“I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.”

Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”

“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. 21Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

“What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. 23Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. 25But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”

“Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.

“You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

Lord God my Father,

You chose me to be great, help me to have the courage to do your will and stay in your plan. Protect me from greed and self serving desires. Allow obedience to be most important to me. Give me courage to allow you to fight all my battles and follow your plan.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”

 “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”

7“Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”

Lord God my Father,

Help me to hear you and follow your desire. Protect my actions and bring peace to my family. Protect our health and thoughts.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

“I am the seer!” Samuel replied. “Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way. 20And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.”

After these signs take place, do what must be done, for God is with you. 

But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, you have rejected your God today and have said, ‘No, we want a king instead!’

But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today, for today the Lord has rescued Israel!”

But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. 25But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”

Lord God my Father,

Help me to trust in your plan without question. Teach me how to allow you to have your way completely. Help me to do what you desire without delay. Keep my heart from questioning and just to trust you.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

“We can’t keep the Ark of the God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god.” 

 “If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” 4So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the Lord.

So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered him.

Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.

But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 20“We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

Lord God my Father,

Help me to live my life under your sacred desire. Help me to get rid of the idols in my life and only worship you. Please restore me to your design and not question you. I don’t want to be like everyone else.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you.

“Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the Lord permanently.

No one will succeed by strength alone 10Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.

And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day! 35“Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. 

Lord God my Father,

Break my heart so I truly cry out to you, give me focus to stay in your desire without distraction. You are the only strength needed to release your glory, use me and direct my path. May I desire your plan even when it is hard.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

Lord God my Father,

Your love is perfe4ct and never changes. Lord God, help me to learn to remove all conditions I carry in how I love you and my family.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it.

When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the Lord had left him.

Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.” 

Lord God my Father

Give me wisdom to avoid those who would draw out your peace and wear me down. Protect me from the nagging way of evil and keep me in your delight. Allow your spirit to guide me and do your will, allow your strength to drive me today.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

God answered Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of God appeared once again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. 

Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please stay here until we can prepare a young goat for you to eat.” 16“I will stay,”

“Why do you ask my name?” the angel of the Lord replied. “It is too wonderful for you to understand.”

His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time.

Lord God my Father,

Remind me to stay in prayer with you, life is delightful with you at my side. Sometimes I wonder off and get into struggle, help me to stay so close that I don’t wonder. Give me boldness in my prayer and open my eyes to see your answer. I don’t have to understand what you are doing, I just need to be obedient.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight.

So the Lord burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites,

But the Israelites pleaded with the Lord and said, “We have sinned. Punish us as you see fit, only rescue us today from our enemies.”

“Father, if you have made a vow to the Lord, you must do to me what you have vowed, for the Lord has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites. 37But first let me do this one thing: Let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin.”

Lord God my Father,

Keep me from corruption and turning from you. Restore me to your design and away from my desires to question you. Protect me from making vows that you don’t approve of and help me to follow through with my promises.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god. 34They forgot the Lord their God, who had rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them.

In this way, God punished Abimelech for the evil he had done against his father by murdering his seventy brothers. 57God also punished the men of Shechem for all their evil. So the curse of Jotham son of Gideon was fulfilled.

Lord God my Father,

Help me to place my faith and focus where it needs to be. Keep me from listening to the deceiver and stay grounded in your Truth.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen