Praying Through 1 & 2 Samuel

Two chapters about the building of two kingdoms and two thrones - man's and God's. Two chapters about two very similar and vastly different things. The Israelites wanted a king, saying God was not good enough to be their king. Disappointed, God allowed them their king, but God would have to choose him. Enter David, a shepherd and a warrior, a man after God's own heart. Though David was not perfect, and the books of Samuel are not afraid to point that out, David was the best model of godly leadership on this earth-the right man at the right time. 1 & 2 Samuel paved the way for the King of Kings, whose lineage would be through David and who would establish His throne forever. Jesus, born nearly one thousand years later, came through the line of David as a humble baby born in a manger, born in the same town of Bethlehem. This volume of PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES uses scripture reading, prayer, meditation and journaling to ensure that God will communicate to you during your time with Him as you pray through the Bible. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES What is God's word? Simply put, it is the word of God spoken to people long ago who transcribed that information into writing. That writing was meticulously passed down for thousands of years to speak to us today. How did God speak to people in Bible times? - Audibly - God spoke directly to people who heard him with their ears or in their heart. - Through situations - God spoke through the actions and events of this world. - Through people - God spoke through leaders, kings and prophets who proclaimed God's purpose. - Through prophecy - God spoke about future events, then those events happened. - Scripture - God spoke through his written word when people read those words later. - Prayer - God spoke through the prayers of people. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES recognizes the power of God speaking to mankind through His Scriptures. God's word was not only meant to be read, but applied. We must apply ourselves to these passages and adjust our lives to God's will. Today, God uses many ways to speak to us. This book incorporates those avenues of communication to ensure that God will speak to you during your quiet time with Him. Each section asks the reader to do six things. 1. Read the passage. Open up the Bible and read His Word. 2. Memorize the passage. A certain verse is given special focus. Commit it to memory. Remember it all day. 3. Understand the passage. Background information (Time, Characters, Place, What's Happening) help you to understand the context of the section you are reading. 4. Read the prayer. Read the written prayer as if it is from your heart. Don't recite them as words from a page, but a plea from your soul. 5. Keep praying. Prayer prompts are there to help you continue praying about other specific areas. Listen to the Holy Spirit and see if there is more you need to pray. 6. Journal your thoughts. In the space provided, write down some thoughts that you feel God said to your during this time. Every five sections I've included a "Prayer Thoughts" page to give you more room to journal your thoughts and write down prayer requests as you go through the Bible. Get ready to spend some quality time with God. Get ready for God to speak to you through His Word.