Ask! What Shall I Give You?
Hello Bride of Christ,
Prayer is communication with the living God. It is a dialogue by which hearts are revealed. When we pray God shows us His heart and we show God our hearts. But there is a secret to prayer. If we are experiencing monologues, the conversation seems difficult or distant. Let us pause to reflect and see if this secret ingredient is missing from our prayers.
Let us look at a dream prayer King Solomon had with God in the book of 1 Kings:
“Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall all around Jerusalem. Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days. And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places. Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” Then Solomon awoke; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.” – 1 Kings 3:1-15
Here God comes to Solomon in his sleep and says, “Ask! What shall I give you?” Sound familiar?
Yes, sounds like our Lord Jesus! Jesus when He encourages us in the gospels to ask, seek, and knock (Matt7:7). Oh, we truly serve the same God! He truly is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
God encourages Solomon to ask Him for something. How does Solomon respond?
Notice Solomon’s response is filled with acknowledgement:
Acknowledges God’s merciful character (1 Kings 3: 6)
Acknowledges God’s relationship with his father David (1 Kings 3: 6)
Acknowledges God’s kind character (1 Kings 3: 6)
Acknowledges God’s plan (1 Kings 3: 6 - 7)
Acknowledges God’s ownership (1 Kings 3:8)
Solomon tells God how he sees God’s heart. Then Solomon’s response continues to reveal how Solomon saw himself in light of God’s heart. Solomon tells God that he sees himself as a little child, a servant, a son, a servant king, as someone in need of help.
How does God respond to Solomon?
1 Chronicles 1:11 states God responded, “Because this was in your heart…” What was in Solomon’s heart? What did God see?
Humility. This is the secret ingredient to prayer. Humility, seeing ourselves in light of who God is.
Solomon saw himself as a little child before the merciful God who was faithful to his father, David. Solomon saw himself as a servant before the kind God who made him to sit on the throne to rule over the chosen people. Solomon’s humble view of himself made his prayer conversation with God effective. Not only was he able to ask God for what he needed, he received a response from God that was above what he asked and what he was able to imagine.
Bride of Christ, might we pray with the same heart as Solomon. Let us acknowledge God to see His heart and may that influence our heart response. As Peter penned in 1: Peter 5:6-11 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
