“And now, oh Lord, my God, you have made your servant king in place of David, my father. Although I am but 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 many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this, your great people?”
– 1 Kings 3:7–9
1 Kings 3:7–9 are probably my favorite verses in the book of First Kings and really much of the Old Testament, as God says to Solomon, “I’ll give you as king, whatever you want,” and Solomon asks for wisdom for an understanding mind.
God, we pray for wisdom to know how your words should play out in our lives in every single circumstance we face today
He says, “I’m only a little child. I don’t know how to carry out this responsibility you have given me. So help me with wisdom. Help me to discern between good and evil that I might lead and govern this people well.” And God is most pleased with that prayer. God promises to bless Solomon, yes, with wisdom. And then in so many other ways.
1 Kings 3:7–9 Reminds Us to Pray for Wisdom
The reason I love 1 Kings 3:7–9 is because I feel like Solomon in First Kings chapter three in every facet of my life, like in my marriage, in my family. I don’t know how to lead my family well, how to shepherd these children’s hearts to know God. I don’t know how to carry out this duty. Yes, I know what God’s word says, but how to do that in this or that circumstance that they’re walking through in this or that way, I need God’s wisdom every single day in my marriage, in my home and leading the church.
I don’t know how to carry out my duty. I don’t know how to carry out this responsibility God has given me. Yes, I know what his word says. I want to walk in step with his word, but in this particular circumstance, in this particular situation, for wisdom to know what is good and right, I need wisdom in every facet of my life.
All day long, I feel like I’m pleading for wisdom. If you could see my journal this morning, it was just constant pleading for wisdom, for help in this way or that way. I think this is how we’re designed to live as children of God, constantly looking to God and praying for wisdom, for discernment, that we might do good, that we might avoid evil in our lives and then all the more so in any leadership or influence God has given to us.
1 Kings 3:7–9 Leads Us to Pray for Our Decisions
So we pray, based on 1 Kings 3:7–9, based on James chapter one and James chapter three, and the picture of wisdom we see there, God, we pray for your wisdom in our lives. God, we pray for that in each one of our lives today and all the responsibilities you’ve given us. And every decision we make and every thought we have and every word we speak, God, we pray that you would help us to be wise. God, deliver us from foolishness all day long today, we pray. We pray in our homes, in our churches, in our workplaces, in everything we do, help us to live, help us to lead wisely. Grant us discernment between good and evil. So that we might walk according to your word. And apply your word, obey your word in specific ways all day long.
God, we pray for wisdom to know how your words should play out in our lives in every single circumstance we face today. God, we pray for this wisdom. We praise you for your promise in James 1, to give wisdom when we ask. You are the all-wise God, and you are generous with your wisdom. So we ask for it today. We pray that you give us wisdom, according to your spirit, your word. And we pray for courage to walk in your wisdom today. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
