5 Verses to Pray When You Need Wisdom
You’re tired. You’ve done it your way long enough. You’re ready for a change, but how?
Jesus’ brother, James wrote:
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5
If you need wisdom. Ask. That’s it?
But you’re nervous. Is praying for wisdom like praying for patience? Will you come up against more tough decisions or opportunities to practice wisdom? Are you afraid you’ll fail agaaaaiiiinnn.
You and I have opportunities to be wise or foolish every day.
And I don’t know about you, but I get tired of learning the hard way. I need advance knowledge to avoid as many wounds as possible.
So, I’m asking God to help me. I’m turning to His Word and prayer, and I’m asking Him to give me upfront wisdom . . . ready for the challenge, up to the test wisdom.
Will you join me?
I’ve found 5 verses we can add to our War Room walls to help us.
5 Bible Verses to Pray When You Need Wisdom
James 1:5–8
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
Father, forgive me. I have divided loyalty. I want to have faith in you alone. I want to trust your truth and wisdom, but voices coax and pull me with half-truths, okay lies really, and I listen. I’m so sorry. I’m tired. I want Your wisdom. Please help me. Grow my faith. Help me know that You are who You say You are, that You can and will do what You say, and that Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life. I surrender my life to You, my Lord and my God. Amen.
Proverbs 2:1–6
My child, listen to what I say and treasure my commands.
Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.
Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.
Search for them as you would for silver,
seek them like hidden treasures.
Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and you will gain knowledge of God.
For the Lord grants wisdom!
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Father, help me to know and obey Your perfect will. Teach me Your truth and bless me with the courage and strength I need to follow it faithfully. I long for insight and understanding . . . gifts given through Your Spirit. I will study Your Word and learn Your commands, and with Your Spirit’s help, I will do my best to glorify You and obey. Help me, Father. I know Your ways are best. Give me all I need to trust and obey. Amen.
James 3:17
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
Father, Your wisdom is pure. Pure. Free of additives. It never is wisdom plus something. It is rock solid lasting truth. We’re so foolish. Looking for worldly knowledge to somehow work along-side or replace Your wisdom. Forgive us, Father. Help me to see through worldly lies. Help me to know and live by Your peace-loving, gentle, humble, servant wisdom. Just saying that makes me realize how different it is from the world’s way that tells us to “take care of number one.” No more. By Your grace, I will live for Your glory and follow Your wisdom.
Proverbs 8:12, 33–34
I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment.
I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.
Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it.
Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me
daily at my gates waiting for me outside my home!
Father, I need to make better decisions. I need good judgment that helps me know and follow Your will. Help me set safe boundaries. Keep me from foolishly getting as close as I can to worldly thinking that goes against your Word. I want to know Your will. I want to fulfill Your plans and purposes. I want to serve You with all I am and all I have. I want to live for Your glory. I want the joy that comes from living for You alone. But Father, I need Your grace. On my own, I can’t. But by Your grace through Jesus, I can do anything You have prepared for me. Help me Lord, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Ephesians 1:16–18
I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called—His holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
Father, I lift up my loves to You. Protect them. They need wisdom. I love them so much and want them to know the joy of following Your truth and wisdom. Draw them close to You. Grow their faith. Give them a love for Your Word and prayer. Open their hearts and minds to understand Your truth. Help them trust and obey You. Protect them from the world’s lies.
Father, I know You love my loves even more than I do. I know You want what’s best for them. You have plans and purposes for them. I surrender them to your care. Fill them with Your love. Teach them Your truth. Give them Your wisdom. In Jesus message, Amen.
Don’t you just love that God wants us to ask Him for things like wisdom?
He wants to bless us with everything we need to live today and face tomorrow.
What is your favorite verse to pray when you need wisdom?
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Every other month I read through Proverbs. Each time I learn something new. Learning the wisdom verses (reading them again) is so important for me to be reminded of them. Thanks for the spotlight Deb.
Amen, Bill! I need their wisdom daily as well!
I’ve always loved the story of young Solomon asking for wisdom when he became king. It showed me that God honors requests like this. These prayers are wonderful. Thank you for sharing them.
Thank you, Dawn. Blessings to you my friend!
Hello again, and thank you again for such a good message. So often humans do not see the need to seek wisdom, this is a wonderful reminder of how much we need to seek, “His” wisdom.
I have shared your blog on all of my Social sites. I love your dedication. I would also love if you please visit my sites; one is The Woman’s Post (a website to encourage all women). Home & Family, Career, Money, Older & Beautiful, Life Things & Personal Growth, Women in Business etc. I also have a Christian Blog that I leave in my comment post. It would help me to broaden my viewers which we all need. Please subscribe. Thank you again.
Thank you, Linda for your kind encouragement. I look forward to visiting you and getting to know you better. Many blessings to you!
Thank you for the reply and your graciousness. I really appreciate it.
