Intro: I am here to encourage you to ask largely of God in 2023.
I. SOLOMON’S OPPORTUNITY
In 1 Kings 3:5 God gave Solomon a opportunity anyone would like to have. First Kings 3:5 says, “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask! What shall I give you?’”i How would you answer that question? The answer Solomon gave set the course of his life because God answered the request.
It's the kind of question that should be answered thoughtfully. As human beings, we are want-machines. We want power; we want things; we want favor with people; we want influence; we want friends; we want spouses and children; we want ministry. We could go on and on listing things that people want. One reason Solomon’s prayer was answered is that he asked for the right thing.
James corrected Christians in his congregation on two issues concerning prayer. First, he said in James 4:2, “You do not have because you do not ask.” Their lack of prayer was a problem: their failure to ask. Notice in 1 Kings 3:5 God said to Solomon, “Ask. . . .” God is saying to you and me, “Ask.”
Many Christians only see prayer as a religious duty. There is some truth in that because the Bible often commands us to pray. First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “Pray without ceasing.” The NLT says, “Keep on praying.” Develop a prayer routine and stick to it. “Keep on praying.” Do you have a disciplined, consistent devotional time in your daily routine: a specific time each day when you set aside distractions and talk with God? Now is a great time to commit yourself to that if that has not been a part of your daily routine.
The NIV translates that verse, “Pray continually.” One way we pray continually is to talk with God throughout the day as we work, as we eat, as we play. Life is full of little problems that need to be solved, and God wants to help with those. You’re not on your own. The Holy Spirit has come to empower you for this life and prepare you for the life to come. If you’re a student, ask God to help you learn the material for the test. If you’re a mechanic, ask God to show you what’s wrong with the car and how to fix it. If you’re a mother, ask God to guide you in the training of your children.
If we live in that kind of ongoing communion with God, we will manage the stress of life much better.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, [Life is full of stressful situations. How do we rise above the anxiety that those situations provoke? This passage tells us how to do that.] but in everything [not just the big things, but everything: That keeps us in prayer throughout the day] by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” If we take it to the Lord in prayer, He will guide us through any and every challenge in life. What a friend we have in Jesus! As the old song says,
“O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer.”ii
Our relationship with God naturally develops as we partner with Him in our daily activities.
Jesus makes a profound promise in Luke 11:9: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” The words ask, seek, and knock are in the Greek present tense which indicates continuous action. It is an ongoing stance of looking to God as your source. During the Word of Faith Movement some leaders told people to only ask God once. The assumption was that continuing the petition was an act of unbelief. But that thinking is inconsistent with this text. Paul asked three times that his thorn of the flesh be removed.iii God did not correct him for doing that. He simply told Paul why that particular prayer would not be answered. In was in Paul’s best interest for God to not remove the thorn. God is always pursuing our highest good. That’s why His answer to some of our prayers is no.
Sometimes when we have prayed about something, the Holy Spirit will tell us the petition has been granted and the answer is on the way. In those cases, we can transition from petition into thanksgiving. First John 5:14-15 talks about the confidence that comes when we receive this subjective confirmation. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” The key here is in the phrase “if we ask anything according to His will.” The Holy Spirit is affirming the petition to be according to the Father’s will. Therefore, the answer is on the way.iv
So, we make prayer a lifestyle. We embrace dependence on God. We live by the principle Jesus set forth of asking and receiving.
But James also taught his congregation the importance of asking for the right things out of the right motives. Effectual prayer is not a matter of wearing God down so that He will give us what we want. Children sometimes try that with their parents. It should not work for them, and we as God’s children should not think that way.
Effectual prayer comes by aligning ourselves with the will of the Father.v It’s not how long and hard you pray. It’s not how many people you have on the prayer chain. It’s how submitted and committed you are to the Father’s will.vi “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” An important part of our prayer life is listening. Yes, we articulate our requests to God in prayer. But then we listen: we listen for correction; we listen for direction; we lean on the Holy Spirit to help us pray according to the will of God (Rom. 8:17).
So, James not only corrected believers for their failure to pray, he also corrected them for seeking the wrong priorities in life. James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” Their lives were not occupied with the kingdom of God; their lives were filled with self-interest. Their Christianity revolved around one question: What’s in it for me? If faced with the opportunity Solomon had, they would have chosen riches, or vengeance, or personal pleasure.
Let’s look closer at Solomon’s response to this opportunity and God’s evaluation of that response. 1 Kings 3:5-14:
“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.’”
What did Solomon ask for in this passage? He asked for wisdom to fulfill God’s will for his life. He asked for an “understanding” heart. The Hebrew word indicates a listening, obedient heart.vii He asked for the ability to do what God wanted him to do. Additionally, his petition was pointed toward the wellbeing of others. Verse 9 says, “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?’”
