February 1, 2023 - 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.” James 1:5-8 NLT

Lord, as we have just spent January in the book of Proverbs studying the wisdom found there, we want to ask that you would help us apply all that we have read. We want to see 2023 marked as a year full of increasing our wisdom. We praise you for saying that if we ask for wisdom, you will generously give it to us. You are such a wonderful God to us. This year give us your wisdom and help us grow in our knowledge of you and how you feel about us. Give us a greater desire to spend more time with you so we can know you better. We ask for a greater ability to hear your voice and understand what you are saying. Please give us your insights into your Word and how you are moving. We ask for you to bless us with your prophetic knowledge and your discernment to understand what is happening in the spiritual realm and to see what is really going on below the surface level. We ask that you give us more creativity to think outside the box and bring new ideas and creations to the table. Help us think of creative solutions to problems and have your wisdom to know how to apply them and see change.

Lord, we ask that you answer our prayer not for our glory to be known as wise people, but so that we can glorify your name throughout the earth. This year, grow us into people of great faith who are steadfast in our pursuit of you. Let our loyalties be to you above all else.

In Jesus name, amen.