Prayer is communing with God, aligning our hearts with His heart, and seeking His guidance. Reflecting on this led me to Isaiah 11.
“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” ~Isaiah 11:2 NASB
Isaiah is speaking of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. If we desire to be more like Christ, we can pray to be transformed into His likeness.
Christ walked in a spirit of wisdom, a spirit of understanding, a spirit of counsel, a spirit of strength, a spirit of knowledge, and a spirit of the fear of the Lord. Let us pray for beautiful faith growth in these spiritual attributes.
Prayer for a Spirit of Wisdom
We can ask the Lord for wisdom.
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” ~Proverbs 2:6 ESV
“For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.” ~Proverbs 8:11 WEB
“Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding.” ~Proverbs 2:2 NASB
We can pray for our leaders to walk in a spirit of wisdom.
“I, Wisdom [from God], make prudence my dwelling, and I find out knowledge and discretion. The reverent fear and worshipful awe of the Lord [includes] the hatred of evil; pride, arrogance, the evil way, and perverted and twisted speech I hate.”
“I have counsel and sound knowledge, I have understanding, I have might and power. By me kings reign and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges and governors of the earth.” ~Proverbs 8:12-16 AMPC
Prayer for a Spirit of Understanding
We can request the Lord to give us a spirit of understanding, insight, and discernment.
“To know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding.” ~Proverbs 1:2 WEB
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” ~Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV
“The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding.” ~Proverbs 4:7 NASB
“Leave [behind] your foolishness [and the foolish] and live, and walk in the way of insight and understanding.” ~Proverbs 9:6 AMP
“How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.” ~Proverbs 16:16 AMP
We can learn to discern the words of understanding. And by renewing our minds in God’s Word, we can train ourselves to discern between good and evil.1
Prayer for a Spirit of Counsel
We can seek His counsel, purpose, and plan.
“Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.” ~Psalm 1:1 WEB
“The way of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God’s wisdom] is right in his own eyes, but a wise and prudent man is he who listens to counsel.” ~Proverbs 12:15 AMP
“Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction that you may be wise in the time to come. Many plans are in a man’s mind, but is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.” ~Proverbs 19:20-21 AMPC
“There is no [human] wisdom or understanding or counsel [that can prevail] against the Lord.” ~Proverbs 21:30 AMP
We want to refuse the counsel of the wicked and choose the counsel of the Lord of hosts.
“This also comes from the Lord of hosts; He is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.” ~Isaiah 28:29 ESV
Prayer for a Spirit of Strength
We can request the Lord’s strength, although King Solomon says, “Wisdom is better than strength.”2
“For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength.” ~Isaiah 30:15 NASB
We can lean into the Lord in quietness and trust, and He will strengthen us.
Prayer for a Spirit of Knowledge
We can entreat the Lord for more excellent knowledge of Him.
“Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night reveals knowledge.” ~Psalm 19:2 AMP
The Apostle Paul speaks of all creation, declaring the knowledge of God’s attributes.
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” ~Romans 1:20 NASB
God says we are being destroyed by the lack of knowledge of Him, His Word, and His will.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [of My law, where I reveal My will].” ~Hosea 4:6a AMP
God prefers that we delight in Him and to KNOW Him more than us give Him our human sacrificial offerings.
“For I desire and delight in [steadfast] loyalty [faithfulness in the covenant relationship], rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” ~Hosea 6:6 AMP
Not all knowledge is the same. Increasing knowledge of evil, wickedness, or iniquity can bring sorrow and pain.
“For in much [human] wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” ~Ecclesiastes 1:18 AMPC
Prayer for a Spirit of the Fear of the Lord
We can petition for a spirit of the Fear of the Lord to prevail in our lives.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” ~Psalm 111:10 ESV
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” ~Proverbs 9:10 NASB
“The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.” ~Proverbs 15:33 NASB
“The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” ~Proverbs 19:23 AMP
The reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because He Himself is Wisdom.
“Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” ~1 Corinthians 1:24c WEB
“Attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” ~Colossians 2:2c-3 NASB
Let us pray to be transformed into Christ’s likeness by walking in a spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord.
Recommendations
How to Find God – Strength with Dignity
How to Examine the Soil of Our Hearts – Strength with Dignity
References
1 Romans 12:2; Hebrews 5:14.
2 Ecclesiastes 9:16a WEB
Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Amplified Bible, Classis Edition (AMPC) Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.
Counsel NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1981. Strong’s #6098.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV text edition: 2016. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Fear of the Lord. NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1981. Strong’s #3374.
Knowledge. NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1981. Strong’s #1847.
New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995), copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Strength. NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1981. Strong’s #1369.
Understanding. NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1981. Strong’s #998.
Wisdom. NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1981. Strong’s #2451.
World English Bible (WEB) by Public Domain. The name “World English Bible” is trademarked.
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14 thoughts on “Prayer for Beautiful Faith Growth in Wisdom”
Dear Lisa, this was one of my favorite of your posts as it gives the Spirits of God and His characteristics, supporting scriptures and is so timely for me in prayer this morning. Thank you, too for your insight that God doesn’t seek our sacrifice of praise as much as He desires we know Him more deeply. He is a Giver to His children from His bountiful love! Be strengthen today as you have strengthened others!
May you continually be refreshed in His Presence, Lillian!
Lisa, I just love and am refreshed by your insights and encouragement within. Praying with you today.
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month sweet friend.
🤗
I pray the Lord fills us with His wisdom, Paula.
This is great encouragement–to pray that we might grow more like Jesus. The verse in Isaiah points to what we should ask and pursue.
It is a great encouragement, Carol, to grow in Christlikeness.
I can see that Prayer is going to be a beautiful focus for you this year, Lisa! These are all beautiful and powerful requests.
Isaiah 11 leads us to be Christlike in our requests, and I agree, Lisa, I think this year will bring a beautiful journey in prayer.
Lisa, thank you for these powerful and comforting prayers! It is a wonderful reminder of God’s faithfulness and goodness to us.
Donna, Isaiah 11 is both powerful and comforting! I’m thankful for His faithfulness towards us.
When I married, oh, how I needed wisdom. Then I had children, and I needed more wisdom. As my children marry and set up their own households, how I need even more wisdom. God keeps sending me into new land. I am in a never-ending classroom as He keeps refining those wisdom lessons! Lisa, your post was sweet encouragement!
Maryleigh, we are in a never-ending classroom! We have so much to learn! I’m thankful, He is a kind and gracious teacher.
Lisa, as I read this post this morning, our need for prayer became even more obvious. All of these areas have been prayed for as I travel through this life. May we never stop praying, growing, and changing. Thank you for sharing this post!
Prayer is vital, Joanne! I appreciate your encouragement! I apologize for the delayed response; I was traveling.