I have been praying to God every day for His wisdom. As I was reading Proverbs 25 in my study Bible, I finally understood it is not just wisdom we should be praying for. We need to pray for moral discernment of what is right or wrong. This is what Solomon asked God for in order to rule God’s chosen people.
I assumed Wisdom covered it all. I was wrong in thinking this way. We need eyes to see what is right and wrong to correctly choose the wise path to take.
I also read in the side notes something that gave me peace. I constantly feel so unworthy to be asking for God’s wisdom because the sin battles I face daily are due to a corrupted heart that lives outside of Eden.
God is very understanding about this. He knows our desire for wisdom is a battle and this is the very reason we need to renew our prayers daily to seek and accept His moral discernment—not ours.
If we don’t seek His views of right and wrong, we are left with our own which can be clouded with jealousy, revenge, or unforgiveness. We can feel with our whole hearts that we are morally correct when there is a slight against us, but whose moral judgment is the right one? God’s or ours?
Let’s listen to the prayer of Solomon and learn by his example.
“5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
6 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. 7 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. 8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9 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?”
10 The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 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, 12 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. 13 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. 14 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.” (NKJV)
How profound! I’d never thought about the fact he asked for both. What a thought! 😀