How to Get Wisdom for Everything That Matters to You

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)

February 12, 2018February 3, 2018

Four Benefits of Practicing God’s Presence

How do we experience well-being as a result of keeping the Lord in view?

Practicing God’s presence requires effort and self-control, and therefore we need to know why we are doing it. King David describes four benefits in Psalm 16:7–11.

Why Practice God’s Presence?

1. To receive God’s counsel

Psalm 16:7 says, “I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.”

David says this happens to him day and night. As he goes through his day doing his work and thinking about God regularly, wisdom comes to his mind. As he considers his way, he knows what to do. As he lays in bed thinking about his life, still practicing God’s presence, God directs his thoughts, emotions, and will.

2. To have confidence

Psalm 16:8 says, “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”

As David faced the challenges of life, he kept God in view. As a result, God was bigger in his mind than his problems.

We fall into fear and worry only when our problems loom larger in our thoughts than God’s ability and control.

3. To hope in ultimate salvation

Psalm 16:9–11 says, “⁹my flesh also dwells secure. ¹⁰ For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. ¹¹ You make known to me the path of life”

David speaks here about what will happen to him after he dies. He is confident God will not leave him in “Sheol,” which is the Hebrew word for where the soul goes after death. He is confident the ultimate destiny of his “flesh” is not “corruption,” that is, his body left in the grave.

Instead, because David walks with God, God shows him “the path of life.” David knows his ultimate destiny is life. He is walking in God’s ways, so God will give him life after death.

Those who practice God’s presence do not fear death. His presence brings confidence in his promises and a constant awareness of the reality of God and heaven.

4. To know fulness of joy

Psalm 16:9, 11 says, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices…. in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Many think happiness ends when you walk with God. But the reality is, those who practice God’s presence have the most joy.

Believers who do not practice God’s presence suffer many of the same torments as unbelievers: fear, worry, anger, despair, discouragement, and so on. They have not learned to trust and love God fully.

Joy and pleasure are God’s idea and his creation. So the closer we get to him, the happier we are and the more pleasurable life is.

There are many more benefits to practicing God’s presence—the greatest of course being God’s presence—but just these four show how worthwhile it is.

What benefits do you experience from practicing God’s presence? Share them with the rest of us in the comments area below.

December 11, 2017December 17, 2017

The Impossible Job

Do you have an impossible job?

Last night a woman in our church told how God had just given her success on a large, important project at work.

She is a website architect working for a big downtown bank that hired her specifically to upgrade their site’s interface for those with disabilities.

One impossible job

But everyone with whom she directly worked told her: You can’t do this. You will fail. You don’t have the necessary intelligence for this.

Indeed, she agreed. She didn’t know how to do it.

No one knew how to do what the bank was asking. One technician told her he could not do in a year even part of what the company was asking to be done in six months. These were uncharted waters.

She feared what would happen if she failed. That she would lose her job and pay. That she would have to move away.

Unceasing prayer

So she called out to God. All day long, every day, she prayed fervently over every detail, every web page, every line of code. She literally wept and prayed. She felt small and vulnerable.

But she also had fierce conviction that God was great enough to help her with an impossible job. She kept crying out to God day after day, planning functionalities, writing code, telling her team of developers what to do. She worked hard. Day after day she received wisdom for one piece of the project after another. Every step and idea was a discovery.

And so, week after week, one piece, one page, one functionality of the website after another came together. Months passed and the progress continued. The hand of God was upon her, and he blessed her entire team.

Great success

With the deadline approaching they were ready to release their work. They were ready to go live with approximately eighty new web pages of cutting edge technology.

On the day of release they discovered one minor problem. Just one easily fixed bug. But everything else worked flawlessly.

Last night our website architect told this story and enthusiastically gave God all the glory.

Divine wisdom for impossible jobs

As she spoke, a Scripture came to my mind, and when she finished I read it.

The story is about a young man whom a pagan king recruited to serve in his court. For three years he received training in the language, literature, and wisdom of that culture. At the end of that period, he Daniel and three Hebrew friends were brought before the king for a final exam.

“And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom” (Daniel 1:20).

Proverbs 2:6 says, “The LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

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.”

2 Timothy 2:7 says, “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”

Do you need to be a pastor to know God and his ways, to experience God working at your right hand?

No, you just need to have work to do. You need to sense your need of God’s help, to know that you can’t do anything apart from him. And you need to cry out to him with faith continually. To work hard. And then watch God work. In the end you will give him glory.