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.