What has God called you to do? What do you need from God to do it well? God wants you to know His will. He wants you to know your calling. Now that is usually comes as a progressive revelation. When I was 15 years old, I received a general sense of calling to ministry. But I did not know much about what that would look like. In my early twenties it was becoming clearer, but I still did not understand much detail.
During that season of my life, I was in Bible School. God gave me a supernatural dream that brought more clarity. I was teaching a little at that time, but I struggled each time I taught. I am not a naturally gifted speaker, so I am very dependent on the Lord for this. I was fretting over all my inadequacy, on the one hand feeling compelled to preach, on the other hand feeling sorely inadequate for the task. On one occasion I fell asleep during the day, something that hardly ever happens. And God gave me this supernatural dream. The dream was full of symbolism, and I did not initially know what it meant. I did know it was from God. In the dream I was on all fours and carrying a person on my back. We were having pleasant conversation with one another. And when I looked at the rider, it was my pastor. He was stripped naked, not in any immoral way. Puzzled, I shared my dream with the associate pastor who had me share it with the pastor. He offered no interpretation, but when I shared it later with my father, he gave me the interpretation. Carrying the pastor on my back meant I would be enabled to carry the full load of pastoring. The fact that the pastor was stripped meant that he was going to be exposed for some things that had been hidden. Shortly after the dream, the pastor’s affair was exposed.
God will show you what He wants you to do, and He will encourage you along the way. Clarity may come in a dream; it may come through godly counsel, or it may come through an internal revelation by the Holy Spirit in your heart.
I am sharing Solomon’s experience as instruction for you. God is asking you, what do you want. Ponder your answer. Do not settle for the trivial things of this world. Think before you speak. How will you personally answer God’s question: “What shall I give you?’” Solomon asked God to enable him to fulfill God’s calling on his life. That pleased the Lord. That is instructive for us.
In a general sense God asks everyone this question.viii He gives everyone freewill. And broadly speaking people often get what they ask for—often even though their choice may in the end be unfortunate. The greedy unbeliever sets his heart on accumulating wealth. He expends his time and thoughts on getting that. He builds bigger and bigger barns for all his possessions. It is a sad ending for that man because he can’t take it with him. His eternal destiny will be a tragic disappointment (Luke 12:16-21). Another person cares less about things, but lives for personal pleasure. The lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh draw him away from eternal riches. Like Esau he trades eternal riches for a morsel of meat.ix
What is your primary pursuit in life? If you get it, are you going to be happy about that choice? Will it position you for an eternity of bliss or will it position you for an eternity of regret? Will it prove to be a wise investment of your allotted time on earth, or will it prove to be opportunity squandered?x
Jesus came to we might have abundant life. In John 10:10 he said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (NIV). The world thinks living life to full means a bucket list of thrilling experiences, worldly honor, and more things.xi But abundant living is found in dynamic relationship with God and loving relationship that accompany that. It is found in fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. It is found in the adventure of trusting God and following His lead. Jesus has for you a meaningful, fulfilling life.
The way you answer the question before us today determines whether you experience that abundant life. This poem by an unknown source illustrates the tragedy of choosing foolishly.
There was a very cautious man Who never laughed or played; He never risked, he never tried, He never sang or prayed. And when one day he passed away His insurance was denied; For since he never really lived, They claimed he never died!xii
The great irony of life is this: If we surrender to God and live for His pleasure, life becomes fulfilling and worthwhile. If we pursue our own pleasure, it is an empty disappointment in the long run. The NLT translates Jesus’s words in Lk 9:24 this way: “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.” Solomon chose wisely, and God was pleased with his choice.
