Applying God's Wisdom
James 1:5
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
When you're facing a problem, the very first thing you should ask God for is wisdom. Not money. Not power. Not even healing. But wisdom.
God's wisdom is the key that will unlock every door in your life. It will turn your every failure into success. So, stop wasting your prayer power begging God for things you think you need and spend some time instead listening to what He has to say about your situation.
If you've never tried that before, practically speaking, here's what you need to do.
First:
Lay out the entire problem before the Lord, not because He doesn't know what you're going through, but because laying it out helps you. It helps you see things from a more objective point of view.
Second:
Listen for the Spirit of God to advise you. Pay particular attention to what He says through the written Word. Most likely, the care of your problem has choked the Word of God right out of your heart (Mark 4:18-19). If so, you need to get the Bible and begin to put that Word back in again. Then the Holy Spirit will begin to speak to you through it. As you're listening, be sure to remain teachable. Be ready to accept rebuke if necessary. Be very honest with God. Look for ways in which you've been wrong and confess them to Him. It's all right. Those sins won't come as any surprise to Him. He already knows about them. Confession just gives you the opportunity to get rid of them.
Third:
Act on the wisdom God gives you. Let go of your own methods and put His methods into operation. Be obedient. If you don't, that wonderful wisdom won't do you any good at all. As you pray today, set aside your own ideas and start seeking the wisdom of God. It's the only thing that can permanently solve the problems you've been facing. It's truly the most precious gift God has to give.
Seek His Wisdom.
Proverbs 8:10-36 NIV
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.
15 By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just;
16 by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth.
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.
22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old;
23 I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.
24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.
32 "Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.
35 For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.
36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death."
Apply His Wisdom
God's Word Is Alive
HEBREWS 4:12 NIV
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
The Bible is different than any other book you may read -- it contains life. You don't have to understand it, any more than you have to understand nuclear radiation to experience its effects. You just need to expose yourself to it.
What is the Word of God active in doing? Bringing forth after its kind. Producing life in you. Producing a harvest of peace, joy, righteousness, and freedom in your life.
If you are not enjoying peace, joy, righteousness, and freedom, then your answer is the Word of God.
The Bible, especially the message of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, will set you free and make you whole, if you continue in it.
However, just because you have fed on God's Word in one area, does not mean you will be free in every area of life.
For example, you could plant hundreds of tomato seeds in a garden and never harvest one carrot. Why? You never planted any carrot seeds!
God's Word works the same way as a seed. The Word must be planted inside you to bear fruit in your life.
LUKE 8:11 NKJ
11 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Just because you plant the seed from God's Word about spiritual rebirth does not mean you can expect a harvest of financial prosperity.
Scriptures about prosperity must be planted in you, and watered, before you can expect a harvest of prosperity.
Even if you plant much seed from God's Word concerning health and healing, you will not automatically have a harvest of a successful marriage and family life.
Each seed of God's Word has to be planted to produce fruit in your life in that area.
MATTHEW 4:4 NKJ
4 But He answered and said, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' "
God's Word is alive and working to produce good in your life. But; really! you simply must apply specific applications of God's Word to specific areas of your life if you want to see specific results.
Speak God's Word
EPHESIANS 6:17 NKJ
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
The sword, or weapon, of the spirit is not the Bible laying on a shelf, but God's Word being spoken by a believer.
You must take it. Your spiritual weapon is speaking the Word of God. You must take the Word and speak it — just like Jesus did (Matthew 4:4).
Our battle is not against humans, but evil spiritual forces, which requires us to use spiritual weapons to prevail and prosper. That weapon is speaking the Word of God.
Jesus defeated the devil for you. However, you must enforce that defeat by speaking and standing in agreement with God. Only then will you see Jesus' victory manifest in your life.
Of course, before you can speak the Word, you have to know the Word. It must be fed in before you can expect it to come out in a time of need. And you never know when you will be attacked with something designed to steal, kill, and destroy you.
Keep on saying what God's Word says -- no matter what.
HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Hang on tight to speaking the Word, because the devil doesn't want you to stick with the Word. Count on being tempted to NOT say what God says. The devil does not want you to use your spiritual weapon of speaking the Word.
Speak the Word of God:
1. To yourself first.
2. To God in thanks and praise.
3. To the devil.
4. To circumstances.
God's Word is the single most valuable tool that the Lord has made available to us. In it one can find the answer to any question that you could ever hope to ask. Get into it. Make it part of your daily life and then watch how expediently your life will grow!