After Saul died the kingdom of Israel was divided between Saul’s household and those who followed David (2 Sam. 2:8–10). However, over time the Lord established David as king over all Israel (2 Sam. 3:1; 5:1–5).
After David’s death, Solomon, a young man, took up the reins of Israel (1 Ki. 2:10–12). As a new king, still inexperienced and untested, Solomon now faced the great task of keeping the kingdom together, and it was at this time that God appeared to him in a dream at Gibeon and invited him to ask for anything.
“At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” —1 Kings 3:5-14 (NIV)
Just like other kings, Solomon could have asked for several common royal desires:
- Prestige — kings valued widespread respect and admiration.
- Wealth — a typical pursuit for securing a kingdom’s resources.
- Long life — the length of a king’s reign often determined the kingdom’s stability.
- Victory over enemies — essential for protecting the nation and securing the throne
But Solomon acknowledged his inexperience and understood the magnitude of his mission—to lead God’s people Israel. He recognized that although prestige, riches, and long life were valuable for any king, they would not give him the discernment needed to fulfill his responsibility.
He asked for a “discerning heart”—the wisdom he needed to lead God’s people faithfully. Solomon’s request pleased the Lord, and God responded by giving him the wisdom he needed to judge Israel faithfully—and then some.
Requests That Please God
“The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” —1 Kings 3:10-14
Solomon put God’s kingdom before his own desires, and God responded generously. In 1 Kings 3:13 He says, “Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for.” Solomon received wisdom and then some. God gave him wealth and honor, and promised long life if he walked in obedience to God. God fulfilled His word as 1 Kings 10:23 records: “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.”
Just as God invited Solomon to ask, He invites us to come to Him with our needs. Jesus reinforces this gracious call: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened (Matt. 7:7-8).
Jesus reveals the Father’s generous heart toward His children: “What father would hand his son a stone when he asks for bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you, though sinful, know how to give good gifts, how much more will your Father in heaven give to those who ask Him?” (Matt. 7:9–11).
God has made an open invitation—He calls you to ask, to seek, and to knock. But what you ask for, and who benefits from it, truly matters.
We know there are requests that please the Lord, as verse 10 shows: “The Lord was pleased that Solomon asked for an understanding heart to judge Israel.” Solomon knew what to ask for and whom it would bless. Israel belonged to God, and Solomon asked for wisdom to lead God’s people well. What do you ask for in prayer and who does it benefit?
Solomon’s request pleased God because he looked beyond himself and sought what would serve others. Requests that please the Lord are those that prioritize His kingdom. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He began with the kingdom: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9–10). Jesus was teaching us what is of most priority to God—His kingdom. Only then did He move on to other requests. And the rest of the prayer is strikingly corporate: “Give us… forgive us… lead us not… deliver us…”—each petition shaped for the good of the whole people of God (Matt.9:11-13).
Solomon sought nothing beyond the wisdom to govern God’s people in his request. What is the one petition you could lay before God that, if He granted only that, it would be to serve His people? Is there a place in your prayers that isn’t about your needs or your family? How often do you make corporate petitions for the body of Christ? Are you asking God to bless you so you can be a conduit of blessing to others?
My prayer is that our requests would please God.
These Things
When we prioritize God’s agenda, Scripture shows a consistent pattern. Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” The command is to seek God’s kingdom first; the provision of “these things” follows. In context, “these things” refers to all life’s essential needs—food, health, housing, clothing, and more. Anything outside God’s kingdom and His righteousness falls into the category of “these things.”
Jesus told us not to be anxious about “these things”—the add‑ons. He pointed to the birds and the lilies to show how faithfully God cares for them, and then reminded us that we—His children—are of far greater value. So what should we do when we truly need food, housing, or clothing? Not chase after them, but “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” trusting that “all these things will be added to you.” But how does this make sense? It makes sense because our heavenly Father already knows that we need them all (Matt. 6:25–33). He will provide according to His riches in glory.
God knows every need we have even before we ask, but He still desires to see whether our hearts are truly set on His kingdom. He knew Solomon needed more than wisdom. We know this because when God said, “I will give you what you have not asked for—riches, honor, and long life,” Solomon did not resist or decline them.
Many of us go to God in prayer only to ask for “these things,” forgetting they are merely add‑ons. When God’s business becomes priority in your life, shaping your prayers, He responds by supplying all the other things you need—according to His good and perfect will for your life.
Requests That Don’t Please God
Earlier we saw requests that please God. However, there are also requests that do not please the Lord. These are requests centered on self. James makes it clear that when our petitions spring from self‑centered motives, we are asking wrongly and should not expect to receive from God.
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” —James 4:3
Many Christians have felt the frustration of unanswered prayers, often because they don’t understand this principle. Their requests are shaped by self‑focused motives, aimed at personal pleasure rather than God’s will.
Misguided Requests
Whereas Solomon knew exactly what to ask for when God appeared to him in a dream, many people don’t know what to ask when the moment comes. Matthew gives us a vivid example in Herodias’s daughter.
At Herod’s birthday gathering, the daughter of Herodias danced before the guests, and Herod—pleased with her—made a rash oath to give her whatever she asked to half of his kingdom. But she did not know what to ask for, so she went to her mother for direction. Herodias told her to request the head of John the Baptist. Though distressed, Herod granted the request because of his oath and his guests. John was executed, and his head was brought to the girl, and she gave it to her mother (Matt. 14:6-12).
This is a sobering picture of someone given the opportunity to ask for anything, yet lacking the wisdom to make a worthy request—allowing another person’s desires to shape her petition.
God stands ready to answer prayers that please Him because they align with His will—and then add even more—because as a good Father, He knows we need those things as well.
Amen.
