REFLECTION:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church offers a beautifully simple definition of prayer: “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God.”

Prayer, then, is not first about words spoken or requests made. It is about direction. It is the movement of the heart—what we lift up, what we desire, and where we place our trust.

This understanding of prayer comes alive in 1 Kings 3:4–13, when Solomon stands before God at Gibeon. At the very beginning of his reign, Solomon is invited to ask for anything. In that moment, his heart could have been raised toward success, security, or recognition. Instead, it is raised toward God.

Solomon begins his prayer by remembering who God is and who he himself is not. He recalls God’s faithfulness, acknowledges his own inexperience, and recognizes the sacred responsibility entrusted to him. His heart is not pushing forward; it is opening upward. This is prayer as the Catechism describes it—a heart lifted, not a self promoted.

When Solomon asks for “an understanding heart,” he is asking for more than wisdom. He is asking for a listening heart, one tuned to God’s voice rather than his own ambition. His prayer seeks God’s heart, not self-advancement. It is humble, receptive, and ordered toward service.

This is why the prayer pleases God. The Catechism teaches that prayer is both a gift from God and a response from the human heart. God initiates the invitation; Solomon responds with trust. By raising his heart to God, Solomon allows his desires to be shaped by God’s will. Only then does God give him wisdom—along with blessings he did not even ask for.

Prayer that raises the heart to God always does this work within us. It reorders our loves. It teaches us to listen before we act, to serve before we seek, and to trust before we claim. True prayer does not remove us from responsibility; it prepares us to carry it faithfully.

As we reflect on Solomon’s prayer, we are invited to examine our own. When we pray, what are we lifting up? Our fears? Our plans? Our need to succeed? Or are we raising our hearts toward God, allowing Him to shape our desires?



Prayer that seeks God’s heart slowly transforms ours. And in that raising of the heart, God entrusts us—not necessarily with more power, but with deeper wisdom, greater freedom, and the grace to love as He loves.