much time or requires waiting patiently, do not give up in unbelief and do not forget about it. If the requested wisdom does not come in the time span you expect, that does not mean it will never come or that something is wrong with you.

Life principle

Even God’s choicest prophets have had to wait patiently for him to reveal the wisdom they seek, so do not give up in unbelief if your requests for wisdom take longer than expected to be answered.

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 to Interpret and Apply Scripture

Even if you have little experience in studying the Bible, you can pray for wisdom to interpret and apply Scripture.

pray for wisdom to interpret and apply Scripture

When you do not understand something in the Bible, what do you do? Do you google it? Do you read a commentary? Do you make a note to discuss it with someone with more Bible knowledge?

One of the godliest kings in Judah’s history, named Josiah, once faced a situation in which he had an all-important question about the meaning and application of Scripture. Here is what happened.

The lost Bible

During the reign of several wicked kings, the Scriptures were so thoroughly ignored by both political and religious leaders that the sacred scrolls were put into a room somewhere in the temple and forgotten. As a result, although Josiah was a good and godly king who came into power at age 8, he had never seen or heard the Scriptures. Recall that this was a few thousand years before the invention of the printing press.

But then, a few years into his reign, Josiah ordered the repair of the temple. One day the workers discovered the sacred scrolls and showed them to the high priest. Soon he showed them to king Josiah’s secretary, and the secretary brought them to the king and read aloud.

Second Kings 22:11 says, “When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.” In that culture, tearing one’s robe was one of the ultimate displays of grief or outrage. The Bible does not tell us where Josiah read in the Bible, but based on his reaction it must have been a section (such as Deuteronomy) where God described the requirements of his covenant with Israel and the punishments that would fall on the nation if they disobeyed.

Well, Israel had failed egregiously. The land was covered with idols. There were idols in the Lord’s very temple. Josiah suddenly knew that a whirlwind of terrible judgment awaited them.

A heap of trouble

He probably had read something like this from Deuteronomy 28:15–29 (ESV):

“But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.

“The LORD will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me. The LORD will make the pestilence stick to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. The LORD will strike you with wasting disease and with fever, inflammation and fiery heat, and with drought and with blight and with mildew. They shall pursue you until you perish. And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron. The LORD will make the rain of your land powder. From heaven dust shall come down on you until you are destroyed.

“The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them. And you shall be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. And your dead body shall be food for all birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away. The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, and with tumors and scabs and itch, of which you cannot be healed. The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind, and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. And you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to help you.”

What to do?

Now you know why Josiah tore his robe.

This was overwhelming. Josiah now knew that Israel was in major trouble, but he also knew that the judgment had not yet fallen upon them. They were in a time of relative peace, far from the prosperity and power enjoyed under Kings David and Solomon and Hezekiah but not mere hours from destruction either.

So Josiah understood in general how to interpret the meaning of the Scriptures he had now heard, but he needed to know what to do about it, how to apply it to himself and the policies of his kingdom. Was it too late? Was judgment inevitable? Could he do anything to avert disaster?

Crisis management

So after the secretary read the Scripture to Josiah and he tore his robe, Josiah said to his attendants,

“Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” (2 Kings 22:13)

Josiah’s first instinct was good. He knew he needed to inquire of the Lord for wisdom. He knew God could tell them what to do.

But this was hundreds of years before Jesus, before the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on all believers, and thus before all believers received the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and the anointing that teaches believers all things (1 John 2:27). This was hundreds of years before God promised, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).

As a result, Josiah did not believe that God would directly tell him what to do, even though he was king.

Ask the prophet

So Josiah’s attendants found a prophetess named Huldah to inquire of her what the Lord would say. This was common practice during this era. Kings and others inquired of the Lord by inquiring of prophets and priests, who were God’s anointed, authoritative spokespersons, in whose mouths was the word of the Lord.

The essence of the message from the prophetess was, it is too late to save the nation from judgment, but because King Josiah has done what is right he will not see it himself. (see 2 Kings 22:14–20)

Pray for wisdom to interpret and apply Scripture

Don’t you wish you had a prophetess like Huldah at your side when you puzzle over something in the Bible?

As nice as that would be, we should not approach our Bible questions like Josiah. Understanding and applying the Word of God does require supernatural wisdom and insight, but he is willing to help you. When you scratch your head over a verse in the Bible, you should not assume its meaning and application will always remain behind a curtain. Rather, you should pray for wisdom to interpret and apply that Scripture, receive it by faith, and then pursue the answer diligently, patiently, and persistently.