The book of Proverbs is so wonderful to me. I’ve read through it so many times, but there are always new things to discover. Great topic and insights, Deb. We need His perfect wisdom for these troubling times! Thanks so much.
You’re right, Jason. Part of wisdom is remembering that no matter happens around us God is on the throne. That gives me courage and peace! Blessings to you!
Aren’t you glad we can pray when we need wisdom!
Love the scriptures and the prayers that you have shared today.
Thanks for always pointing us back to Jesus and to the Bible!
Sure am blessed by you, Deb!
I know! Ask! I love that verse in James. Ask and God will give it and generously. Now to faithfully follow the wisdom He gives. Thank you my friend! You bless me!!
Honestly Deb, sometimes I think we “overthink” this wisdom thing. God says ask for it and He gives it GENEROUSLY. Is He giving it and we’re too stiffnecked to receive it? Is it NOT what we want to hear? Very interesting topic and one I just may write on!!! xo
I think you may be right, Susan. There are so many voices and we stubbornly and foolishly listen to the wrong ones. I’m finding this month of digging deep into wisdom is not only interesting but faith strengthening. Blessings and hugs to you!
I absolutely loved praying with you today, Deb. You wrote such rich and moving supplications to God to grant us His wisdom, and for us to long for that wisdom alone. They were a balm to my heart today!
Blessings!
Deb, Thank you for sharing about wisdom. Wisdom is a great thing to ask God for, certainly safer than praying for patience! In this world, wisdom is a great thing to have in abundance!
Blessings!
Kim
Wow! The timing is perfect for met o read this post. I am faced today with a setback that I am trying to work through and the words from James really hit home. I do hear half truths. It feels like a battle but God is ready to fight our battles. We just need to trust in Him. Thank you so much! Love that I’m your neighbor at Dawn’s new link up today! 🙂
Wisdom is something I do pray for often, for me and my husband. It is so important to have scripture handy that you can turn to when dealing with specific things, like asking for more wisdom. I love the passage from Proverbs 8!
Thank you for such an encouraging post. We should be praying for wisdom daily, and these verses give such hope and encouragement that God will answer those prayers.
Deb, thank you for sharing these scriptures and prayers. I have only recently begun praying the scriptures and I don’t do it all the time, but I’m finding it to be a very helpful way to pray. Prayer is so powerful and God always answers what is best. I’ve also begun writing out some of my prayers. I can go back over them that way and pray them again. Blessings to you! I’m visiting from #ThankfulThursdays.
I’m so thankful I can pray for and receive wisdom from God. Thanks for sharing your heart with Thankful Thursdays.
Proverbs…oh, such a gift of God’s grace to us. I love the wisdom words here. Proverbs 1: 20-23, ” Wisdom cries aloud in the street,… If you will turn and give heed to my reproof, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit upon you.I will make my words known to you.”
I love how Wisdom is connect to His Spirit here, pouring out upon those who seek Him.
Thanks for linking up at #GraceMoments this week.
Bless you!
Dawn
Great post, Deb! Lysa TerkHeurst’s book, The Best Yes, talks much about being a woman of wisdom when we’re making our choices. We are facing some big decisions in our future and wisdom and clear direction are most definitely needed. This is timely.
Hi…going through a storm right now and praying for wisdom couldn’t come at a more precious time. I pray for understanding as well. I do know that nothing is too hard for God…
I found this post on Pinterest last week and for the past few days I’ve written out each scripture and reflected on them as part of my study on wisdom. Thank you for sharing this.
Dorothy, I’m so glad this blessed you! Thank you for letting me know! God bless you!
Bless are those who believe and don’t see the end of what they are struggling through. Thankful ❤and grateful soul that we can come in prayer and ask. The greatest thing is believing that it’s already given leaning not on our own understanding, but His. Taste and feel the coldness, it lies all within.
My favourite verse is proverbs 2:1-6 . And my prayer request, is my heavenly father to give me wisdom of knowledge and understanding his words, clear mind , how to pray and manage my family. Because Wright now I feel like my family is distancing away from me . I can’t control my children has the mother suposed to control them , we don’t talk as much , my husband is even worse, we leave like strangers in the house , . I can’t control my children infrount of him .please help me
Emelda, I just wrote a post and prayer based on Proverbs 2 that will publish later this week. Thanks for sharing the way it inspires you. I am adding you to my prayers. God bless you!
I like all the verses which has been posted. I’ve never come a close to the wisdom prayers , i always pray for wisdom , but these prayers really inspires me . Thank you so much . May God bless you.
Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to say “hello,” Emelda! I am so thankful that our Lord says that as we seek Him, He will be found. He reveals Himself to us as we read His Word and talk with Him in prayer. And even in all of creation around us. What an amazing blessing that He wants us to know Him and that He wants to guide our steps with wisdom. Blessings!