Abigail and the man named ‘Fool’ - 1 Samuel 25

Father we are filled with folly, filled with desires.
Please forgive our trespasses and sins.
You are the God of the living,
Who judges the wicked and the foolish.
You have raised your king
You have given us a mediator.

Remember us we pray.
Thank you that you have sent Jesus
To grant us peace,
To take our guilt.
In the face of your victory
Thank you that you are a God who brings justice…we need only wait and trust
Amen

The most important thing about your heart is where it is headed - 1 Samuel 18-21

Father may we love your messiah king. May Jonathan be our model and our guide. May we do what he did and be as he was; unaffected by power and personal desire but content with the advancement of your king and his kingdom. Put this love in our hearts we pray. Amen

David and Goliath - 1 Samuel 17

 

Father so many defy the living God.
They hurl their contempt at this people
And scorn the name of the king.
But your king takes this reproach in weakness and humility.
He goes to death.
He brings us life.
In weakness and in scorn he saves his people.
May we worship the king.

1 Samuel 15,16

Father, you are a God who speaks

You have spoken your precious Son

And you desire that we listen to him and obey him

But we listen to every other voice rather than yours.

Forgive us.

Give us hearts that

·     Discern your voice

·     Know it

·     Love it

·     Seek it

·     Desire it

And most especially hear it, not rejecting it.

In Christ’s name we pray

Amen

Is it well? 1 Samuel 12

Father forgive us that we listen to many voices. We succumb to the pressures of what everyone else thinks instead of remembering the righteous deeds that you performed for our fathers.

And so we forget you our Lord and God.

At those times please discipline us and call us back.

We confess to you that we have sinned and we ask that you deliver us out of the hand of our enemies.

You have set a king over us. May we fear you, serve you, obey your voice and submit to your commands.

May we follow your king, so that it goes well with us.

May we not turn aside but instead turn towards you with listening hearts.

For your glory alone.

Amen

1 Samuel 12

We need a king - 1 Samuel 7:1-8:22

Father we stray from you,

And we seek other gods with all our hearts.

We seek fame, comfort, leisure, money, sport, control, happiness and esteem.

May we return to you and serve you alone

·     Run only ever towards you

·     Desire only to listen to you

·     Seek your fame

·     Suffer your death

·     Be spent in the advance of your kingdom

·     And be secure in the shadow of your wings.

We have sinned against your greatness

And so today we cry out to you for your salvation knowing that you are Ebenezer - the LORD who helps us.

What kind of a king do we need? - 1 Samuel 9:1-10:26

Father we need a king to save us from the hand of our enemies

One in whom is your Spirit

One who has you; God with him

And who works for your objectives.

We are prone to reject you even though you save us from calamities and distresses

You have appointed king Jesus, may we cherish him, love him, adore him and serve him.

He is not a tame lion - 1 Samuel 3:19-7:2

Father we treat you as a pet to be coddled and discarded.

We treat you as a lucky charm in the midst of our life battles.

We desire your presence and your deliverance but not your exclusive demand for our worship.

May we know something of your greatness.

May we bow to your sovereign rule over all the gods of our hearts.

May we not dismiss their behaviour as unlike our own

But instead reflect on our fickle hearts and our feeble love.

And like Samuel may we treasure you alone…

Father you are a God who works salvation.

There is none like you.

No one that we can count on like you.

You know, and you see and you weigh;

You break the bows of the mighty and bind up the feeble;

You empty the full and feed the empty;

You make the barren fruitful and the mother of many forlorn;

You kill and you bring to life;

You make poor and you make rich;

You bring low and you exalt;

You raise up the needy to fill them with good things;

You will guard the faithful and destroy the wicked;

Might shall not prevail;

You will judge the earth and exalt your king.

A Life of Purpose - 2 Timothy 4:6-22

Father, may we say

I have fought the good fight

I have finished the race

I have kept the faith.

And when we say that, may it be true and not an expression of self-delusion.

Thank-you that you will stand with us.

You will strengthen us,

You will rescue us,

And bring us safely to your heavenly kingdom.

Amen

The Job Description - 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Father you are watching,

And we are tempted to shrink back.

Your son is the judge of heaven and earth, the coming king,

Your spoken Word.

May I remember his appearing,

May I long for his judgement,

May I remember his rule,

May I ever only preach your word.

Correcting, rebuking and exhorting with great patience.

Make me sober minded, able to endure suffering, ready to share Christ, a faithful minister.

