Praying for wisdom Archives • Page 4 of 4 • Knowing God and His Ways

The ultimate goal of Christ-centered wisdom is not a method to get what you want.

Jesus needed to solve a tax problem. When he came to Capernaum on one occasion, the collectors of the two-drachma tax approached Peter with their hands out.

Apparently Jesus and his disciples did not have the money, and so he needed wisdom, which can be defined as understanding how to solve a problem, do something successfully, accomplish a purpose, or reach a goal. Wisdom is not just knowledge; it is knowledge you can use to some benefit.

Jesus told Peter, “Go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself” (Matthew 17:27).

This is one extraordinary example of the divine benefit that comes from knowing how to do something. On the other hand, we can find hundreds of ordinary examples of wisdom in the Book of Proverbs, which tell us how to manage our finances, families, and much else successfully. Whether God provides wisdom in an ordinary or extraordinary way, Scripture promises, “A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might” (Proverbs 24:5).

Dangers of wisdom

As beneficial as wisdom is, however, the pursuit of wisdom also has its dangers. For instance, consider Solomon. As a new and young king who had recently inherited the throne of his father David, he knew he faced many challenges. He had rivals within his own family, and the nations surrounding Israel were not friendly.

One day God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask what I shall give you” (1 Kings 3:5).

What an exciting offer! How tempting it must have been to ask for riches, long life, or the death of his enemies. But Solomon did not. Instead he said:

“O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” (1 Kings 3:7–9)

Solomon’s downfall

The Lord granted his request, and Solomon accomplished much, grew unimaginably wealthy, and ruled a golden age of peace in Israel. Nevertheless, his life is a tragedy, for he did not end well. Apparently he thought he was smart enough to be able to get away with disobeying God’s commands without paying the consequences. Ignoring the commands of the Lord, he married foreign women who led him into idolatry, the fundamental sin of the human soul. (See 1 Kings 11.)

The sin of idolatry—the sin of loving and serving something other than God like God, treating some thing or person as though it were ultimate, substituting the created things of this world for the place in our heart that only God should have—is the great temptation of those who seek wisdom. In fact, the original temptation in the Garden of Eden was to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 3:6 says, “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.”

Eve is not alone in her desire to have wisdom apart from God. Even the most wicked people in the world want to solve problems, succeed in what they do, and reach their goals. Worldly people want power, and wisdom gives it.

And so, people both good and bad seek knowledge, methods, techniques, how-to guides, hacks, formulas, and steps that will help them succeed in what they want to do and be. They google for it, go to seminars and watch webinars for it, read books on. It may be driven by a godly desire, such as how to pray effectively, or by a worldly desire, such as how to become rich and famous. The desire for wisdom can be pleasing to God, or it can be an idolatrous desire to have something that replaces God at the center of one’s heart.

The wealth of Christ-centered wisdom

For this reason, it is essential that we pursue wisdom in a Christ-centered way. We need Christ-centered wisdom, not merely the secret to whatever. Christ-centered wisdom brings us closer to God rather than leading us away from him.

The apostle Paul told the Colossians, who were enamored with this world’s wisdom, “In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

Pause and let that sink in. It is not an exaggeration. All the wisdom and knowledge on all the websites, in all the books in all the libraries, in all the brains of all the people of the world is not even one trillionth of one percent of the wisdom and knowledge that are in Christ.

In particular

Through the treasures of Christ’s wisdom and knowledge he created and upholds everything that exists: every atomic and subatomic particle and element, every atom, molecule, proton, and neutron, every living cell, chromosome, DNA, and gene, every human person, every animal and plant, every insect and reptile, every star, planet, moon, asteroid, solar system, and galaxy.

Christ is the divine wisdom, the divine intelligence, the divine reason, the Logos, the Word of God through whom God spoke all things into existence and upholds all things in existence. (John 1:1–4, Hebrews 1:1–3, Genesis 1:1–3)

Through the treasures of Christ’s wisdom and knowledge he gave to Moses the Ten Commandments, the foundations of morality.

Through the treasures of Christ’s wisdom and knowledge he spoke the Beatitudes and the Sermon the Mount, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the Parable of the Prodigal Son and his Gracious Father, the Parables of the Kingdom, and all the remaining Parables.

Because of the treasures of Christ’s wisdom and knowledge he is the vine and we are the branches. He is the Teacher, and we are his disciples. He is the Head, and we are his body.

In fact, although we learn much from books and human teachers, Jesus actually said, “You have one instructor, the Christ” (Matthew 23:10). In other words, ultimately all wisdom and knowledge come from him. Because of this verse, I make it a practice when I open a book to say: I thank you, Lord, for this book and its author, but I confess that ultimately I have only one instructor: the Christ. Teach me now through this book and author what you want me to know.

Five ingredients

On a practical level, then, how do we seek wisdom for everything that matters to us in a way that keeps it Christ-centered? Here are five suggestions.