God not only answered Solomon’s request, but then lavished blessings on him that were not his primary desire. First Kings 3:10 tells us Solomon’s request pleased the Lord. Verses 11-12 declares God’s answer to his specific request. Then in verse 13 God adds blessings that go beyond the request: “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.”xiii If you get your priorities right and seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, other things will be added unto you (Matt. 6:33). God is not stingy. He is not short on resources. He is abundantly generous toward his children. You can ask him for material things. But don’t make that the top priority. If God blesses you materially, receive it with thanksgiving. Don’t set your heart on those things but enjoy them and use them wisely.xiv God added to Solomon riches and honor beyond his request. Unfortunately, Solomon did not use all that wisely. He failed to keep God as the delight of his heart.xv But here in 1 Kings 3, he gets off to the right start by asking for the right thing with the right motive.xvi
II. OUR OPPORTUNITY
2023 is a year for HOLY OPTIMISM. Of course, that is true for every year we live in Christ. But there are times when God emphasizes His goodness. And I believe He is doing that. On New Year’s Day God impressed upon me this theme of holy optimism. God spoke that to me on New Year’s Day. Our Heavenly Father knows how to give good gifts to His children.xvii He knows how to bless us even when the world is sowing its own seeds of destruction. He is able to distinguish His people in the land of Goshen from the Egyptians, sending the plague of flies on the ungodly and shielding His own from that destruction.xviii The swarm of flies and the plagues that followed fell on the Egyptians but did not touch God’s people.xix Expect demonstrations of God’s goodness in 2023. Those marked by the Holy Spirit will not experience the same judgment as those marked by the god of this world.xx
God’s instruction to Isaiah in 3:10-11 was: “Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11 Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, For the reward of his hands shall be given him.” That is what I am doing this morning: I am saying to the righteous, “It shall be well” with you. That does not mean there will be no battles to fight. It is saying, “God is able to make all grace abound and give you victory in every one of those battles.” It is saying to the righteous, “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”xxi Shake off the victim mentality, for our God is working all things together for our good.xxii “Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” Have you been sowing seeds of obedience? Payday is coming! You will eat the fruit of your doings.
When we look at the world around us there is cause for pessimism. Wickedness has been on the rise. Most people are lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God.xxiii The love of many is waxing cold.xxiv People are dropping out of church even though Hebrews 10:25 warns against it.xxv Many in the world are calling evil good and good evil (Isa. 5:20). Our Federal government has spent itself into debt beyond recovery. In the world, these are perilous times (2 Tim. 3:1). That’s why 2023 is not a year for WORLDLY optimism.
Our optimism is holy because it is based on God’s faithfulness, not the world’s system. We live in hopeful expectation because God is front and center in our reality.xxvi He is our shield and buckler. He is our source and provider. He is able to make “a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”xxvii
The world excludes Him from their plans. They don’t want to even think about Him.xxviii But for you and me the paramount reality is our God. He is the one who saved Israel and destroyed Pharaoh at the Red Sea. He is the one who fed Israel with manna from heaven. He is the one who multiplied the fishes and loaves for the 5,000. We do not deny that the world’s system is in trouble. But we also know God is greater than that system. We also know that our citizenship is not in that world system. In Christ our citizenship is in heaven and our lives are supernaturally empowered.xxix Faith in God can move a mighty mountain. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down.”xxx Jehovah-Jirehxxxi can take care of you no matter what happens in the world’s system. He commanded the ravens to feed Elijah during the draught and He multiplied the widow’s flour and oil.
The key to enjoying all this supernatural provision is obedience to God. Elijah was positioned for the provisions of God because he obeyed His directives. God told Elijah to go to the brook. He also told the ravens to go there with food for Elijah. The ravens went where God sent them. Because he obeyed, Elijah was in the right place to receive that provision. And when the brook dried up, God had further provision for Elijah through a certain widow. Again, through faith and obedience, Elijah positioned himself to receive the provision.xxxii God has ample provision for you and me no matter what happens in the world around us. The only thing we have to do is hear and obey. “Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” These promises are not to those who walk in the flesh.xxxiii They are not to those live in willful disobedience. They are to those who separate themselves to God and live to please Him.xxxiv
None of us do that perfectly. There is grace for the sincere soul that is growing in grace.xxxv We are work-in-process.xxxvi This is evident in verses 1-4 of our text. Look with me at 1 Kings 3:1-4. Verse 1: “Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, [not a good decision] and married Pharaoh's daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall all around Jerusalem.” Clearly, Solomon is not doing everything right. He is making some mistakes. But verse 3 tells us he “loved the Lord.” His heart was basically right before the Lord. That is evidenced by general lifestyle of obedience, also recorded in verse 3.
Verse 2 also indicates a work in process: Gibeon was about five miles from Jerusalem. It was known as “the great high place” because it was where the Tabernacle was placed at that time.xxxvii God’s plan was for worship to be centered in Jerusalem proper, not five miles from Jerusalem. Verses 2-4 says, “Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days. 3 And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places. 4 Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.” So, Solomon had his shortcomings, but his heart was toward the Lord. And out of a tender heart toward God, he chooses wisely in verse 9 of our text.
I had experience similar to this when I was 22 years old, about the age Solomon was in our text. The Lord appeared to me in an open vision. He revealed a few key truths that have guided my ministry ever since. At approximately the time of this vision, but not during it, the Lord presented the question in verse 5 to me. What will be your primary pursuit in life? Will it be a career, money, pleasure, or will it be God’s will? I am very glad I chose the will of God at that time. I have made many mistakes since then. But I have never regrated that choice. This question often come in early adulthood as the course of life is being set.
Today, God is asking you the question, “What shall I do for you?” Maybe for the first time this question is being pressed on your heart. Maybe you are being asked to affirm a previous commitment. Even when we have decided to follow Jesus, there are times in our journey when we need to affirm that decision. Somewhere along the way Solomon failed to do that.
