Tag: Saul

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Wisdom Prayer

Chosen to Serve!

Chosen to Serve!

Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom for those who are chosen to serve. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Samuel knew the people of Israel wanted a king instead serving and worshiping God. Samuel called the people of Israel to assemble. While everyone watched, God did a miracle by choosing the first King of Israel. Samuel had told Saul he was to be king. Then God confirmed it in front of everyone.

1 Samuel 10:17-24 (ESV) tells about the events of the day, and what happened to Saul.

“Now Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah. And he said to the people of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.’

“Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot; and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. So they inquired again of the Lord, ‘Is there a man still to come?’ and the Lord said, ‘Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.’ Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, ‘Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, ‘Long live the king!’”

God gave the people of Israel what they asked.

Where are you in your relationship with God? Has anything become more important?

Wherever you are with your walk with God, rededicate your life to him.

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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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Wisdom Prayer

Wisdom for Those Who Are Honored!

Wisdom for Those Who Are Honored!

Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom for those who find themselves being honored. In Jesus’ name, amen.

At the time of Samuel, prophets were also called ‘seers.’ Saul and his servant were seeking the Samuel.

In 1 Samuel 9:18-21 (ESV) we learn what Saul did.

“Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, ‘Tell me where is the house of the seer?’ Samuel answered Saul, ‘I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?’ Saul answered, ‘Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?’”

Thirty people were gathered to have a meal with Samuel. It is during this meal, Samuel invited Saul, and had the cook bring a specially prepared portion of meat set before Saul.

That night, Saul was given a place to sleep on the roof.

At the break of dawn, Samuel called to Saul and Saul got up.

Saul, his servant, and Samuel went out to the streets, and in 1 Samuel 9:27 (ESV) we learn what happened.

“As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, ‘Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.’”

Wouldn’t have been great to see Saul’s reaction when he learned about God selecting him to be the King of Israel?

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Wisdom Prayer

Devine Appointments!

Devine Appointments!

Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom for those who are guided on their journey by divine appointments. In Jesus name, amen.

In 1 Samuel 9:11-13, Saul and his servant seek the prophet Samuel and are told by a young woman where to find him. In 1 Samuel 9:14 (ESV) we learn what happens.

“So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.”

In 1 Samuel 9:15-17 (ESV) Scripture reveals what God told Samuel about Saul.

“Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: ‘Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.’ 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, ‘Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.’”

Notice how God provides just enough information to Samuel for him to identify Saul as Israel’s future king. God orchestrated the divine appointment so Samuel and Saul would meet.

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Wisdom Prayer

Life in Jeopardy?

Life in Jeopardy?

Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom for those who need a means of escape. In Jesus’ name, amen.

When Saul became a believer and started to defend Christ, his opponents decided to seek vengeance.

Luke describes what happened in Acts 9:23-25 (ESV):

“When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.”

Saul eluded capture. This incident is reminiscent of what happened in Joshua 2:15 when Rahab helped two spies flee Jericho by rope. In both cases, God provided a means of escape.

Pray for those believers who need to flee to safety.

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Wisdom Prayer

Used By God?

Used By God?

Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom for those whose lives are dramatically changed after encountering Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Paul experienced a complete turnaround. He went from persecuting the church to preaching Christ. It seems the more people challenged Saul, the more God used him to confound his opponents.

Luke tells how God used Saul in Acts 9:20-22 (ESV):

“And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?’ But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.”

The people knew of Saul’s reputation. When he became a believer and started to advocate for Jesus, some became angry.

Are you willing to defend the faith? George Duffield wrote the song,
“Stand up, stand up for Jesus Ye Soldiers of the Cross”:

“Stand up, stand up for Jesus
ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner,
it must not suffer loss.”

Is it time for you to stand up for Jesus?

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