Pray for Your Heart to Have Ears – July 27, 2026
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 1 Kings 3:5-12
Pray for Your Heart to Have Ears
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Imagine someone handing you their Venmo app and saying, “Write down any amount you want!” Nobody would really do that, would they? But that is a little like what the Lord God offered young King Solomon—only better. During the early days of Solomon’s reign over Israel, God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (1 Kings 3:5).
Imagine the possibilities! The sinner inside all of us gets excited at the thought of being able to ask God for anything knowing he will give it to us. What would you ask for? More money? A giant house? Straight A’s? To be famous? Your dream vacation? Or maybe for someone who hurt you to get what you think they deserve?
Solomon could have asked for any of those things—and more. But he didn’t. Instead, Solomon asked God for “a hearing heart” (1 Kings 3:9). What a strange prayer! Hearts don’t hear; ears do. Yet Solomon understood something important. The greatest treasure God could give him was not wealth, power, or fame. It was a heart that listened to God.
God gave Solomon exactly what he asked for, “I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be” (1 Kings 3:12). The Lord blessed Solomon with amazing wisdom because he had asked for something far more valuable than riches, power, or success.
None of us will ever need the kind of wisdom required to rule God’s chosen nation. You probably won’t need to settle arguments between thousands of people or make decisions for an entire country! Yet there is greater wisdom than knowing how to govern. The wisest thing anyone can do is listen to God’s Word and trust its promises. That is what makes followers of Jesus different from the rest of the world.
The Holy Spirit has given us a new heart—one that has ears to listen to what God tells us in his Word. We listen humbly when God shows us that something we have done is sinful—even when we don’t want to admit it. We listen joyfully when God forgives every one of our sins through Jesus. We listen thankfully when God guides us in ways that show love for him and for our neighbor.
When God opened the doors of his goodness to Solomon, Solomon’s response was simple: “Give me a hearing heart.” One of the wisest prayers we can pray is this: “Lord, give me a heart that listens to you.”
Prayer:
Dear Lord, give us hearing hearts that gladly listen to your Word. Help us trust your promises and follow your wisdom every day. Amen.
The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.
Questions for Younger Children
- If you could ask for one special gift, what would you ask for?
- What did Solomon ask God to give him?
Questions for Elementary Age Children
- What is a “hearing heart”?
- Someone commented, “Solomon’s request already showed God had begun answering his prayer.” What did they mean? How did his request show wisdom?
Questions for Middle School and Above
- If God told you, “Ask for whatever you want,” what might your first request reveal about your heart?
- How do we show that we have a “hearing heart” when God shows us our sins and points us to Jesus for forgiveness?