If you are sincerely seeking to live in God’s will, you should be filled with holy optimism today. As a child of God, your Heavenly Father has some good plans for you in 2023 (Jer. 29:11). Are you expecting God’s goodness in the days ahead. Are you pregnant with a promise from God’s word? Has a seed of hopeful anticipation been planted in your heart? When a young mother is pregnant, we often say she is expecting—she is living in anticipation of that child’s birth. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”xxxviii You can trust the promises of God in this Bible. Are you “expecting” in 2023? Are you asking in faith? None of God’s children should be living in dread? None should have a gloomy, dark. All the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ.xxxix
Now we come back to 1 Kings 3:5 where God said to Solomon: “Ask! What shall I give you?” What is your response to that question? More than anything else, what do you want from God in this life? Will your request be based on immediate gratification or on eternal values? Will your request be centered on the will of God or mere temporal pleasures? “Ask and you shall receive,” Jesus said. Now is the acceptable time to answer the question because God is presently asking. It is an opportunity to do business with God that can be life-changing.xl I invite you to find a place to pray and submit your answer to the Lord. The windows of heaven are open to you today. “Ask and you shall receive.”
ENDNOTES:
i All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
ii Joseph M. Scriven, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” The New Church Hymnal (Lexicon Music, Inc., 1976), 302.
iii Jesus also prayed three times in Matthew 26:37-44.
iv See Richard W. Tow, Authentic Christianity: Studies in 1 John (Bloomington, IL: WestBow Press, 2019), 367-380.
v When we are aligned with the will of the Father, we are also biblically aligned in our relationship with others (1 Pet. 3:7). Living in the first great commandment should lead us to live in the second great commandment (Matt. 22:36-40).).
vi When we are asking God for what He wants, we are aligning ourselves with Him rather than trying to get Him to align Himself with us. Asking God for what He wants is key to effectual prayer. In the end, what He wants for us is better than what we may want. Jesus taught us to pray with this mindset in the Lord’s Prayer: “Your kingdom come.
Your will be done” (Luke 11:2).
vii The Hebrew word translated “understanding” is shama. It means to “hear, listen to, obey” (Strong’s OT:8085). That gives a strong clue as to the wisdom Solomon was requesting. He was asking for a heart that would hear and obey God. That’s the kind of request God is pleased to grant.
viii Of course, 1 Kings 3 records a special opportunity given to Solomon to answer this question.
ix Heb. 12:16 KJV.
x See Matt. 25:14-30.
xi Cf. 1 John 2:15-17; Richard W. Tow, Authentic Christianity: Studies in 1 John (Bloomington, IL: WestBow Press, 2019), 95-110.
xii Source unknown, “Opportunities Missed,” Bible.org. Accessed at https://bible.org/illustration/opportunities-missed. A life of faith in God feels risky. But because of God’s faithfulness it does not end in disappointment.
xiii This is an example of a subjective revelation that a petition has been heard and granted according to 1 John 5:14-15.
xiv Ps. 62:10: 1 Cor. 7:31.
xv Cf. 1 Kings 11:1-10.
xvi Moses does the same thing in Exodus 33:12-21.
xvii Cf. Matt. 7:11.
xviii “A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you” (Ps. 91:7).
xix Ex. 8:21-23; 9:24. God used the judgment in the early plagues to chasten His own people and free them from their affections for Egypt. But once that work of correction was done, He guarded His people from the impact of the plagues.
xx Eph. 1:13 NIV. Also see Rev. 14:9-11; 16:2.
xxi Rom. 8:37.
xxii Rom. 8:28.
xxiii 2 Tim. 3:4.
xxiv Matt. 24:12.
xxv See my sermon entitled, “Should We Change the Way We Do Church?” available at Sermon Central.
xxvi Cf. Eph. 3:20.
xxvii Isa. 43:19 KJV.
xxviii Cf. Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:28.
xxix Cf. Phil. 3:20.
xxx Heb. 11:30.
xxxi God Will Provide (Gen. 22:14).
xxxii See 1 Kings 17.
xxxiii Cf. Rom. 8:1-6.
xxxiv Cf. 2 Cor. 5:9; 2 Tim. 2:4.
xxxv Cf. 2 Pet. 3:18.
xxxvi Cf. Phil. 3:12.
xxxvii Cf. 1 Chron. 21:28-29; 2 Chron. 1:3-6. God’s plan was for the temple to be in Jerusalem (not in Gibeon), but that objective had not yet been fully realized.
xxxviii Rom. 10:17.
xxxix Cf. 2 Cor. 1:20.
xl Cf. Eph. 5:16.
