3Lessons from Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

Whitney Hopler

If God appeared to you in a dream and told you to ask for whatever you want him to give you, what would you choose? In the Bible, King Solomon encountered that awesome opportunity. He could have asked God for blessings like wealth and good health, to make his earthly life easier. But Solomon chose to pray for wisdom (1 Kings 3:1-15) – which has eternal value – instead. God was pleased with Solomon’s prayer for wisdom, the Bible records. Here are 3 lessons from Solomon’s prayer for wisdom, and how to pray for wisdom in our own lives:

1. The importance of wisdom goes beyond just knowledge. Rather than information alone, Solomon asks for a discerning heart – wisdom – so he can distinguish between right and wrong. Achieving knowledge involves collecting facts. While that’s an important part of learning, it’s just the beginning of the learning process. The next, and even more important, step is applying knowledge to decisions day by day. That’s where wisdom comes in. Someone who is wise has more than just knowledge of information. A wise person has the discernment necessary for making the best decisions based on what they know. Ephesians 1:17 encourages asking God to “… give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”

2. Wisdom is more valuable than other pursuits. Solomon could have asked God for many other types of blessings, including wealth and good health. However, Solomon chose to ask for wisdom. Pursuing wisdom involves responding to God’s guidance by developing a strong and holy character. In order to do so, we must be disciplined, paying careful attention to the choices we make day by day. We must evaluate our decisions in light of whether they will lead us closer to God or farther away from him. We must carefully consider what we’re allowing into our minds. Are we dwelling on thoughts that are worth focusing on? Philippians 4:8 urges us: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” While we’re pursuing wisdom, we also should seek God’s guidance for how we’re using the resources he has given us, such as our time, energy, talents, and money.

3. Wonder motivates us to pursue wisdom. Solomon noticed and appreciated the wonder of God’s work in his life. In verse 6, Solomon thanks God for the “great kindness” that served as an awe-inspiring reminder of God’s love at work – in both David’s and Solomon’s lives: “… 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.” Being in awe of God’s wonder is the beginning of wisdom, the Bible tells us in Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” The “fear of the Lord” means being in awe of God and having reverence for him as a result. Pursuing God’s wonder is a powerful way of pursuing God’s wisdom,

تلاثة دروس مستفادة من صلاة سليمان لطلب الحكمة هتساعدنا نكون حكماء في حياتنا أنهردة . المقال روحي وعملي ومفيد جدًا لتطوير الشخصية وأزاي أن علاقتنا بالرب قادرة على جعل الجاهل حكيمًا.