2 Chronicles 1:7–12
What if God asked you the same question He asked Solomon?
“Ask for whatever you want and I will give it to you.”
That’s the kind of question that can stop you in your tracks.
Would you ask for healing?
Would you ask for financial provision?
Would you ask for peace in your family?
Would you ask for world peace?
The list could be endless.
Solomon had every opportunity to ask for wealth, honor, victory over enemies, or long life. Instead, he asked for something deeper:
“Give me wisdom and knowledge that I may lead this people.”
Why?
Because Solomon understood something important:
What We Need from the Lord Is Determined by the Calling We’ve Received from the Lord
That is the heart of this message.
Our prayers become clearer when our calling becomes clearer.
If we only pray from our immediate needs, our prayers stay small.
But when we pray from our calling, our prayers become aligned with the purposes of God.
Solomon knew exactly what God had called him to do.
He had been made king over God’s people.
He had been entrusted with leadership.
He knew his assignment.
Because he understood the calling, he knew the request:
Not wealth.
Not comfort.
Not reputation.
Wisdom.
Knowledge.
Discernment.
Because that was what leadership required.
Solomon’s Three-Step Process
There’s a pattern here that helps us answer God’s invitation in our own lives.
1. Acknowledge What the Lord Has Already Done
Solomon begins by looking backward.
“You have shown great kindness to David my father, and have made me king in his place.”
Before he asks for anything, he remembers.
He remembers God’s faithfulness.
He remembers God’s provision.
He remembers the relationship already established.
That matters.
Sometimes before we ask God for what’s next, we need to stop and remember what He has already done.
God has been faithful.
And reminding ourselves of that changes how we pray.
2. Identify What God Is Calling You to Do
Solomon then looks forward.
He recognizes the assignment in front of him.
“You have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth.”
He understands responsibility.
He knows leadership is not about privilege—it is about stewardship.
The question becomes:
What is God calling me to do?
Who is God calling me to be?
That takes prayer.
Reflection.
Sometimes journaling.
Sometimes quiet listening.
But clarity in calling brings clarity in prayer.
3. Ask for What You Need to Fulfill That Calling
Only then does Solomon ask.
“Give me wisdom and knowledge…”
Not because wisdom sounded spiritual.
Because wisdom was necessary.
That’s the difference.
He wasn’t choosing the “church answer.”
He was choosing the right answer.
He was asking for what was required to faithfully do what God had placed in front of him.
And because his heart was aligned, God gave him even more.
A Personal Story
Early in ministry, I had a friend named Doreen.
We prayed together regularly, and often she would tell me, “The Lord gave me a Scripture for you.”
Usually it was a specific verse.
One day she simply said:
“Second Chronicles.”
That was it.
No chapter.
No verse.
Just… Second Chronicles.
At that point in ministry, I had never read the entire Bible straight through. Reading a whole book like 2 Chronicles felt overwhelming.
Honestly, I put it off.
If she had said “Read John,” maybe I would have jumped right in.
But 2 Chronicles?
Eventually, conviction won.
I opened my Bible and said:
“Alright, Lord. You’re going to have to speak pretty loudly.”
I started reading.
I got to chapter 1, verse 10.
And the Lord said:
“There you go.”
“Give me wisdom and knowledge that I may lead this great people of yours.”
That was the word.
That was exactly what I needed for ministry in that season.
And honestly, it has remained true ever since.
Every church.
Every transition.
Every leadership assignment.
The prayer has remained the same:
Lord, give me wisdom and knowledge.
Your Turn
If God asked you today:
“Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you…”
What would you say?
Maybe the better question is:
What has God called you to do?
Because the answer to that question helps answer the first one.
Start here:
Remember God’s Faithfulness
What has the Lord already done for you?
For your family?
For your faith journey?
Discern Your Calling
What is God asking of you right now?
What responsibility has He placed in your hands?
Pray Accordingly
Ask for what you need to fulfill that calling.
Not just what solves today.
What sustains faithfulness for tomorrow.
The Relationship Matters Most
Later, after Solomon built the Temple, he prayed:
“May your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”
And God answered:
“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal the land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
The promise was never just about the prayer.
It was about the relationship.
Prayer flows from relationship.
As much as we rely on God, we must also cultivate the relationship we have with Him.
That relationship is where wisdom grows.
That relationship is where calling becomes clear.
That relationship is where faithful leadership begins.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____
Sermon video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHzDwER7SG0
[Blog post created by Sunday Message Repurposing Assistant from original sermon content preached by Rev. Kent F. Jackson on April 19, 2026.]
Sermon Series NOTE: The Story by Max Lucado ch. 13 “The King Who Had It All”
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