What is the Bible? 2 Tim 3:15-17 & 2 Peter 1:19-21

Blessed Lord, you have breathed out your Word and caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning:

Grant that we may hear what you have spoken to us

• ·    listening carefully to what the scriptures say,
• ·    reading them with diligent and open minds,
• ·    marking them and learning them in order to know them better,
• ·    hiding them in our hearts,
• ·    And inwardly digesting them,

that we may embrace Christ, strive for obedient living,

And ever hold fast to the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ; 

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 

Amen

In Times of Trouble - Psalm 9,10

Father and King

You are on the throne of judgement

Justice, righteousness and uprightness belong to you.

You have not forgotten the oppressed.

You have heard the cry of the afflicted.

Arise o Lord and judge

Do not stand far off.

Do not hide.

Wickedness prevails.

Evil prospers.

Oppression, mischief and iniquity,

And the poor and helpless are crushed.

Arise o Lord. Do not forget.

See, help and call them to account.

You are king forever and you will do justice.

Amen

How to make a success of your life - 2 Tim 3:10-17

Father, may the lives of faithful leaders resound in our hearts

As we see their faith, patience, love, steadfastness, persecutions and chosen sufferings,

May the word of their lives send us in the direction of their faith.

May we continue in the Scriptures firmly believing their testimony to them,

As the Scriptures make us wise for salvation

And equip us for holy, good lives.

May we believe your word at this point

And put ourselves under it.

As it soaks into us,

Make us eternally successful for your glory alone.

Been hurt by the church? 2 Tim 3:1-9

Father,

As we experience the worship of self,

The love of money, pride, arrogance and abuse;

Disobedience reigns,

Ungrateful, unholy, unloving, uncontrolled and slanderous;

People are brutal, treacherous, reckless, conceited and pleasure loving

We easily become uncertain and afraid.

And we easily become like them…

Teach us to avoid such people, not to admire them but instead to seek truth and commit to the outcomes of truth in our lives;

As truth makes us more holy like Christ

Amen

Follow a Leader of Holiness - 2 Timothy 2:14-26

Father, forgive us that we quarrel.

We have foolish and stupid arguments.

Our mouths are full of godless chatter.

And we are in danger of wandering away from the truth.

May ministers be holy instruments.

  Faithful with your word.

  Correctly handling it.

May ministers flee evil desires and passions.

  And pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace

May we be kind,

  Not resentful,

  Patiently enduring,

  Gently instructing,

Waiting on you to grant repentance.

Scandalous Suffering (part 2) 2 Timothy 2:1-13

Father, give us faithful men and women to whom we can entrust the gospel.

May they be able to teach.

May they be

Soldiers, obedient;

Athletes, compliant;

Farmers, hard-working;

Willing to suffer.

May we remember Jesus suffering,

And that we suffer for the elect.

May we be willing to die,

Steadfast to endure,

Undenying in suffering,

Faithful to the end.

Scandalous Suffering (part 1) - 2 Timothy 1:8-14

Father I am often ashamed of you and Jesus my Lord.

I am not willing to suffer much for Christ!

I need the power of God.

You have saved me and called me

By your purposes and grace

In Christ Jesus before the ages began.

Jesus appeared, abolished death

Brought life and immortality.

May we follow the patterns of sound words and guard the good deposit given to us.

Save me from a timid, fearful, ineffective and ashamed life.

Follow a Leader of Sincere Faith - 2 Timothy 1:1-7

Father,

You have promised and provided life in Christ Jesus.

You give to us undeserved grace, free mercy and sustaining peace.

Give us men of sincere faith to lead us.

Men who fan into flames the gift of God;

Who confront their fears;

And who are full of the spirit of power, love and self-control.

Remove leaders that are proud and self-sufficient; who sow hatred, licentiousness and lawlessness.

Save your people I pray.

Loving: the Successful Life - 1 Cor 13

Father,

We desire public esteem

We desire to be praised for our wisdom

We even desire radical generosity

But they are nothing without love.

We do not desire patience and kindness.

Keep us from envy, boasting, pride, rudeness, self-seeking, anger and hatred.

Make our hearts to delight in truth,

To always protect,

To be full of trust, hope and perseverance.

May we look not at what is temporary but at what is eternal.

May we contemplate the cross and your love that is the source and foundation of all love

For your glory alone 

Amen

Father my heart does not want to love,

  O change my heart!

People are often so unlovely, haters, hurters, enemies

  O change my heart!

And yet love must be possible.

You have done it.

You have commanded it.

You are love.

Soak me in your love.

Soak my emotions so that I feel your love.

And may love flow from me whenever I speak.

May I initiate love,

Be energised to love,

Act for love,

React in love,

And desire love just as you have loved me,

  O change my heart!