ASK FOR WISDOM by Dr. Arnold

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 29, 1860

ASK FOR WISDOM.

By Dr. Arnold

EVEN among many who do pray regularly, the prayer for wisdom does not, I suspect, form a part of their petitions. Many of us seem to have a confused notion that sense, reason, good judgment, or by whatever name we call our intellectual faculties, are quite distinct from spiritual blessings, and are things too worldly to be named in our prayers. Yet what was Solomon’s choice, but an “understanding heart to judge the people?” That is, a sound and powerful mind capable of discerning the truth and the right in the line of his daily duty. Solomon’s choice should be our prayer; in St. James’ words, we should ask of God to give us wisdom. And as in other points of our conduct, so is it also in this—that by asking God to give us a wise and understanding heart, we confess to ourselves that our opinions and judgment are serious things, for we do not bring mere trifles before God in our prayers; and that, being serious things, they demand our own serious care; that duty and sin belong to them; that as our salvation depends upon our lives, so our lives depend upon our thoughts and judgments; for if we ask ill because we have judged ill, and have judged ill because we took no pains to judge well, then the sin is not taken away from our act, but remains in it; and the act was an act of what the scripture calls folly, the folly which sees and regards not God.

Whatever be our business in life, if we make it a part of our daily prayers to God that he will give us understanding in it; that he will assist our judgments so that seeing what is right and true, we may maintain and follow it in both word and deed, I do not doubt that such prayers will be answered, and that where we now act blindly and carelessly, according to any prevailing feeling or fancy, then we shall act upon the persuasion of our minds, and that persuasion will be, in general, according to the will of God.—Dr. Arnold.