Proverbs 2:3

Do you pray for wisdom? It is the ability of good judgment, so you can know what to do in any situation. The true and living God has all wisdom, and He gives it to those who ask. Greatness and success before God and men was never so easy. What hinders you?

When did you last pray for wisdom? If you do not ask, He will not give it. You will live ignorantly and foolishly, reaping the painful and negative consequences of such living, all because you were too lazy or too proud to ask. Get over it. Beg for wisdom today.

Do you passionately pray for it? Study may make a scholar, but only prayer will make a saint. Much reading may increase learning, but only the Spirit’s revelation gives wisdom. If you need wisdom, crave it from your knees; and from your knees beg the God of Solomon. He blessed Solomon above all men, and He can bless you above your peers.

The Preacher, King Solomon, was in the middle of exhorting his son to several duties necessary to gaining wisdom (Pr 2:1-9). This verse taught him, and it teaches you, to pray fervently for it. Here is no bland request for wisdom, but rather a desperate, passionate, and zealous cry for it. Cry out for it! Lift up your voice for it! Get intense!

God chose to operate in certain areas by request only, so James wrote, “Ye have not, because ye ask not” (Jas 4:2). Unless you ask and beg for certain things, God will let you live without them. He has made it easy for you to ask Him, as your Father (Luke 11:9-13). Could it be that your deficiency in wisdom is due to having seldom prayed for it?

Wisdom is something you should pray for (Jas 1:5). If you want more wisdom, God will hear and answer your request liberally. What a precious promise! Especially in the light of wisdom’s importance taught throughout this book of Proverbs. He will give it liberally and not criticize you for your intense requests. You may covet wisdom freely before God.

But you must ask in faith, fully confident of God’s ability and willingness to help you, or you will receive nothing from Him (Jas 1:6-8). Reject and forget any thoughts to the contrary, just as Abraham ignored all the problems with having a son by Sarah in old age. Without faith it is impossible to please God, the great Giver of wisdom (Heb 11:6).

God offered Solomon any request and greatly blessed his desire for wisdom. He also gave him things he did not request (II Chr 1:7-12). But you have the same heavenly offer! Why do you not request it as he did (Matt 7:7-11; 11:24; 18:19; John 14:13-14)? Daniel also prayed for wisdom and received it liberally (Dan 2:16-19; 5:11; 9:20-23; 10:10-21).

Be bold! Pray for extra wisdom. You will not offend the Giver, Who offered liberally. Elijah was a great prophet. John the Baptist, the greatest man born of a woman, came in his spirit and power (Luke 1:17). Before Elijah was carried into heaven, he offered Elisha any petition. What did he ask? Twice the spirit of Elijah! And he got it (II Kgs 2:9-15)!

This is the simplest way to be great in the sight of God and men – ask God for wisdom. Remember, it is wisdom that crowns a man and brings him honor (Pr 4:5-9). There is nothing in the world to be compared to wisdom (Pr 3:13-18; 8:11; 16:16). It will distinguish you from others and bring rich blessings from God and men in many ways.

Noble men will have holy reasons for seeking wisdom. Consider the psalmist’s prayer for God to give him understanding in the word of God and truth (Ps 119:11,18,26-27,34,73,125). Paul prayed for saints to get wisdom by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:15-20; Col 1:9-11), and the Holy Spirit is something for which you ought also to pray (Luke 11:13).

If you will not rightly value wisdom and ask God for it, you should tremble before Him, for He may judge you with blindness, as He has most men (Matt 11:25-27; 13:10-17; II Thess 2:9-12; John 9:39-41). There is no shame admitting you are a child in wisdom, like Solomon did and the Lord described, for God will richly bless this spirit of humility.

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature before God and men (Luke 2:52; Matt 13:54). It is certain He prayed for it, for His human nature required God’s blessing of wisdom like yours (Luke 6:12; 9:28; 22:39-45). But His prayers exceeded yours, and God’s blessing exceeded all, so that Jesus could truly say, “A greater than Solomon is here” (Mat 12:42).

When you ask God for wisdom for yourself, remember to ask for other sincere believers that also desire and need wisdom. The Lord Jesus Christ prayed this way for the apostles (John 14:15-17). And Paul repeated the favor for the churches (Eph 1:15-19; Col 1:9-11). If you pray for your family and friends, and they for you, what an increase there will be.