4 Ways God Gives Wisdom

In a previous post on James 1:5-8, we explored God’s willingness to give us wisdom for troubled times. Wisdom is ours for the asking! But how exactly does God grant this wisdom?

God grants wisdom primarily in four ways: through His Word (the Bible), through prayer, through the Holy Spirit, and wise Christians. Of course, these are not the only ways God grants wisdom, but in my estimation, these are the primary ways God gives wisdom.

God’s Word

If you want God’s wisdom, you must have a regular daily time of Bible reading. The Bible is not just an ancient near eastern book full of sage advice. The Bible is God’s Word. We must read it regularly if we hope to have something of the wisdom of God.

Before you read the Bible, pray this simple prayer: “God, open Your Word to me and open me to Your Word.” Listen to God speak to you as you read His Word; you will be strengthened to stand in the face of adversity. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” 

Prayer

This is the most obvious way, as it is given in verse 5: “Ask of God.” Pray. Talk to God. James knew something about talking to God. Church history records James as having the nickname “old camel knees.” In other words, his knees had become so rigid and calloused from kneeling in prayer that they looked like the knees of a camel. 

Pray every day. Pray in the morning. Pray throughout the day. And especially when you find yourself amid troubled times, talk to the Lord. It’s right in the text: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.”

Holy Spirit

If you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit within you (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 1:13). God is in you to guide you and lead you along. And the Bible says in Ephesians 5:18 that we are to be “filled” with the Spirit. I like to be aware of His presence. I often bow my head, close my eyes, and say, “Spirit, fill me. Take complete control of my life.”

And especially when we are going through hardships, we are wise to bow our heads, close our eyes, and say, “Spirit, fill me. Take control of my life,” and God will guide us. He will lead us to think, speak, and do what is right.  

Wise Christians

We get by with a little help from our friends, Christian friends. Don’t misunderstand: non-Christian friends can help too, but wise Christian friends are a particular source of strength because they will counsel us from the Word of God—their counsel squares with God’s truth (or at least, it should!).

Wise Christians are found in our local church (the most immediate and important location) and other places. Good books, for example—books written by wise Christians, full of Scripture and sound theology—help us weather the storms of life.  

Wisdom for troubled times can also come through sermons, preachers on the radio or podcasts, or other Christians—wise, growing Christians—Christians with whom we worship or Christians in our small group get-togethers.

These are the primary means by which God grants wisdom: the Bible, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and wise Christians. We must consistently avail ourselves of each of these means if we hope to grow in wisdom.

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 16-18, available on Amazon.