What Would YOU Ask God to Do?

I want to focus on just one line of text.  In 1 Kings 3:5, God tells Solomon to ask God what God should give Solomon.

It’s a simple enough question.  Most of us remember the answer.  Solomon wants wisdom.  God decides to give him wisdom and lots of riches as well.

As I reflect on my own prayer life, however, I don’t think I’m as wise as Solomon was in his request.  I do ask for wisdom, but it’s usually the wisdom to make good decisions in my business, which would result in doing better financially.  Or it’s stuff for my family.  There are a number of things that I really want right now.  There are people I know who need to be healed.  There are financial needs by the dozen amongst people I know personally.

What should I ask God to do?

I recall times of praying for people at the altar of a church.  People would come asking for spiritual gifts, often looking at the person behind that altar rail as somehow being capable of delivering those gifts.  Even in spiritual gifts, we have an acquisitive nature.

In our Psalm for this week, the 111th, verse 10 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  It then describes wisdom in the next line as something on which one takes action.

I don’t think God minds us asking for stuff, but I think he delights even more if we ask for the fear of the Lord, which is the source of all wisdom.

Lord, today and always, let me fear you more and let my life grow out of that fear.

(On why I use “fear” while others would argue for “reverence” see this article).