1. Christ-centered wisdom trusts in Christ, not in the method. It knows that a method cannot accomplish anything apart from God’s blessing.

2. Christ-centered wisdom uses the method because it is given from Christ. The ultimate goal is to be in relationship with him through the process, not just to get what we desire.

3. Christ-centered wisdom begins with prayer to him that he will supply the needed understanding.

4. Christ-centered wisdom continues with prayer to him that he will help us implement the wisdom and that he will make the wisdom successful.

5. Christ-centered wisdom concludes the process with prayer by thanking him for his help and giving him the glory. Christ-centered wisdom gives credit to Christ, not to self, not to man, not to methods.

The wisdom of salvation in Christ

When we follow practices like this, Jesus will give us his wisdom in his time, in his way, according to his will. And this wisdom will rest firmly upon the most important wisdom of all, namely the wisdom that saves our souls. That most glorious of all wisdom comes only in the person of Christ, “who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30, NIV).

To be righteous in God’s sight through faith in Christ is the most valuable wisdom we can have.

To be holy in God’s sight through faith in Christ is the most valuable wisdom we can have.

And to be redeemed in God’s sight through faith in Christ is the most valuable wisdom we can have.

Truly there is no higher wisdom than Christ-centered wisdom.

Conclusion

Everyone wants success. Everyone wants to solve their problems and accomplish their goals. And everyone therefore wants the secret to success. And if God is willing to give the divine secret to success, everyone wants it. But few people want Christ as much as they want the divine secret to success. You will truly be wise if you recognize that he is the real prize. In receiving his wisdom you can know him better if that is what you prioritize.

Praying for wisdom is how you learn to lean on the Lord and prove to yourself you can trust him for everything that matters to you.

Life is hard. Your challenges and trials are many. Your goals and desires matter to you and to God. How do you get there, how do you solve problems, how do you smooth the way?

You take hold of one stunning opportunity, one breathtaking promise from the Almighty: “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, ESV).

How to get wisdom for anything

Consider the scope of this promise. This verse does not limit the need for wisdom to a specific area. If you need wisdom for your work or a certain relationship or managing finances or physical, emotional, or spiritual health or understanding things in the Bible or much, much more, this promise applies. You might need wisdom to solve a problem. You might need it to plan your future. Or to manage a project. Or to find peace, or to overcome a sinful habit. The relevance of wisdom for everything that matters most to you is boundless.

The first qualification for applying this promise is a sense of being emptyhanded. “If any of you lacks wisdom.” This promise is not for those who have the hack, but rather for those who lack. That certainly applies to me; how about you? Since I began wholeheartedly believing and depending on this promise, I have collected a long list of things for which I am praying for wisdom.

That list suggests one important lesson I have learned about praying for wisdom. The answer is often not an overnight shipment. Like all God’s promises, we must be prepared to persevere patiently for the answers. If we recognize that we lack wisdom and are willing to seek wisdom for as long as necessary, James 1:5 presents a universe of opportunity to even the simplest of God’s children.

One way I pray for wisdom

My most acute need for wisdom is how to lead people in Chicago into a relationship with Jesus Christ and enfold them in his church. For 26 years I have been pastor of a church in downtown. There are lots of people here, stacked up in tall buildings reaching to the sky, but leading them from where they are spiritually to a life of devotion to Jesus and involvement in his church has been quite a challenge. I know God can do it, and I believe he wants to do it, but when and how are still in the works.

What the wise can do

That is just one reason why James 1:5 stirs deep currents in my soul and keeps me praying daily for wisdom in evangelism. What James 1:5 promises about wisdom stands on the shoulders of all Proverbs says about the power of wisdom. For example:

“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.” (Proverbs 24:3–6)

Getting things done, putting up buildings, earning money, waging war—wisdom makes it possible. Even God does his mighty works by wisdom:

“The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.” (Proverbs 3:19–20)

And by wisdom God created and established things as sophisticated as the ecosystem of earth, the dynamics of weather, water, and light, and the plenitude of our planet’s living things.

By wisdom we learn to live in happy, fruitful ways pleasing to God. “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.” (Proverbs 3:13–18)

Finding God in the details

Based on passages like these, I am convinced God can give me and you the wisdom we need for our challenges. James 1:5 opens the door for anyone who will pray and believe for wisdom.

But there is more at stake. This is important not only for working successfully through life, but also for getting to know God better. Praying for and receiving heavenly wisdom is the way you work through the particulars of daily life in partnership with the Lord. This is as practical and relevant as Christian living gets. You know God by depending on him to give you wisdom for your job, family life, finances, health, emotions, ministry, goals, trials, prayers, and sanctification. This is how you learn to lean on the Lord and prove to yourself you can trust him in everything and for everything that matters to you.

Learning to pray for wisdom successfully is my new theme, and the Bible has much to say about it. You will not want to miss a single week.

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)