Job 36:5 | Strength of Understanding
Job 36:5 ESV says, “Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any; he is mighty in strength of understanding.”
Sometimes we have to pray a scripture before we understand it. I’ve read Job before, but this verse was a fresh insight for me. While I would love to explore what it means for God to be mighty in strength of understanding, I sense that there is a more fundamental lesson of prayer packed into this verse.
One of the essential foundations of a life of abiding is allowing the Holy Spirit and the truth of the scriptures to train our hearts in the ways of God. We filter the truth from the lies by continually coming before God and seeking him through his word. We start to see what is freedom and what is bondage masquerading as hope. We reinforce the things about God that we know are true and learn new language for how to pray to God and worship him.
The first part of Job 36:5 says, “Behold, God is mighty.” I don’t believe this is necessarily a revelation for most reading this today. One of the main things about God is that he is mighty! Still, such a simple truth could spark a revelation in our minds about the nature of God.
It is easy to overlook the obvious verses that mark our Christian theology. Yet can you imagine uncovering these truths for the first time? While their power may wane with familiarity, the raw authority and wonder of foundational truths about God’s nature will never fade.
Praying, “God is mighty!” might not seem like a very original prayer, but when we pray it, there is a greater authority than our creative inspiration. When we pray the scriptures, we echo the realities that God has already declared about himself. Perhaps there is a precedent for expressing our feelings and ideas to God from time to time, but the greater worship and praise is to declare his truth revealed in his Word.
When I come across these simple verses in the scriptures, there is greater power and presence in my prayers than if I had thought of it on my own. There may be a rushing of the Spirit to empower the words of the scriptures, no matter how mundane they may seem. Maybe there is always this Holy Spirit anointing present when the scriptures are read. Greater power and insight are available to us than we realize.
Praying the scriptures and allowing these simple truths to form a “prayer vocabulary” for our spiritual journey is essential. The second half of this verse proposes a new understanding of God’s greatness, saying that he is “mighty in strength of understanding.” I find these words to be a fascinating insight into the glory of God, yet I can’t say I fully understand what it means!
We can still pray a scripture without fully understanding this truth. We all experience God differently, but I have found that the Holy Spirit often affirms the depth of such truths by encountering us with his presence. There is something humble and foundational to the life of abiding that includes praying scriptures like this and saying in our spirit, “I don’t understand this, but I know it is true.”
We can rely on the firmness of the scriptures and the holy authority of these words. How would your spiritual journey be transformed when you allowed verses you don’t understand to be a part of your prayer life? I’m thankful today that the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. Meditate on his greatness today, and ask God for a deeper understanding of his kingdom.
Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired from the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
