Praying Through God’s Word: 2 Samuel

2 Samuel 1:1-27

So often, Lord, we start out well – and then something goes wrong. Our heads go down. We lose our way. We fall away from You. Where does this spirit of defeat, this spirit of giving up, come from? – It comes from Satan. He sweeps in. He sweeps us off our feet. He sweeps us away from You. When Satan attacks us, help us, Lord, to remember Your promise: You are “able to keep us from falling” (Jude 24-25). Help us to hear Your Word: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

2 Samuel 2:1-32

There are times, Lord, when we need to start all over again. We need to make a new beginning with You. We’ve wandered away from You – and we wonder if You’ll have us back again. Help us, Lord, to know, in our hearts, that You never lose patience with us. Your love for us remains constant, even when we’re “in the far country” of our sin (Luke 15:13). You’re always waiting for us to return to You. Our returning to You is not insignificant. It is important. How can we enter into Your blessing if we refuse to return to You? When we think about our returning to You, help us never to forget that it is never any more than a response to Your coming to us – “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

2 Samuel 3:1-39

Our sin is sad. Our sin is shameful. Can anything be done about our sin? When, Lord, we think about our sin, help us to remember this: You have done something about our sin. Our sin threatens to overwhelm us. we feel like we’re going down. We don’t have a chance. we can’t do anything about it. We can’t – but You can! You can – because You have! When Jesus died and rose again, He triumphed over sin. He won the victory for us. That was a long time ago – but it’s still the reason we believe that Your triumph can become real in us and through us. What You did then, You can still do now. You raised Jesus from the dead. Give us Your strength to “walk with You in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

2 Samuel 4:1-5:25

Lord, there are bad things happening to us, things that we wish weren’t happening. Sometimes, all of this gets us down. We wonder, “Who really cares about us? Is there anybody out there – anybody who’s really interested?” We thank You, Lord, that there is an answer to our question. It’s not an answer that comes from the human side. It’s an answer that comes from above, an answer that comes from You. It’s the answer of Your love. You love us in the good times. You love us in the bad times. Thank You, Lord.

2 Samuel 6:1-23

Give to us, Lord, Your joy – “The joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). When the devil tries to tear away our joy from us, help us to remind him that Jesus died and rose again so that we might have true and lasting joy. Help us to remind him of Jesus’ words: “In the world you’ll have trouble. But cheer up! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

2 Samuel 7:1-29

Life isn’t easy. Sometimes, it seems like there are nothing but hard times. There doesn’t seem to be alight at the end of the tunnel. That’s the way it feels – but it’s not the way it is! Our feelings will lead us away from You – if we let them! Our feelings can run riot over us. They can wreck our lives. Help us, Lord, to look beyond the chaos. Help us to look to You. Sometimes, it feels like You’re far away. That’s the way it seems to us – but it’s not the way it really is! You are with us – now and always (Matthew 1:23; Matthew 28:20).

2 Samuel 8:1-9:13

“The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went” (2 Samuel 8:6,14). Help us, Lord, never to forget where the victory comes from? It comes from You. It’s Your victory – and You give it to us. You direct our attention away from ourselves. You direct our attention to Jesus. He says to us, “Without Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). This is a warning to us. We must not try to live in our own strength. Help us to look to Jesus – and to say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

2 Samuel 10:1-11:27

“May the Lord do what seems good to Him” (2 Samuel 10:12). Lord, this is the way it should be. We should be saying, “Not my will but Yours be done” (Matthew 26:39). It’s the way things should be – but it’s not the way things are. Often, we make wrong choices. we choose our own way rather than Your way. Help us, Lord, to stop trying to get our own way. Help us to start walking in Your way. Help us to say, “As for God, His way is perfect” (2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 18:30).
 
2 Samuel 12:1-31 
You, Lord, convict us of our sin – “You are the man” (2 Samuel 12:7). We confess our sin to You – “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). Conviction of sin always comes before confession of sin. How could we confess that we are sinners if You do not show us that we are sinners? You forgive our sin – “the Lord has taken away your sin” (2 Samuel 12:13). You lead us in the way of Your salvation – “washed … anointed …. changed he went into the house of the Lord and worshipped” (2 Samuel 12:20). What blessing comes to those who confess their sin. You lead us to confess our sin. From there, You lead us into Your forgiveness. You lead us into the fullness of Your salvation. Thank You, Lord.
 
2 Samuel 13:1-39
Sometimes, Lord, it seems like You have left us. We feel like we’re looking for you, but we’re not finding You. we ask, “Where have You gone?” – then we start thinking, Have you really left us? or Are we the ones who have wandered away from You?” Call us back to Yourself, Lord. Show us where we’ve gone wrong. Lift us above our changeable feelings into Your unchangeable love. Show us that You’re beside us every step of the way – especially when we find it difficult to feel that You’re really with us.
 
