God appeared to Solomon one night and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

First of all, can you imagine God actually appearing to you? I can’t. But then imagine if He said to ask for whatever you wanted. How awesome would that be?

2 Chronicles 1 tells us that Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge, so he’d be a good leader over the nation of Israel. God was so pleased with Solomon’s unselfish request that God also gave him wealth, riches and honor. Not bad, huh?

In John 15, Jesus said, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Jesus puts a qualifier on answered prayer. Remain in Him and let His words remain in us. We’re to submit to Him and give Him first place in our lives, and let His word dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16). Then ask and receive…to the Father’s glory.

In the fourth chapter of his letter, James wrote, “You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

James explains a reason for unanswered prayer…our wrong motives. We don’t have God’s desires in mind, we have our pleasures in mind. And so our prayers go unanswered.

So what if God came to you and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” like He did to Solomon? Keep in mind the conditions Jesus put on the request and the caution James gave.

What would you ask for?

Is it big?

What if God wants to give it to you?