If God offered to grant you ONE request, what would yours be?

This was the question I was considering Sunday morning as our pastor challenged us to pray a bold prayer and ask for a BIG thing from God.

This was also the question posed to King Solomon one night in a dream.

“God said, ‘What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!’ ” (1 Kings 3:5)

“What do you want?”

Well, I could think of a lot of things!  A lifetime supply of Ghirardelli chocolate would be a big thing.  (But then I would become a BIG THING.)  My children to walk with God their whole lives would be a bigger thing.  A good result from a recent biopsy, however, was the biggest thing on my mind that Sunday morning.

Solomon apparently had a few hefty items at the top of his prayer list:  Wealth.  Long life.  Victory over his enemies.  Yet, as a new king, he knew enough to know he had a greater need:  Wisdom.

I knew I also had a greater need.  A benign report would sure be welcome news.  That’s what I most wanted to pray for that morning.  But I knew that relief would only be temporary, until the next health scare or crisis appeared.  I needed something more lasting, something that would continue to serve me well, whatever life’s path might bring.

I was even afraid to pray it.  But I swallowed my fear and did it anyway.

Lord, make me…fearless.

Solomon’s request pleased the Lord so much that He granted him an abundance of wisdom.  “I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!”  (1 Kings 3:12)  The Hebrew word for “understanding” literally means to hear.  The Message translates it as “a God-listening heart.”  Now wouldn’t that be an awesome thing to have!

But that wasn’t all.  “And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame!  No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!  And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”  (1 Kings 3:13-14)  He had asked for his greater need.  And he received along with it every lesser thing.

I believe God is in the process of granting my request too.  I do long to be transformed into a bold person, one who can “laugh without fear of the future” like the woman in Proverbs 31.  This really is my greater need.

But the Lord is so gracious.  After a long week of waiting, I finally received my test results, and they were negative.  Thank You Lord, for also granting this “lesser” desire of my heart.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)  I think this principle has been brought home to me in a deeper way this week. 

Pursue the greater.  Let God provide the lesser. 

So, I’ll ask the same question of you.  Think big.  Choose wisely. 

What do YOU want?