Today’s Bible Reading: 1 SAMUEL 9:1-12:25
1 Samuel 12:23
Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.
There is no greater gift we can give to someone than to pray for them, to place their name before the Lord, to intercede on their behalf and to let their need be made known to the one who meets needs.
Samuel had served the people well. His name was honored by all. He faithfully expressed God’s word to a faithless people. He led well. Now he is old and gray. He knows he will soon depart to be with the Lord. His time with them is short.
He takes this moment to remind the people of the Lord’s great concern and care for them. How even in rebellion the Lord redeemed them. How in their sin, He saved them. He had compassion for them even when they were callous toward Him.
He admonished them to fear the Lord and faithfully follow Him. He assured them that the Lord would not forsake them and that it pleased the Lord to make them His people. Then after recounting God’s providence toward His people; His provision for them; His protection over them and His power before them . . . he commits to pray for them.
His passion was to petition the Father on their behalf and to carry their concerns to Him. He saw this as the apex of his affection toward them. He had an overwhelming calling to care for them and considered it His divine commission.
Intercession for others should not be taken lightly or frivolously. To not pray for them is not just slothful, but sinful. It is defiant and disobedient toward the Lord. Prayer is an act of obedience. It must not be neglected. It was Samuel’s calling. It was his commitment. He bowed on their behalf. Rather than ceasing to pray, he was ceaseless in prayer. His cry was continuous. His supplication was not sporadic, but steady.
Jesus too, was a man of prayer. Like Samuel, He came before the Father on behalf of others. He prayed for his disciples (John 17:15), but also for those who despised him. From the cross, He cried out for the Father to forgive his abusers (Luke 23:34). Jesus calls us to do the same, to pray for our friends and our foes (Luke 6:28, Matt 5:44). He beckons us to intercede on their behalf. He encourages us to present petitions on behalf of all those who cross our path.
Today pray for others. Listen for needs and pray for them. Look for opportunities to pray with them. Let prayer be the pattern of your daily walk. Petition the Lord for the people in your path. Lift their names before the Lord, then wait, and watch what He will do.
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