1) Pray for understanding in your mind, trust in your heart, and powerful obedience in your daily living.
2) Read the passage and mark anything that blesses you, challenges you, or raises a question.
3) Reflect on the passage. What's God saying about Himself? What's God saying about you?
4) Pray in response to what God puts on your heart through the Word.
James 1:5–8
[5] If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. [6] 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. [7] For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; [8] he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Head: What is wisdom? Is it just about making right choices? Or is it about our attitude before God while we make decisions?
Proverbs 9:10 - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
Heart: Take time to examine your heart's motivations for asking for wisdom. Are you asking in faith?
Hands: When God gives you wisdom, how will you use it for His glory?
Who wouldn't want wisdom? Then we can make all the right decisions, right? Well, Proverbs 9:10 tells us that wisdom is not only about making good choices; more importantly, it's about having the right attitude of respect and trust of God in all situations. That's what it means to be wise.
Now that we have a better understanding of what wisdom is, let's make sure we now how to ask for it. Today's passage tells us that we have to ask for wisdom in faith (v.6). This means that we trust that God wants to give us wisdom and that God can give us wisdom. Faith involves trusting God's love and God's power.
We're sometimes tempted to ask, "Why would God let this happen is He loves me?" or "Why couldn't God give me what I wanted?" We can be assured that God is more loving than anyone we know, and God is more powerful anything else in this world. We may not always understand why certain things happen the way they do, but the good news is that God knows... because He is wise above all measure. So let's trust in God's love and power and seek the wisdom that will grow us in faith and obedience.