When the believer goes through trials they particularly need wisdom to know how to understand what is happening to them and how to respond (v5). A right response to trials is needed to help us grow and mature through them.

Wisdom is about properly navigating life and James encourages us to pray for wisdom as God generously desire to give it to His children (v5b). God is not tight-fisted but loving and wants us to have wisdom so we can pray with expectancy.

In praying for wisdom there needs to be no doubt that God will answer (v6). To doubt literally means to be double-minded (v8). The problem as we pray, is that we’re maybe not single-minded enough to desire God’s will to be done in our lives. The problem with gaining wisdom is not one of the mind (intelligence), but rather one of the heart (willingness to obey).

Are you maybe being tossed around in your Christian life by trials and many other things because you’re not single-minded enough in serving Christ?  Take some time to talk to the Lord about this.