August 12
Just Ask
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
—James 1:5
The purpose of prayer is not to move God our way. It is to move us His way. It is to tap into what His will is. Solomon said, “I need wisdom.” That is exactly what God wanted him to request. Thus the Lord gave him not only what he prayed for but even more.
Solomon had figured out that the objective of prayer is to get one’s will in alignment with God. That is so important. We sometimes think that through prayer, we are going to somehow cajole God into doing what we want him to do. I have even heard people say, “I was wrestling with God in prayer.” Who won? I hope God did. If you’re trying to fight with God, you’re going to lose, one way or the other.
What would you say if God came to you tonight in a dream and said, “I will give you whatever you want”? Your answer is a real indication as to where you are spiritually—how you are doing in the spiritual race.
We see that Solomon’s heart was right with God because he said, “Lord, I need wisdom. I am overwhelmed by my responsibilities.”
Have you ever felt that way? Are you overwhelmed by your responsibilities as a father or a mother? Perhaps you’re a CEO of a corporation. You’re a boss at a worksite. You oversee other people in a ministry. You’re a teacher in a classroom.
Everybody comes to you with problems. Often you feel you can’t handle it all. You say, “Lord, give me wisdom.” He will.
—Greg Laurie, Losers and Winners, Saints and Sinners
In his newest book, Losers and Winners, Saints and Sinners, Greg Laurie examines the lives of biblical personalities—good and bad—revealing why some fell and failed while others picked themselves up and finished strong in the spiritual race.
Copyright © 2005 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.