Have you ever been in a situation you did not know how to handle? Have you ever felt unsure about what the next right move was? Have you ever felt in over your head?That's kind of how I have been feeling lately. I have been facing several difficult situations and struggles that push the limits of my knowledge and expertise. It has left me searching for wisdom from above.
I recently finished another round of reading through the Bible. One of the last books I read was James. I found some really comforting helpful words that I wanted to share with you.
James lets us know that their is one prayer request God will always provide: wisdom. He writes, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you," (1:5). Later on, he describes the kind of wisdom that comes from God. He writes, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere," (3:17).
When I read this I thought, "Yes! Yes!!! That's exactly what I need." And it was so comforting to know that God will generously provide us with this kind of wisdom if we ask.
So that's been my prayer all week, "God, I need your wisdom. Will you please give me your wisdom?" And God has been answering this prayer, helping me navigate through challenging circumstances and guide others through difficult times. I know it is God at work for I could not do it on my own.
But then it occurred to me ... Why should I wait until I feel I need God's wisdom before I ask for God's wisdom? Really, I need God's wisdom every moment of every day. Think how much better, productive, and fruitful our lives could be if we asked for God's wisdom first rather than as a last resort. I realize that for most things I think, "I got this." I feel I am capable of handling it on my own. Yet isn't that where most of our problems begin - thinking we can live life, handle life, and succeed in life on our own apart from God? I need to shift from an "I got this" mentality to a "I need You" mentality.
So I am challenging myself to a new way of praying. I want to start every day praying, "God I need you and your wisdom. Would you give me your wisdom so that I may bring you glory in all that I say and do." And I want to pray before every action - not just the really hard things - and during every activity - not just the ones that stump me - to ask God for wisdom. Imagine what could happen if we all took this challenge and began praying in this way.
Who's with me?
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