James 1:5-8

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.  For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Prayer is an amazing gift from God.  The Creator and Sustainer of the universe allows us to come to Him in prayer.  We can admit our failures and find forgiveness.  We can express our admiration of His glory and find joy.  We can thank Him for His amazing fits and find peace.  We can ask Him for provision and find His will.  One of the provisions we most need is wisdom, and He delights to provide it for us.  When Solomon had the opportunity to ask God for anything, wisdom was his choice, and it should be ours.  This passage provides the ABCs of praying for wisdom.

ASK GOD FOR WISDOM: The first step towards asking for wisdom is admitting that we need it.  Too often we are “wise in our own eyes” and think that we don’t need wisdom from someone else.  We only ask for things we don’t have, or don’t have enough of.  Recognizing our own lack of wisdom is the first step towards receiving it.  The second step is to ask the right person to supply the wisdom we lack.  People go to all kinds of sources in search of wisdom.  Friends, family members, counselors, neighbors, paid professionals, You Tube, Ann Landers, and many other sources are consulted in the search for wisdom.  God is the only one-hundred percent reliable Person we can ask for wisdom.  He has a limitless supply of wisdom that He gladly imparts to all who ask.  He does not look down on or criticize those who admit their need of wisdom, much to the contrary, He delights in giving it to us.  We must admit we need wisdom, ask God for it, and accept the wisdom He gives.

BELIEVE HE IS WISE: James instructs us to ask for wisdom in faith.  The requirement of faith in our asking for wisdom should not be understood as a need to conger up more faith so we can receive more wisdom.  This is not some sort of clause that allows God to withhold His wisdom based on the size of our faith.  The prerequisite of faith in this passage is our confidence in God’s absolute wisdom.  People often look to God as some sort of parachute to call upon when everything else fails.  Or they look to God as one of many options available on the buffet of wisdom.  Asking in faith means that we are certain that God is all wise and that the wisdom He provides is far greater than any wisdom we or any other source has available.  God’s wisdom will often challenge our own thinking or what we call “conventional wisdom.”  The condition for receiving God’s wisdom is the conviction that He really is the ultimate source of wisdom.

COMMIT TO OBEDIENCE: We will often ask people for advice.  When we do this, all parties involved understand that the advice is given and received as a suggestion.  There is not an obligation to take that advice.  It is simply offered as one of many alternatives.  God does not give us “advice” when He dispenses wisdom.  We are obligated to follow Him when He reveals His will to us.  Disobedience, delayed, or partial obedience are all what James describes as being double minded.  Once we admit we need wisdom and recognize that He is the only fully reliable source of wisdom; it is double minded of us to simply decide to follow our own desires instead.  Why should God bother imparting wisdom that He knows will not be applied.  God knows our hearts and can see our motivations when we come to Him in prayer.  We should not try to fool Him or pretend to be something we are not.  This is all a waste of time and effort.  

APPLICATION: Admit that we need wisdom in all the various circumstances of our lives.  Recognize that God is the ultimate source of unlimited wisdom and that He desires to pour it out on all of us.  Submit fully to Him in all that He reveals to through His Word and Spirit.