Month: March 2022

Prayer as a Way to Courage

The rejection of a king after the
people’s heart (Saul) sets the
stage for the choice of a king
after God’s own heart (David).
A young shepherd with disposition
more suited to the pasture than
the palace. He is a good marksman
with a sling, a good lyre player and
the youngest of eligible sons from
an insignificant family in Bethlehem.
But his heart attitude is one of
undivided devotion – a quality readily
visible in the way David dispatches
the Philistine giant Goliath and
handles Saul’s jealous attacks.

Lord, we Remember Yr Deliverance:
Saul said to David: You are not
able to go against this Philistine;
for you are a youth, and he a
man of war from his youth…(But)
David said: The Lord Who Delivered
me from the paw of the bear,
He Will Deliver me from the hand
of this Philistine (1 Sam 17:33-37).
Then David said to the Philistine,
You came to me with a sword,
with a spear and with a javelin.
But I come to You in the name
of the Lord of hosts, the God of
Israel whom you have defiled…
So David prevailed over the
Philistine with a sling and a stone
and… killed him (1 Sam 17:45-50)

Father God, just as You taught
David to trust You when he killed
the bear and the lion, prepare me
for the battles I will face one day.
And when I reach those battles,
remind me I had overcome in other
situations and that as You were with
me then, You will be with me again.
Give me the courage of David to
take up the armour of God, for with
it I can overcome anything. Amen.

Lord, help us remember our past
deliverance and know that You
will continue to be our Deliverer.
Help us have the same perspective
of David where size of the giant
is irrelevant, for Goliath was puny
when compared with almighty God.
Help us to be trained in the power
of God, fixing our eyes on You God,
then we’ll not fear the giant. Amen.

Lord, remind us that prayer is
not something that only happens
in the quietness of a moment.
Prompt us to cry out to You whilst
in battle & desperate moments for
deliverance may be a prayer away.
Strengthen our faith in You so that
we’ll not forget or give up praying.
And enable us to stand strong
in prayer, giving thanks for Your
presence and deliverance. Amen.

Prayer as a Still Small Voice

While Saul is still on the throne,
Samuel anoints David as Israel’s
next king. Young David then bravely
conquers Goliath, the Philistine
champion, and establishes a
lifelong friendship with Jonathan,
Saul’s son. When Saul realises that
David will become king one day,
he grows very jealous and tries
to kill David on several occasions.

Lord, we aspire Tender Heart:
Now the Lord said to Samuel:
How long will you mourn for Saul…
Fill your horn with oil and go;
I am sending you to Jesse…
For I have provided Myself a king
among his sons. And Samuel said:
How can I go? If Saul hears it, he
will kill me. But the Lord said: Take a
heifer with you and say: I have come
to sacrifice to the Lord (1S16:1-2).
But the Lord said to Samuel:
The Lord does not look at the
things man look at. Man looks
at the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart…
Then Samuel took the horn of
oil and anointed him in the midst
of his brothers; and the Spirit of
the Lord came upon David from
that day forward (1 Sam 16:7, 13).

Lord, in the dialogue between You
God and Samuel in the choice of
David for kingship we see a typical
pattern of prayer communication.
We notice phrases the Lord said…
and Samuel said…But the Lord said..
Your voice seems like a still small
voice that fell upon the inner ear
of Samuel like the voice of a man.
Grant us Lord the spiritual fitness
that make possible the discernment
of the divine word and will. Amen.

Lord, I am grateful that You do
not judge me the way people do.
You look on my heart to see
thots, attitudes and love for You.
Show anything in my heart that
should not be there and l’ll confess.
Remove sinful desires Lord
and fill my heart with Your love.
Make me to be like David a person
after Your heart. Create in me
a clean heart and renew a right
Spirit within me. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, the heart is just deceitfully
wicked and we only fool ourselves
when we think otherwise. Grateful
Lord that You show mercy to those
whose heart are not that pure.
Even as we seek to walk in
Your ways, please close the gap
between the image we try to
portray and the reality of our heart.
And grant us a heart of integrity
before You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer of a Grieving Heart

Only two years into his reign,
Saul is faced with a critical test.
Confronted by a Philistine onslaught,
Saul enters the priest’s office at
Gigal & offers sacrifices which only
a Levite is permitted to offer, thus
blatantly disregarding God’s law.
Samuel’s announcement that God
will take the kingdom from him
only spurs Saul on to greater
efforts at doing God’s work
but not in God’s way. By ignoring
Samuel’s specific command from
God to annihilate the Amalekites,
Saul seals the fate of his kingship.

