"I prayed, and understanding was given me" the prayer of intercession, asking God for graces and other gifts that we think we need is a common part of our spiritual lives. When it appears that God does not answer our prayers, a common approach is that God knows what we need better than we do and, while not answering our prayers according to our ways of thinking, God in fact gives us what we need.

The passage from the Book of Wisdom reflects on Solomon's prayer for wisdom and understanding upon his accession to the throne after his father David. Perhaps we, too, need understanding and wisdom rather than some of the other graces we usually pray for, a deeper understanding of our relationship with God and the wisdom to respond as unconditionally as we can. As he lay recuperating from his wounds in Loyola, Ignatius longed for complete physical healing and a return to court life. The gift which God gave him and through him to so many in the Church who have been formed in his spirituality was a special gift of spiritual wisdom and understanding, known as "the discernment of spirits".