Sometimes when I don’t know what to pray for, I take the advice of Jesus’ brother James: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).
I know I’m not completely wise, and if God said he’d give it to me, I might as well pray for it. After all, doesn’t wisdom equal smart and knowledgeable? Who doesn’t want that? Then I read Solomon’s view of wisdom.
One night, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon didn’t ask for riches or honor, but instead said, “Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong” (1 Kings 3:5,9).
In Greek, “a discerning heart” means Solomon asked for “a heart to hear.” Solomon’s view of wisdom leaves less opportunity to display my knowledge and more opportunities to display my love. A heart to hear means that in all my interactions with people, I’m asking for more patience, more awareness of their needs. It means I take the time to listen, which leaves less time to talk and display my wisdom. It means I have compassion to see where other people are hurting and find ways to serve them. A heart to hear requires more of me, because it’s not about me.
Ask for a heart to hear, and it will be given to you.
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About the Author
Linda Buxa
Linda Buxa is a freelance writer and editor and a regular blogger and contributing writer for Time of Grace. She is the author of Dig In! Family Devotions to Feed Your Faith, Made for Friendship, and Parenting by Prayer. Linda and her husband, Greg, have lived in Alaska, Washington D.C., California, and are now in Wisconsin. They have three pretty great kids who are all taller than she is.