The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 1 Kings 3:5
As children, we used to play, What if I got one wish? I would wish for a bazillion dollars, infinite wishes or maybe infinite donuts. All of my wishes were obviously focused on my desires at the time. In my me-addiction, I don’t think I ever even considered wishing for anything but what I wanted.
I’ve not really had to lose much sleep over the question as it has always been a hypothetical one. In today’s passage though, God came to Solomon and commanded him to ask for one thing. Solomon did not ask for money, fame, power, women or stuff. He asked for that which he needed to carry out God’s will. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil (1 Kings 3:9).
Solomon’s request revealed his mindset. His life purpose was consumed with doing God’s will. At this point in his life, Solomon did not live for himself, but rather, lived to serve God and His people.
Daily, I’m afraid, my prayers, like my childhood wishes, betray my mindset. What do I ask God for when I pray? God give me . . . Do I ask for Him to fill me with whatever it is I need to love those around me? Or, are my prayers just grown up versions of my childhood wishes?
We do not often pray Solomon’s prayer because most of us still harbor a me-addiction of which we remain unaware. Even as confessed followers of Christ, we live for ourselves and pray accordingly. God give me money, success, a spouse, beauty, weight loss . . . These are not bad things, they just reveal that we are interested most, simply in what we want.
If I truly want to be a disciple, I must learn to pursue God’s will above mine. I must learn to ask that He fill me with His love so that it may pour out of me into the lives of those around me. I must learn to pray like Solomon.