in a dream,
God appeared to the king and said,
‘Ask what you want Me to give you.’
And Solomon said, ‘Great kindness
You have shown to my father David –
Your servant who remained faithful to You –
righteous and upright in heart.
How kind You have been to him!
And You have given him a son to sit on
his throne.
O LORD, my God, today
You have made me, Your servant,
king in place of my father David!
But I, his child, do not know how
to go out or come in to carry out my duties!
Here am I, Your servant, among the people
You have chosen – a great people –
too many to count!
Oh, give me the wisdom
to govern Your people and discern
between right and wrong.
For who knows how to rule
this great people of Yours?
This prayer pleased the LORD,
and so God said,
‘Because you asked this and not
long life or wealth for yourself
or a short life for your enemies
but for the understanding to know
what is right, I will do as you asked.
I will give you a wise and discerning heart.
Never before has there been anyone
like you, nor will there ever be again.
But to you I will also give
what you did not ask for –
I will give you wealth and honor
all of your life.
No other king shall be your equal.
And if
you walk in My ways and keep My decrees
and follow My commands as did
your father David,
to you will I give a long life.’
©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased 1 Kings 3:5-14 from today’s Daily Bible Reading.
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