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 hen people write to me asking for prayer about what to do in their situations, I often include a quote from James chapter 1 in my reply. That’s because James states clearly and emphatically that God loves to pour out His wisdom on those who ask for it. Number 9: Need Wisdom? Ask God!By Eric Elder When people write to me asking for prayer about what to do in their situations, I often include a quote from James chapter 1 in my reply. That’s because James states clearly and emphatically that God loves to pour out His wisdom on those who ask for it. And because people are facing so many decisions in their lives--whether it’s in regards to their relationships, careers, health, finances, ministries, and so on--I find myself quoting James quite a bit. Here’s what James says: “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).This is a simple, yet beautiful verse. It’s simple, because it contains a very basic message: if you need wisdom, ask God. It’s beautiful, because it gives you assurance that your prayers are not in vain, that God will give you His wisdom, generously and without reproach--meaning He will not rebuke you for asking. He knows that you’re wisdom is limited, and that’s OK. But believe it or not, as much as you might want to know God’s will for your life, God wants you to know it even more. He has a vested interest in your decisions and He is more than willing to help you make them--if you’re willing to ask Him. But James also goes on to say that the way you ask for wisdom will help to ensure that you’ll receive it: he says to ask for it in faith: “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” (James 1:6-8).God wants you to come to Him in faith, believing that He will answer you, and believing that His answer is truly the best for you. Some people come to God wanting to hear His thoughts on a matter first, then they decide whether or not they want to take His advice. But God wants you to come to Him in faith, with your answer being, “Yes! I’ll do it!” even before He tells you what to do! He wants to know that you trust Him, that you believe in your heart that He really does know what’s best for you. What does faith like this look like in real life? If you keep reading in the book of James, you’ll find out: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:14-17).The best kind of faith is faith that is put into action, faith that demonstrates to God and to those around you that you really do believe that what He says is true. If you’re wrestling with a decision in your life, I want to encourage you to ask God for wisdom, whether it’s about who to marry, where to live, how to live, how not to live, or any other question that’s on your heart. Come to God with an expectant heart. He won’t rebuke you for asking for wisdom. Instead, He’ll pour out His wisdom on you generously without finding fault. I’d also encourage you to read through the rest of James chapter 1--and all 5 chapters of the book of James if you can--for his letter contains some of the best wisdom from God on topics like persevering through trials, dealing with temptation, caring for those in need, taming your tongue, praying for healing, and praying in faith. It might even contain the specific answers to the questions on your heart. If you need wisdom, ask God. And when you ask, ask in faith! Let’s pray... Father, thank You for assuring us that You love to pour out Your wisdom on us when we ask for it in faith. Please answer the prayers on our heart and give us the wisdom we need to make the best decisions we can in the situations we face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.P.S. One of the best ways to stir up your faith in God is to listen to the great hymns and choruses that were written about His faithfulness. Even the melodies alone can stir your mind to greater faith, and greater trust in Him. I had the blessing of helping Jennifer Ramsey record 15 beautiful, instrumental songs of the faith on the grand piano, songs like: We Bow Down, As We Gather/Every Time That We Are Gathered, How Beautiful, Jesus Paid It All/Beneath The Cross Of Jesus, Lord Be Glorified, Holy, Holy, Holy, Create In Me A Clean Heart, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, In Christ Alone, Come Just As You Are/Jesus Draw Me Close, The Power Of Your Love, Lamb of God, And Can It Be?, It Is Well With My Soul, and Lord I Lift Your Name On High. I’d be glad to send you a copy of those songs on CD for a gift of any size to our ministry this month. Your donations help to offset the cost of printing and mailing the CD to you. And when you include an extra gift, it goes even farther to help us continue sharing the message of Christ with you and others week after week. I know you’ll be blessed by this CD, as I was as I listened to Jennifer record it, and I’d be glad to send it to you in appreciation of your donation of any size. To send a gift and get the CD, just click the link below. Today’s Scripture: James 1 Today’s Memory Verse: “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). To read more from this series, “The Top 20 Passages in the Bible,” click here: To get more inspiring books and music like this, please visit: To find us on Facebook, look for us at “The Ranch Messages” and click “Like!” Invite your friends! We’d love to have them study along with us--and you! Just forward this email and encourage them to sign up for themselves at the link below. To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter, click here: |
