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Observe here, 1. A truth necessarily supposed, that every man, more or less, lacketh wisdom to enable him patiently to bear, and prudently to manage, the afflictions of this life; and that there is need of great wisdom to enable us to glorify God in a sufffering hour.
Observe, 2. The person directed to, in order to the obtaining of divine wisdom, of the patient bearing of afflicitons; Let him ask it of God. He that wants wisdom let him go to the fountain of wisdom. God gives not his blessings ordinarily without asking, and the best of blessings may be had for asking; of the two it is much better to ask and not receive, than to receive and not ask.
Observe, 3. A great encouragement for all that lack wisdom to go unto God for it, drawn first from the bountiful manner of his giving, He giveth liberally, without upbraiding.
Secondly, from the certainty of the gift, It shall be given him. God's liberality in giving what we ask, and many times more than we ask, yea, more than we can either ask or think, is a mighty encouragement to faith and fervency in prayer, to perseverance and importunity in praying; especially if we consider what is added, that as God giveth liberally, so he upbraideth not; that is, he neither upbraids them with their frequency and importunity in asking, nor yet with their great unworthiness of receiving; but instead thereof, subjoins an assurance of granting. It shall be given him. It is a mighty encouragement to pray, when we consider there is not only bounty in God, but bounty engaged by promise.
Observe, 4. The condition required on our part must be observed and fulfilled, as well as the promise made on God's part: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
Quest. What is it to ask in faith?
Ans. The person praying must be in a state of believing: the petitioner must be a believer; the thing asked for must be an object of faith, by being the subject matter of some promise; a fervent prayer for that which God never promised is a foul sin.
Again, the manner of asking must be faithful, with a pure intention of God's glory, with cheerful submission to God's will, with fiducial recumbency upon God's promise with great fervency and warmth of spirit; he that will prevail with Jacob, must wrestle with Jacob for a blessing.
Observe, 5. The evil and danger of wavering and doubting in the matter of prayer; the evil of it is this, that it is perplexing and tormenting of the mind: He that wavereth is driven and tossed like a wave of the sea; an elegant similitude to set out the nature of doubting, when upon our knees in duty. And the danger of it is expressed, Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
Note, that doubtful and unbelieving persons when they pray, though they receive something, yet they can expect nothing. Let him not think to receive any thing; if he does, it is more than could be expected, because more than God has promised. Doubting in prayer is a provocation, how can he expect his prayer should be either heard or answered? Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.