It may be that you will find the answer yourself through study and meditation. It may be that God will lead you to the teaching of someone with far more experience and knowledge in Scripture than you. But it all begins with inquiring of the Lord and believing he is your instructor (Matthew 23:10), who sometimes teaches you directly and sometimes indirectly through others.

This is a prayer based on God’s Word

God shows us in Scripture that we can pray in this way.

Psalm 119:73 says, “Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.”

Psalm 119:34 says, “Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.”

Verse 73 is the prayer for understanding the meaning of Scripture, and verse 34 highlights application.

What I do with my toughest questions

This is the practice I have followed in writing this blog weekly over the last four years. I have faced many questions that at first I felt I would not be able to answer, especially as I wrote about the holiness of God. But I have learned not to assume I will never find the answer. When puzzled, I have learned to inquire of the Lord, and I have seen again and again he is willing to teach me to understand and apply his Word sooner or later.

Here is one example of an article I wrote on a question I had puzzled over for decades without inquiring of the Lord, but then when I began inquiring of the Lord about it, he opened the curtain in a few months.

Currently in my “Inquiring of the Lord” file, I have several more theological questions. For example, one of my prayers is, “Lord, help me better understand the harmony of your wrath and love. Do you ever feel anger toward a true Christian?” I have leanings on this, but not yet clarity. I know the Lord will eventually answer questions like these.

When I come to a roadblock in understanding the Bible, I should not assume I will never be able to plumb the depths of the subject. And I do not need to respond as Josiah did, asking a fellow human to inquire of the Lord for me. I can and should inquire of him myself. Then, if he wants to send Huldah to help me, I am all for it. But if he wants to open my mind to understand this on my own, all the better.

Conclusion

You will be surprised how much God is willing to teach you in the Bible if you will ask him for wisdom each time you have a question, write that question down in a spiritual journal, and then keep that question simmering on the front or back burner for as long as necessary.

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 about Why

God sometimes reveals his most important guidance when we pray for wisdom about why our circumstances are as they are.

pray for wisdom about why

Have you ever wanted to ask God why? Isaac’s wife did, and God answered.

Genesis 25:21–26 says:

“ 21 And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, ‘If it is thus, why is this happening to me?’ So she went to inquire of the LORD.

“ 23 And the LORD said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.’

“ 24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.”

Here are four takeaways from this story about inquiring of God.

1. We can inquire of God when we are troubled

Rebekah was deeply troubled by what was happening to her. For two decades she had suffered the sorrow and frustration of barrenness. Then she celebrated the conception of a child. Now, however, she experiences jostling within her womb that she does not understand and cannot control and that is probably painful. Perhaps she did not yet know she had twins within, and so the jostling was both mysterious and worrisome.

2. We can ask God why

“She said, ‘If it is thus, why is this happening to me?’ So she went to inquire of the LORD.” (v. 22)

You can ask God your questions, even your why questions. Some people mistakenly suppose we should never ask God why because that is not our place. Others err by expecting God to explain everything, which he certainly will not do because the Christian life requires trust and because he is God and we are not.

Therefore God might answer a why question, but he might not. I do not think this falls within the promise of James 1:5, which says God gives wisdom when we ask. But if we need to know the purpose in a situation and God wants us to know so we will believe his promise, we can expect that he will reveal it.

3. We should inquire in a conducive place

Verse 22 says, “she went to inquire of the Lord.” Where did she go? They did not have a temple; perhaps they had an altar or a place of daily prayer. She might have experienced God’s presence there before. In any event, she went to a conducive setting where she could be alone for an extended time and pay attention to God without distraction.

You might go to a church that has a prayer room or allows people to pray in the worship area. Or you could go to a retreat center dedicated to people who come to pray for a day or more.

4. Inquiring of God may lead to the most important revelations in our lives

God answered Rebekah with a prophetic revelation of the future, unveiling the destiny for her and her children and even for nations: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” (v. 23)

Of course, insights of that magnitude do not happen every time one inquires of the Lord, and not everyone gives birth to children in the promised line leading to the nation of Israel and the Messiah himself! So we should have expectations that are neither too high nor too low.

But we can always inquire of the Lord with confident hope, for Scripture and Christian biographies alike show the Father often reveals his most important guidance and promises as his children inquire of him in times of trouble.

He will usually do that through his written Word. So when you inquire of the Lord, read the Bible much and ask him to guide that reading. He will lead you to Scriptures that are linchpins for a season or even for your entire life.

Conclusion

It might suit God’s purpose to reveal the reason for your circumstances, if you inquire of him.

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)