Lord, we aspire for Obedience to U:
Saul spared Agag & the best sheep..
Everything worthless they destroyed
Now the word of the Lord came to
Samuel: I greatly regret that I have
set up Saul as king for he has turned
back from following Me, and has
not performed My commandments.
And it grieved Samuel, and he cried
out to the Lord all nite (1S15:9-11).
(Samuel said): Go and completely
destroy the sinners, the Amalekites…
Why did you rush for the plunder?…
But I did obey the Lord,Saul insisted.
I carried out the mission he gave me.
I brought back King Agag, but I
destroyed everyone else. Then my
troops brought in the best of the
sheep & cattle… to sacrifice to
the Lord… But Samuel replied:
What is more pleasing to the Lord:
Your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to His voice?
Obedience is far better than
sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:18-23).

Lord, we note Saul’s disobedience
to God’s commands brought about
his rejection. How deeply grieved
Samuel must have been over the
situation, crying all night to You.
Samuel had to complete Saul’s
work to kill Agag. Saul’s non action
resulted in loosing fellowship w God.
We’ll be mindful that it’s possible
for kindness to become a sin
and result in compromise. Amen.

Lord, we note Saul did not fully
obey Your instructions; for he
spared Amalek’s king and kept
alive the nation’s choice livestock.
Forgive us Lord for the times
we try to rationalize Your clear
words or justify disobedient actions.
Give us Lord an obedient heart
that loves & trust You above all else;
for obedience brings blessing. Amen

Lord, work in me a heart of
obedience so that I can live
a life that is pleasing to You.
It’s easy to rationalise obedience
or attempt to chart my own course.
But You Lord are holy and You value
obedience above anything I can ever
give You. May my daily sacrifice to
You be a humble and Obedient heart
that You delight. In Jesus’ name.

Pray with Heart for God (Mar 28)

Only two years into his reign,
Saul is faced with a critical test.
Confronted by a Philistine onslaught,
Saul enters the priest’s office at
Gigal & offers sacrifices which only
a Levite is permitted to offer, thus
blatantly disregarding God’s law.
Samuel’s announcement that God
will take the kingdom from him
only spurs Saul on to greater
efforts at doing God’s work
but not in God’s way.

Lord, we aspire having Heart for You:
Saul waited seven days according
to the times set by Samuel. But
Samuel did not come to Gilgal… So
Saul… offered the burnt offering…
As soon as he had (presented) the
burnt offering that Samuel came…
And Samuel said to Saul: You have
done foolishly. You have not kept
the command of the Lord your God.
Now your kingdom will not continue.
The Lord has sought for Himself a
man after His own heart (13:8-14)
Now the men of Israel were worn out
that day because Saul had made
them take an oath: Let a curse
fall on anyone who eats before
I have full revenge on my enemies…
And Saul built an altar to the Lord,
the first one he had ever built…
Saul asked counsel of the God:
Shall I go down after the Philistines?
Will You deliver them into the hand
of Israel? But He did Not answer
him that day (1 Sam 14:24-35, 37)

Dear Lord, Thank You for lessons
in scripture from the story of Saul.
Forgive us for the times when we
are disobedient to Your word and
when You speak but we don’t listen.
Forgive us for the times when doing
Your work that we choose to go
our way rather than follow Yours.
Help us to Aspire for Your Heart.
Help us Wait for Your Timing. Amen.

Lord, we purpose not to make
up our own solution when You
God require us to wait and you
didn’t answer by the expected time.
Remind us Lord not to allow
impatience to drive us to disobey
Your instruction. Help us walk
daily to prepare us to cope well
when the pressure is on. Amen.

Lord, pray that I will have a heart
for You and Your sovereign ways.
For I don’t want to be a person who
shows love for You with only words.
Help me to show it with actions,
obedience to Your laws and
the way I live. And Thank You
for still loving me even when
I don’t do things right. Amen.

