Ask What I
Shall Give Thee (1 Kings 3:5)
In 1 Kings
3:5, God appeared to King Solomon and requested him to ask for one thing he
wanted God to do. The King did not make a selfish request which an average man
would have done. He did not ask for riches or honor or long life or victory
over his enemies.
Rather than
these selfish requests, he asked for the gift of wisdom to discern judgment. It
was a rare and unusual request that pleased the Lord so much. God granted King
Solomon’s request and in addition, He granted also those things an average man
would have asked for – riches, honor and victory over enemies.
Our
relationship with God is uppermost in His eyes that He commands us to seek
first the kingdom of God and its righteousness (Matthew 6:33). He seeks for
true worshippers who would worship Him in Spirit and Truth (John 4:24).
He is more
interested in our spiritual state and eternity above physical prosperity that
ends on earth. Therefore, those activities that have eternal values (Colossians
3:2), which improve our relations with God and have a positive impact in our
race to eternity should take precedence over those things that are temporal and
benefit only the perishable and mortal body.
How is our
relationship with God like?
Do we have
Holy Spirit anointing? (Acts 1:8)
Are we true
worshippers? (John 4:24)
Are we holy
and righteous? (Luke 1:75)
Are we
prayer addicts? (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Are we bible
addicts? (Joshua 1:8)
Are we
preachers of the Gospel? (Matthew 28:18-20)
Do we have
the fear of God in us? (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Do we have
the wisdom of God? (Proverbs 4:7)
Are we
seekers of the Kingdom of God and its righteousness? (Matthew 6:33)
Are we
lovers of God, loving Him with our whole hearts? (Matthew 22:37)
Do we have
new hearts and new spirits? (Deuteronomy 30:6)
If God
appears to you and asks you to state one thing, what would you say? Would it be
physical benefits or the mundane that benefit the body but have no eternal
values? Would you not act like King Solomon who requested for what has a spiritual
and eternal value?
This year,
examine your life and identify those areas where you have been falling short of
God’s expectation and decide to improve upon them this year. Then ask for the
power of God and the grace to do them to glorify the name of the Lord in your
life in 2017.
The Lord is
asking you what you want Him to do for you.
Ask for Holy
Spirit Baptism (Acts 1:8)
Ask for the
grace and power to be a true worshipper (John 4:24)
Ask for the
power for holy and righteous living (Hebrews 12:14)
Ask for
power to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Ask for the
grace and power to become a Bible addict and for knowledge, wisdom and
understanding of the Word of God (Joshua 1:8)
Ask for the
spirit of meditation (Psalm 1:3)
Ask for the
spirit of boldness to preach the gospel of salvation without fear or favor (Acts
Chapter 2)(Mark 16:15)
Ask for
wisdom (Proverbs 4:7)
Ask for the
power and grace to seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness (Matthew
6:33)
Ask for the
power to love God with your whole heart and to love your neighbor (Matthew
22:37-39)
Ask for a
new heart and a new spirit (Deuteronomy 30:6)
Ask for
power to overcome sin and temptations and to flee all appearances of sin (1
Corinthians 10:13) (1 Thessalonians 5:22)
Ask for the
spirit of the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2)
Rather than
bombarding heaven with selfish requests asking for physical, temporal and
mundane benefits, change your prayer pattern and ask for those things that can
have a positive impact on your eternity; that would please God more and the
Lord would surely grant to you more than you have requested as He did to King
Solomon.
Seeking
first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness is the surest key to the
prosperity that you seek, not the other way round (Matthew 6:33).
Ayodele Adegbulugbe
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