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Wisdom Prayer

Serving the Lord!

Serving the Lord!

Dear Lord, I pray for those who have dedicated their lives to serving the Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Chapter twelve of First Samuel is identified as “Samuel’s Farewell Address.”

Samuel asks the people of Israel several questions. In 1 Samuel 12:1-5 (ESV) the answers to these questions will either affirm or undermine Samuel’s credibility.

“And Samuel said to all Israel, ‘Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me[a] and I will restore it to you.’ They said, ‘You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.’ And he said to them, ‘The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.’ And they said, ‘He is witness.’”

The people did not find Samuel guilty of any wrongful act. Therefore, Samuel was affirmed as honest before the people and before God.

Not everyone who asked the kinds of questions Samuel asked would be without fault.

God gives us grace and permission to confess our sins when we fall short. If we confess, we will be cleansed from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9).

If there is something you need to confess, confess now.

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Wisdom Prayer

Samuel Anoints Saul!

Samuel Anoints Saul!

Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom for those who the Spirit of the Lord rushes upon, and who are turned into a new creation. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Until Saul met Samuel, Saul was living a relatively normal life. The encounter changed everything. Using Samuel’s actions and prophesy, God starts Saul’s transformation. We learn about these things in 1 Samuel 10:1-16 (ESV).

“Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, ‘Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his heritage. When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, ‘What shall I do about my son?’ Then you shall go on from there farther and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you. Then go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.’

“When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day. When they came to Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, ‘What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?’ And a man of the place answered, ‘And who is their father?’ Therefore it became a proverb, ‘Is Saul also among the prophets? When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

“Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, Where did you go? And he said, ‘To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.’ And Saul’s uncle said, ‘Please tell me what Samuel said to you.’ And Saul said to his uncle, ‘He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.’ But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything.”

We see Saul transitioning from a man into “another man,” and a man God gave “another heart.” Wouldn’t you like to experience this type of transformation? People who accept Jesus into their hearts are said to be “Born Again.”

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From The Author

Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw

Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw

A few weeks ago, I came across a very fun-to-read children’s picture book. Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw by Josie Siler, illustrated by Sebastien Braun, will become an Easter and anytime classic.

Without giving away the story, just know that a little donkey has a special bray that Jesus appreciates.

Where do you find good books?

Do you visit the author’s website? Do you check the Amazon or Goodreads reviews? Does a radio show or podcast interview pique your interest that spurs you make a purchase?

I found out about Howie’s story through a friend. She told me she had heard about a good children’s book author, so I visited Josie Siler’s website. Somehow, I found a link to one about a podcast interview where she was the featured guest. During the interview, Ms. Siler read a short excerpt from her book. After that, I looked on Amazon and read the reviews.

I was so impressed with all I learned that I ordered two copies. One was for my collection and the other for the younger children in my family.

When one young child and I read the book aloud with the family present, everyone fell in love with the story.

I highly recommend this book.

It surely will make you smile.

Enjoy!
https://www.amazon.com/Howies-Broken-Hee-Haw-Josie-Siler/dp/1637970110

Tell me what you think below and please join me every day as we pray for wisdom by taking part in the Wisdom Prayer Challenge.