I heard a story about a very wealthy man who was deciding what to do with his estate. There were only two beneficiaries in the picture–one beloved son and one beloved servant. In the end, he told the son: “You can have your choice of one thing that belongs to me…just one thing…and the rest goes to the servant.”

The son was now faced with a decision. Should he choose the golf course? The mansion? The island? The investment portfolio? After some time, he made a choice that resulted in him owning everything that belonged to his father.

Can you guess what he chose?

Solomon had just become king of Israel. In I Kings 3 we read about how the Lord appeared to him in a vision and said: “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” “Whatever” gave Solomon quite a lot of latitude. What would he choose? Wealth? Fame? Power? Military success? A larger empire?

Of course, Solomon asks for “a discerning heart to judge the people and to distinguish right from wrong.”  God is so pleased with his request that he promises to honour his prayer and as added bonuses, offers him riches and honour! Small wonder then that he writes in Proverbs 4:7: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.”

A number of years ago, I had the chance to ask a Christian businessman who had achieved phenomenal success in his field this question: “What all did you pray for along your journey to success?” His answer consisted of one word: “Wisdom.” When I pressed further, he said: “Well, if I had God’s wisdom to make the right choice whenever I was faced with a decision, I knew that I would be successful, because I would not make mistakes along the way.” I was very impressed with his answer.

Yes, if there is only one thing you could pray for…choose wisdom. It is the principal thing.

Okay, let’s end the suspense now. The beloved son had obviously prayed for wisdom. For, the one thing that belonged to his father that he chose was the beloved servant!!!

May I suggest a daily prayer that will propel you faster to your destiny?  “Father, grant me wisdom to make the right choices in every decision I face today.” AMEN.