Prayer as Vindication & Intercession

From all outward appearance, Saul’s
selection as the first king of Israel
is an outstanding choice. His kingly
demeanour and imposing presence
make him a promising candidate
from a human perspective. But while
man looks on outward appearance
the Lord looks on the heart. Saul is
anointed by Samuel, installed as king
at Mizpah, proven in battle against
the Ammonites and confirmed as
king at Gilgal. But the fact remains
(as pointed out by Samuel in his
final address to the nation) that God
not Saul should be King over Israel.

Lord, we will also Pray For Others:
Samuel called to the Lord and
the Lord sent thunder and rain…
and the people greatly feared
the Lord and Samuel. And the
people said to Samuel: Pray to
the Lord your God that we may
not die; for we have added to
our sins… (by) asking a king
for ourselves (1 Sam 12:18-19).
(Samuel said to the people):
As for me, far be it from me that I
should sin agst the Lord by failing
to pray for you. And I will teach
you the way that is good and right.
But be sure to fear the Lord and
serve Him faithfully with all your
heart; consider what great things
He has done for you (v23-24).

Lord, we note that Samuel prayed
for heavenly sign be given to Israel
for rejecting divine government.
And You responded with thunder
and rain, seldom experienced
during the time of wheat harvest.
Lord, grant us the strength of
character to stand for You God
rather than yield to peer pressure.
Remind us that whenever we sense
evil that You Lord are in control and
You are on our side. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, I pray for my family and
loved ones to be blessed with
good health, provision, peace
and a greater knowledge of You.
Help me Lord not to be selfish
or lazy in praying; but instead
show me whom to pray for.
And help me not to sin against
You by failing to pray for other
people according to Your will.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we admit that our prayers
are often self-centered lists of
things we need and even want.
We are reminded this day that
we need to intercede for others.
Pray that You God will meet
the needs of friends & loved ones
according to Your riches in Christ.
Pray for those who are depressed
that they may have peace of mind
and may put their Hope in God.
Pray those facing challenges will
have friends & family members who
stand by them in adversity. Amen

Seeking God thru Biblical Prayers

The purpose of 1 Samuel is to record the life of Samuel, Israel’s last judge;
the reign & decline of Saul, the first
king; and the choice & preparation
of David, Israel’s greatest king.
This week we see God urging us
to Seek, Listen and Follow Him.
On Monday, we learn from 1Sam 1
about Earnestly Implore the Lord.
On Tuesday, we learn from 1Sam 2
on Gratitude for Answered Prayer.
On Wed, we learn from 1Sam 3 on
Speak Lord Your Servant Listening.
On Thursday, we learn from
1Sam 7 on Prayer Call for Help.
On Friday, we learn from 1Sam 8
about Prayer to Follow the Lord.
On Sat, we learn from 1Sam 12 on Prayer as Vindication & Intercession.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

Prayer as a Vindication
and for Intercession (Mar 26)

From all outward appearance, Saul’s
selection as the first king of Israel
is an outstanding choice. His kingly
demeanour and imposing presence
make him a promising candidate
from a human perspective. But while
man looks on outward appearance
the Lord looks on the heart. Saul is
anointed by Samuel, installed as king
at Mizpah, proven in battle against
the Ammonites and confirmed as
king at Gilgal. But the fact remains
(as pointed out by Samuel in his
final address to the nation) that God
not Saul should be King over Israel.

Lord, we will also Pray For Others:
Samuel called to the Lord and
the Lord sent thunder and rain…
and the people greatly feared
the Lord and Samuel. And the
people said to Samuel: Pray to
the Lord your God that we may
not die; for we have added to
our sins… (by) asking a king
for ourselves (1 Sam 12:18-19).
(Samuel said to the people):
As for me, far be it from me that I
should sin agst the Lord by failing
to pray for you. And I will teach
you the way that is good and right.
But be sure to fear the Lord and
serve Him faithfully with all your
heart; consider what great things
He has done for you (v23-24).

