Wise Prayer

Read Proverbs 16

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

James 5:16

The fact that the words prayer and pray do not appear in the book of Proverbs might lead some to think that wisdom doesn’t have anything to do with prayer. They would be wrong. Probably no book in the Bible describes the balance between faith and wise action like the book of James. The two go hand in hand. Faith always makes its presence known externally.

The entire book of Proverbs could be prefaced by this statement: “Once you have prayed, keep praying and do any number of the following wise actions, depending on the circumstances you face.” The fear of the Lord mentioned in the first chapter of Proverbs is a fear developed and expressed in the laboratory of prayer.

A person who is growing in wisdom prays earnestly. Wisdom provides many lessons to direct and sharpen the way we pray. That is why James can confidently write that the prayer of a wise (righteous) person accomplishes results. Righteous prayer doesn’t seek its own answers, but God’s will.

A WORD FOR TODAY

Practice earnest prayer.

Today, Lord, I declare my renewed desire to see that your will is done in my life and in the lives of others, even as it is done in heaven.