October 16, 2016

Devotion: Use this resource at home to guide your household’s daily devotions.

Pray: Open your devotion time with a prayer.

You are a Lord of mercy who heeds the prayers of your people. Grant us those requests which will glorify you and bring us into more perfect devotion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Read: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding of Sunday’s text. After the reading, ask the follow-up questions.

Sunday: God Answers Hannah, 1 Samuel 1:1-20; 2:1-10

Monday: God Calls Samuel, 1 Samuel 3:1-18

Tuesday: The Ark of God Captured, 1 Samuel 4:2-11, 6:2, 11-13

Wednesday: Samuel Anoints Saul as King, 1 Samuel 9:27-10:8, 10:17-27

Thursday: Saul Rejected and David Anointed, 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Friday: David Defeats Goliath, 1 Samuel 17:1-54

Saturday: David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem, 2 Samuel 6:1-23

What are the benefits and drawbacks for Israel to shift from a tribal nation to a kingdom? How might our political system serve God?

Connect: Discuss the following questions.

What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

How do you think prayer works? How did Hannah’s prayer affect her life? How did affect the future of Israel?

What have you asked God for that still awaits an answer? What did you bargain in return for a favorable answer? Does God require something in exchange for answered prayer? Where do you see God working while you wait for the answer?

Do: By doing, we make God’s word come alive. Do the following activity this week.

Set aside 10 minutes every day to pray in a way you’re not used to. Here are some possibilities: a quiet, still posture of prayer; yoga; meditation; mindfulness; prayer while walking or running. Be creative with your prayer life. How did the habit of prayer affect your mood?

Adapted from Clergy Stuff.  Copyright © 2016 Clergy Stuff. Used and adapted with Permission. Find more at http://www.ClergyStuff.com.