Lord, we note that Samuel prayed
for heavenly sign be given to Israel
for rejecting divine government.
And You responded with thunder
and rain, seldom experienced
during the time of wheat harvest.
Lord, grant us the strength of
character to stand for You God
rather than yield to peer pressure.
Remind us that whenever we sense
evil that You Lord are in control and
You are on our side. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, I pray for my family and
loved ones to be blessed with
good health, provision, peace
and a greater knowledge of You.
Help me Lord not to be selfish
or lazy in praying; but instead
show me whom to pray for.
And help me not to sin against
You by failing to pray for other
people according to Your will.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we admit that our prayers
are often self-centered lists of
things we need and even want.
We are reminded this day that
we need to intercede for others.
Pray that You God will meet
the needs of friends & loved ones
according to Your riches in Christ.
Pray for those who are depressed
that they may have peace of mind
and may put their Hope in God.
Pray those facing challenges will
have friends & family members who
stand by them in adversity. Amen

Prayer to Follow the Lord (Mar 25)

When faith in God wavers, faith
in man-made objects increases.
The people of Israel carry the
ark of the covenant into battle,
confident that its presence will
ensure victory over the Philistines.
Instead they suffer a shattering
defeat in which 30,000 lives were
lost the ark of covenant captured.
Upon hearing the news prophet
Eli falls back and breaks his neck.
It remains for Samuel to assume
the reins of leadership and guide
the people back to repentance.

Lord, we need to Follow Your Will:
But Samuel’s sons did not walk
in his ways; they… took bribes
and perverted justice. Then
all the elders of Israel came to
Samuel and said: Look, you are
old and your sons do not walk
in your ways. Now make us a king
to judge us like all the nations…

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said: Give us a king to judge us.           So Samuel prayed to the Lord.
And the Lord said to Samuel: the
people… have not rejected you but
they have rejected Me, that I should
not reign over them (1 Sam 8:3-7).

Lord, it must had been with a sad heart that Samuel prayed that Israel was tired of theocracy, directly governed by You God and yearned for a king like the Gentile nations. But how precious was Your tribute  and encouragement to Your servant. And subsequently You promised sending a man from Benjamin to save Your people from their troubles.  Grateful that You are good, in control and reign over our lives. Amen. 

Lord, thank You for the times
we prayed for something and
You did not give it to us because
it would not have been good.
Help us O Holy Spirit to seek
Your will and pray according to it.
Speak to us as we read Your Word
so that we’ll grow in understanding.
And enable us to pray in alignment
with what really pleases You. Amen.

Dear Lord, You are almighty and in
control to execute Your perfect plan;
and You desire our devotion to You.
Having learn from the experience
of the Israelites in Your Word, we
purpose to turn to You for needs.
We will rely on You for deliverance
and have no other gods before You.
And we need to Follow Your will,
for nothing can substitute Your
rule in our heart and life. Amen.

Prayer Call for Help (Mar 24)

When faith in God wavers, faith
in man-made objects increases.
The people of Israel carry the
ark of the covenant into battle,
confident that its presence will
ensure victory over the Philistines.
Instead they suffer a shattering
defeat in which 30,000 lives were
lost the ark of covenant captured.
Upon hearing the news prophet
Eli falls back and breaks his neck.
It remains for Samuel to assume
the reins of leadership and guide
the people back to repentance.

Lord, we Call to You for Help:
And Samuel said: Gather all Israel
to Mizpah and I will pray to the
Lord for you… And they fasted
that day and said: We have sinned
against the Lord (1Sam 7:5-6).
(Samuel) pleaded with the Lord
to help Israel & the Lord answered.
Just as Samuel was sacrificing
the burnt offering, the Philistines
arrived for battle. But the Lord
spoke with a mighty voice of
thunder… and the Philistines were
thrown into confusion that the
Israelites defeated them (v9-10).
Then Samuel took a stone… set it
up and called its name Ebenezer,
saying: Thus far the Lord has helped
us. So the Philistines were subdued,
and they did not come anymore
into the territory of Israel (v12-13).

Lord, we realized You are more
ready to hear the prayers of Your
people when they are repentant.
You are listened to Your servants
intercession for divine favour.
We note Samuel’s good practice
of erecting Ebenezer memorial as
Thanksgiving, which reminds us
of Your goodness and power that
we can call on You for help. Amen.

Lord, I praise You because You
are a God who hears and answers.
Just as You answered and moved
on behalf of Israel as they battled
their enemies, You move and work
these days on behalf of Your people.
Thank You for calling all of Your
people – young and old, to pray
and seek Your help these days.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, Thou fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wondering from the fold of God.
He, to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood…
Lord, I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by Thy help I come.
Let Thy goodness like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander Lord I feel it;
prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above. Amen.