Yesterday a reader named Carmen added an interesting comment on the post, “Praying for Money – An Act of Worship.” You can see it for yourself below. Carmen suggested that instead of praying for money itself perhaps our better choice is to pray for wisdom. Get wisdom and the rest follows.

There’s a great story in the Old Testament that reflects this very point. When Solomon prepared to take over the Kingship of Israel after his father David had died, God came to him with an offer. God said to Solomon that he would grant any request he asked. Solomon considered the options. He could ask for health, or wealth, or fame or anything. Instead, Solomon asked for wisdom. “Good choice,” God answered, and then added, “Because you have asked for wisdom instead of wealth, you will have both.”

Get wisdom; Get it all!

In his letter to early Christians, James. Jesus’ brother, says it this way: “If anyone lacks wisdom he should ask God, who gives wisdom generously to all…” God likes to dispense wisdom. It’s something we can ask for and know that God will grant.

When we’re in a financial pinch this is a great approach to take with God.  We can ask God to open our minds to new ideas, with new vision from new eyes to see what we might have overlooked. We can ask for God’s mind to think about the problems we face from his perspective, and not from our limited and narrow angle.

God doesn’t do magic, after all. God does miracles. He doesn’t turn stones into bread, but he does turn bread into more bread! God’s way is to multiple what exists and grow it exponentially. Wisdom in financial matters is a gift from God to be able to see how God can take what we have and make it in to more. No matter your current crisis, you have something that can be multiplied – an asset, a talent, an experience, and expertise, a skill. Like the little boy who brought a basket of fish and bread to Jesus, a basket that became enough to feed 5,000, we all have something to begin the miracle process. When we pray for wisdom we are asking God to open our eyes to see in a fresh way the treasures we already have.

Ask God for wisdom now. He will help you discover the buried gift you didn’t know you had and cultivate and market that gift as a means of provision. Here’s a prayer for that kind of wisdom:

“God, you are the source for all good things. Today we need your wisdom and mental perspective to see things in a new way. When we can’t solve our own financial problems or imagine our way through, you can give us a new idea, a new way to discover what we already have, and ways to multiply them. Lord, we ask you to give us that new perspective now. Show us how we are already wealthy and how we can take existing assets and translate them into the forms of wealth we need to meet our current needs.”