“Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

 The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When Israel’s god dealt harshly with them, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?

Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. 3So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only,

He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. 2The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

“Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

Lord God my Father,

Keep my faith in your design and not my questions. Help me to live by your peace, not my desires. I want you to be my only God and trust in your plan. Restore your kingdom in my life, family, church and country. Expose those who do not follow your way and remove them from power. Lead us by your power, alive and all around us. Protect us from becoming like the other nations but stand firm in your power and grace.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

“After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”

“Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28So now I give him to the Lord.

“My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.

I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always.

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

Lord God my Father,

Make my cry to you a holy one, show me how to honor you in all moments of the day. Give me a heart that trust you above all things. As you answer my prayers, keep my focus on you with a heart of gratitude. Raise me up as you see fit to do your will. Allow me to know you.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

 As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz,

“I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered.

All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.

Lord God my Father,

Thank you for your design and perfect plan. Help me to follow your plan without resistance.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Now turn those wicked men of Gibeah over to us so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel.”

But the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites. 14From their towns they came together at Gibeah to fight against the Israelites.

Lord God my Father,

Help me to represent you well and speak your Truth in Love. Open the hearts of the deceived and allow them to hear only what you want them to hear, your Truth.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.

21Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison. 

Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.”

Lord God my Father,

Allow me to stay in your ways so I may not be fooled into sin and fall from your plan. Open my eyes to follow you even when it doesn’t make sense. Shape my prayers to be pleasing to you.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.

Lord God my Father,

Keep me close and protect my thoughts so only your desires rest on me. Help me to learn your way so your strength can be on me to live your plan for me.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

And because the Israelites forsook the Lord and no longer served him, 7he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, 8who that year shattered and crushed them. 

Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”

But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” 16Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.

Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?”

“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. 

Lord God my Father,

Focus my heart’s desire to serve you only, keep me from foolish promises. Bless any action I have that brings you glory and keep me from serving myself above you. Bring a stillness to my thoughts that allows me to hear you at all times. Keep me from allowing thoughts that don’t come from you.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 

No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals.

Lord God my Father,

You are the only one that rules over me. I pray anyone of authority would be under your authority. Keep my heart focused on you and not false rullers.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.

Lord God my Father,

Protect my heart and keep me from evil thoughts. Give me strength to destroy the evil within and around me. Keep me from questioning your strength in me and cause confusion to overwhelm the enemy of your Truth.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. 

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel.

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. 

On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites. 24And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.

Lord God my Father,

Keep my heart close to you and protect me from evil that is waiting for me. Give me the strength I need to stay strong in your work and in my thoughts.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen