07/10/2026
TURNING WISE MEN BACKWARD
God Frustrates the Counsel of the Cunning
Teaching
Isaiah 44:25 says, "Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, and drives diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolishness." God declares His supreme authority over every false prophet, diviner and self-proclaimed wise man, rendering their predictions empty and their cunning plans void. This is not a vague claim but a specific declaration that divination, sorcery and worldly wisdom opposed to God collapse under His power. Job 5:12-13 affirms this same pattern, stating that God frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans, and He catches the wise in their own craftiness.
Prayer: Lord, frustrate every counsel of the wicked raised against my life and turn their schemes backward, in the name of Jesus Christ.
This confrontation between divine wisdom and human or demonic cunning finds vivid demonstration in the account of Balaam, who was hired specifically to curse Israel through divination. Numbers 23:23 records God's declaration through Balaam himself, "For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel." No matter how skilled or determined the diviner, their power finds no foothold against those under God's covering. 1 Corinthians 1:20 reinforces this same truth for every generation, asking, "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"
Prayer: Father, let every form of divination, sorcery or worldly scheming assigned against my destiny find no foothold, in the name of Jesus Christ.
The turning of wise men backward speaks of confusion and reversal placed upon those who rely on their own intellect or occult knowledge to oppose God's purposes. 2 Samuel 15:31 records a direct example of this principle in action, when David prayed concerning Ahithophel's betrayal, "O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness." That prayer was answered precisely, for Ahithophel's wise counsel was rejected, leading to his own downfall. Proverbs 21:30 confirms the certainty of this pattern, declaring, "There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord."
Prayer: Lord, turn every wise counsel raised against me into foolishness, just as You did with Ahithophel, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Prime Example in Day to Day Life
A believer facing a calculated and well-planned scheme from a jealous competitor or a cunning colleague, carefully thought through to undermine their progress, often feels outmatched by the intelligence and strategy behind the opposition. For instance, a business owner who discovers a former partner has drafted a detailed plan to redirect clients away from their company might feel defenceless against such careful plotting. Just as God turned Ahithophel's celebrated counsel into foolishness, He is able to cause even the most carefully constructed scheme against a believer to collapse and backfire upon its planner.
Prayer Points
1. Every counsel of the wicked carefully planned against my life, be frustrated and turned backward, in the name of Jesus Christ.
2. Let every form of divination or hidden scheming assigned against my destiny find no foothold, in the name of Jesus Christ.
3. Every wise and cunning plan raised to oppose God's purpose for me, be turned into foolishness, in the name of Jesus Christ.
4. Let confusion come upon every strategist working against my breakthrough, in the name of Jesus Christ.
5. Let the wisdom of this world that opposes God's wisdom for my life be exposed and rendered powerless, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Repentance
Acts 3:19 says, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." Lord, I repent for every time I trusted in human cleverness or worldly strategy above Your wisdom. Blot out my sin and refresh me, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Renunciation
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 warns against divination, soothsaying and interpreting omens, calling these practices an abomination to the Lord. I renounce every past involvement, whether direct or indirect, with divination, sorcery or any wisdom that opposes God's counsel. I resist every occult influence, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Cleansing
Titus 3:5 says, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." Lord, wash and renew my mind from every pattern of thinking shaped by worldly cunning rather than Your truth, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Deliverance
Job 5:12 declares that God frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans. Lord, deliver me from every crafty scheme assigned against my life, and let every plan of the wicked be frustrated, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Declaration
I declare that every counsel of the wicked raised against my life is frustrated and turned backward. I declare that no sorcery or divination can prevail against me. I declare that the wisdom of the world opposing God's purpose for me is exposed and made foolish, in the name of Jesus Christ. Numbers 23:23 stands as my confidence, that there is no sorcery against me and no divination that can stand against God's covering.
Lessons Learned
The account of God frustrating diviners and wise men teaches that worldly intelligence and occult power, however impressive they appear, cannot override the covering God places over His people. Ahithophel's downfall demonstrates that even celebrated human wisdom can be reduced to foolishness the moment it opposes God's purpose, showing believers that strategic opposition is never a reason for despair. This encourages believers to respond to clever schemes not with equal cunning but with confident prayer, trusting God to turn such counsel backward as He has consistently done throughout Scripture.