James 1:5 (WEB)

Passage

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.

Nearby Context

James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

James 1:4 Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.

James 1:7 For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lacks", "wisdom", "gives", "liberally", "without", "reproach", and "given". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lacks" and "wisdom", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Let endurance have its perfect work that..." into verse 6's "But let him ask in faith without...", so "lacks" and "wisdom" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lacks" and "wisdom" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.