Asking God for wisdom in a specific situation
You have a choice to make, a conversation to prepare, a conflict to handle. You don't know what to do. The Bible has a very simple answer for these moments: ask. This quest invites you to do it before you start your day, for one specific situation.
What it looks like in your day
Biblical wisdom is not great intelligence: it is the ability to see rightly and act well in a real situation. You can ask for it for very concrete things. Here is how:
- Identify the situation. What is ahead of you today where you don't know what to do? A talk with your boss, a money decision, an argument with your son, a project that is stuck.
- Describe it to God. In two sentences: "Lord, I have to announce a hard decision to my team. I don't know how to say it."
- Ask simply. "Give me your wisdom: the right words, the right moment, the right attitude."
- Keep your eyes open. During the day, wisdom may come through an idea, a remark from a colleague, a verse that keeps coming back, a sense of peace, an inner brake.
- Give thanks in the evening, even if the answer wasn't spectacular.
A small ritual: write the request on a piece of paper first thing in the morning. In the evening, reread it, and write down what happened.
If you are in a hurry, one sentence is enough. If you doubt that you will be heard, remember that God has promised to give. If you are shy, remember that the prayer for wisdom is the most "allowed" one: God loves it.
What the Bible says
James writes:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
Three things stand out: God gives "to all men" (not only to the learned); he gives "liberally" (without ulterior motive); and "upbraideth not": he won't make you pay by reminding you of your ignorance. The only condition is to ask in faith, "nothing wavering," that is, truly counting on him. King Solomon is the example:
“In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”
God offers him to ask for whatever he wants. He asks neither for riches nor for long life, but for an understanding heart to discern between good and bad. And God, pleased with this request, grants it generously (1 Kings 3:10-12).
Pitfalls to avoid
Asking without changing anything. If God shows you something and you refuse to hear it, wisdom remains a dead letter. Be ready to obey.
Looking for a spectacular answer. Wisdom often comes without fanfare: a hesitation that holds you back, a friend's advice, a sentence you read. Don't despise small signs.
Depriving yourself of human advice. Asking God for wisdom doesn't excuse you from listening to trusted people. The book of Proverbs praises the one who listens to counsel (Proverbs 12:15).
Waiting for absolute certainty. Sometimes you will have to act with partial clarity. Wisdom is not a guarantee of never being wrong.
Forgetting to apply the principle to small things. Wisdom is useful for a meal, a message, a trip too. Not only for big decisions.
Tomorrow morning, identify one specific situation. Say to God: "Give me your wisdom for this."