I have often wondered if the story "Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp" which is part of the collection of stories in the book, "One Thousand and One Nights" was inspired by this scripture. An all-powerful deity granting the wishes of a mere mortal is a story that will always captivate our imagination. Which brings us to the questions, "What would you wish for if the Creator of the universe asked you what you wanted?"
I find it interesting that God appeared to Solomon in a dream to ask this question. Though God knows everything about each of us, I wonder if He was bypassing Solomon's conscious thought process to communicate straight to his soul? Or maybe after Solomon sacrificed to the Lord, he was consumed with the responsibility and weight of his position as King and God picked that moment to intervene on his behalf. We do know from Scripture that God stepped into Solomon's dream to ask him this question so maybe it was to eliminate all other distractions, so that it was just Solomon and God. (Similar to God and Moses at the burning bush) Even in the Old Testament, before the gift of the Holy Spirit which is available to each of us as children of God, God desired intimate moments with those who sought His face.
"Ask for whatever you want Me to give you."
What would you ask for in that moment?
A New Testament equivalent to this story is in John 16:23 where Jesus told His disciples, "Whatever you ask from the Father, He will give it to you in My name." I'm reminded of this quote from St. Augustine, "The New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament." If you want to understand either, you need to understand both. [Note: I discuss this John 16:23 promise in another blog post which you can read here.] A quick summary can best be understood through another quote, this one by St. Therese of Lisieux, "God gives me whatever I want, because I want whatever He gives."
Solomon asked God for what God wanted to give him, wisdom to lead God's people. The purpose and results of Solomon's answer to God's request would advance God's Kingdom here on earth. Jesus said we can do nothing, without Him. If we abide in Him all things are possible. And when we abide in Him, our hearts and minds are transformed to align with His wishes for our lives.
Solomon answered correctly because Solomon had spent time worshiping with God and was consumed with devotion and obedience to Him. For us to change this world God must first change our hearts. Then, and only then, can we with boldness ask God for the resources to accomplish this task, knowing that this prayer lines up with His heart. If our hearts are selfish, our requests will mirror that perspective. If our hearts are humble and obedient, we can be assured that Jesus will answer our prayers with a "Yes".
