I Samuel 15:11
‘“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all night.’
I wrote about this passage once. The focus was Samuel praying all night. Some of this was intercession on Saul’s behalf. Today I want to focus on the same practice of prayer, but on a different motivation. Samuel would go to Saul with some difficult news. He would tell him that the Lord is sorry He made him king and that another would take his place.
Samuel prayed before talking with Saul. This is a great practice. No doubt Samuel was upset to have to do this. He had placed so much hope in him. The process of finding Saul and bringing him through the selection process for kingship was quite an ordeal. Now he was going to bring a difficult message.
I’ve heard it said that “we should talk to God about others before we talk to others about God.” It’s like preparing the soil before planting. The ground must be tilled and fertilized before the seed goes in. To plant in rock hard soil is reducing the odds of success. By praying for others first gives the Lord a chance to prepare the hearts of all involved.
The message doesn’t have to be a religous one. It could be we are approaching a boss or someone in which we have a concern. That makes all of us nervous. Involving God in the process front loads the situation. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.” God can change hearts and attitudes. It doesn’t mean He will intervene to get what we want, but He would work according to His will. Which is better than what we want.
Samuel could have been anxious about doing this. First, he wanted it to go the right way, but he also may have been afraid of what Saul would do. He could have put Samuel to death. He was threatening his reign as king. Many royals throughout history have killed to protect themselves.
We also can go to God before difficult tasks to reduce our concerns. These things can cause us to love sleep. What better practice but to bring this to God. I Peter 5:7 says, “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” That may have been the reason Samuel prayed. He was nervous.
Going to God in prayer is an important practice in the christian life. As we come to Christ, we accept Him as lord and savior. This falls in the category of lordship. It’s what we are to do as His follower and His child. It’s like a son or daughter going to parents for advice. We are to be dependent on Him.
Going to Him demonstrates and grows faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” We wouldn’t go to God if we didn’t think He was capable of helping. This verse is a good angle on faith. It’s not a Hail Mary pass, but a confident knowing that God wants to help and would do the best with it.
Another reason to go to God for help is that He wants to be a part of the process. The Bible speaks much about how God wants us to ask Him for assistance. Joshua 16:24 says, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” The Lord created us to have a people to be connected with. He wants us to be dependent on Him. Our praying pleases Him.
Lord, thank You that You are there for us. Help us to develop the habit of taking to You first. Thank You that You work all of this out for good.