by Ruth O’Neil
“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).
Years ago I prayed for wisdom about a certain situation. Now, praying for wisdom doesn’t have quite the same results as those who pray for faith or patience (which we should all do from time to time), but it definitely opened my eyes to see surprising things. Praying for wisdom has become almost a constant prayer as I have raised my children and have made daily decisions. If you make praying for wisdom a habit God will answer in ways you never expected.
One week, probably a year ago or more, the same book was mentioned (raved about) to me three times in one week. I figured this was a good book to add to my TBR pile. Finally I was able to pick up and read it, or at least start reading. With every page I turned a new question popped into my head.
“Will this book get any better?”
“Who thought this was a good book?”
“Who told this author he/she could write?”
Then there was the last question that popped into my head, “Wait, is that what the Bible really says?”
That was when I began to do a little research. I looked up the reviews on Amazon, and there were a lot of them. There were plenty of four and five star reviews, but I skipped over them and went right to the one star reviews. It was then I received confirmation of my thoughts while reading. I wasn’t alone in my beliefs. Some nice people had even taken the time to look up Scripture passages against what the author said.
Then, God gave me peace. I had my convictions and I stood by them.
You may have had similar circumstances. Sometimes standing on your convictions can put you in a very small minority; but we have to have faith that God has spoken to our hearts. Sometimes people get so caught up in the feel-good aspects of life that they don’t look any deeper or seek out God’s wisdom. They take everything at face value and don’t ever realize the repercussions could be damaging.
The great King Solomon is known for having prayed for wisdom. He wrote much about it throughout Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. If he made an effort to pray for it, why shouldn’t we?
So, make it a point today to ask for wisdom in everything you do. Even the smallest of choices can have the biggest consequences.
About the Author:
Ruth O’Neil has been writing for over 20 years. She has published hundreds of articles in numerous publications. She loves to touch the emotions when she writes. “If I can make one person laugh or cry, I’ll consider myself successful.” Her first novel “Come Eat at My Table” has just come out in ebook form and can be purchased on her website. She homeschools her three children (well, one now, as two have graduated). She and her husband have been married for 20-plus years. In her spare time she enjoys quilting, crafting, and reading. You can visit her on her blog at ruths-real-life (dot)blogspot.com or her website at ruthoneil (dot)weebly.com