2 Samuel 14:1-33
We thank You, Lord, that You love us – and You forgive us. What a difference that makes! There are times when we feel unloved. We wonder, “How could You possibly forgive us?” When we feel like this, help us to remember that Jesus died for us. When we see ourselves in the light of the cross of Christ, our great Saviour, how can we keep on feeling unloved and unforgiven? Take us, Lord, to the cross. Show us Your love. Show us our Saviour, suffering for us. Show us our Saviour, praying for us: “Father, forgive them …” (Luke 23:34).
 
2 Samuel 15:1-37
Who are we trying to please? Are we trying to please You, Lord? or Are we trying to please other people? Are we more interested in getting what we want or doing what You want? These, Lord, are searching questions. They call us to be honest with ourselves, to be honest with You. Help us, Lord, to see ourselves the way we really are. Help us to pray for change, real change, change in our hearts, change in our lives, change that brings blessing to us, change that brings glory to You.
 
2 Samuel 16:1-23
‘He’s a great guy.’ We like it when people say this kind of thing about us. It makes us feel good about ourselves. What do You think of us, Lord? Yours is the one opinion that really matters. What does it mean to be truly ‘great’? Do we want to be called ‘great’? or Do we want to give all the glory to You? We know, Lord, that we’ll never love You with a perfect love. Your love is the only perfect love. Help us, Lord, not to get discouraged, when we let You down. Lift us up, Lord. Make our love for You more real and more true, more life-changing and more pleasing to You.
 
2 Samuel 17:1-29
What do we do when everything seems to go wrong? Do we start complaining, blaming You for everything that’s happening to us? or Do we start asking the question, ‘Where is the Lord in all of this?’ Help us to challenge our negative thinking – “Why are you discouraged, my soul?” (Psalm 43:5). Help us to rise above our negative thinking. Raise us up, Lord, for You alone can lift us out of our defeatism and into that special place with You where we know that we are truly blessed – because You love us, and will never stop loving us, even when our love for You is very weak.
 
2 Samuel 18:1-33
Often, we wish we could look into the future, and see what’s going to happen to us. We can’t. the future belongs to You, Lord – not to us. Help us to wait on You, Lord – to wait patiently for the time when Your future becomes our present. Our ‘tomorrow’ can never become our ‘today’ – until our ‘today’ becomes our ‘yesterday.’ Help us, Lord, to forget about gazing into some kind of ‘crystal ball.’ Give us the grace to walk with You in faith – one day at a time.
 
2 Samuel 19:1-39
The closer we get to Your servants, the smaller they become. Jesus is different – very different. The closer we get to Him, the bigger He becomes. Help us, Lord, to make less of Your servants and more of our Saviour. We speak about this one, and that one. Sometimes, we say good things. Often, we say bad things. Help us to speak more of our Saviour. Help us to say nothing but good things about Him.
 
2 Samuel 19:40-20:26
  Our words can do a lot of good – and they can do a lot of harm! Lord, help us to watch what we say. May our words be words that heal – not words that hurt. May they be helpful words, words that will help others to love You more – not words that will lead them away from You.
 
2 Samuel 21:1-22:7
What are we to do when our whole life seems to be one problem after another? We’re to pray – and, when we pray, we’re to believe that You will hear and answer our prayers (2 Samuel 21:14; 2 Samuel 24:25). What are we to do when the going gets tough? We turn to You, Lord. It’s not about how tough we are. It’s about how trustworthy You are. You are absolutely trustworthy, completely dependable, utterly reliable. You are the faithful God. Those who trust You fully find You wholly true. Help us, Lord, to trust You – to know that You are faithful.
 
2 Samuel 22:8-51
Some things are worth repeating! Help us, Lord, never to tire of praising You, We can never praise You enough. You are greater than all of our praise. Help us, in our worship, to lift up our hearts to You. Help us to think of how great You are. Help us to rejoice in the greatness of Your love for us. Help us to remember all that You have done for us. 
 
2 Samuel 23:1-39 
Lord, we thank You for Your amazing grace. What we are, in ourselves, is nothing compared with what we can become through the power of Your love. Your love reaches us. It lifts us up – out of our sin, which drags us down, and into Your salvation, which renews our strength and makes us new men and women.

2 Samuel 24:1-25
Less pride and more praise – That’s what we need, Lord. Less taking glory for ourselves and more giving glory to You – May that be the story of our life. Less living in our own weakness and more living in Your power – Lead us, Lord, into a life that is becoming less centred on ourselves and more centred on You.

Setting God’s Servants On A Pedestal Is A Dangerous Thing.

2 Samuel 19:1-39

‘My lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil’(27;14:17). Setting God’s servants on a pedestal is a dangerous thing. Don’t imagine that they will always get it right. They won’t. They have their faults and failings as well as everyone else. They need forgiveness just as much as anyone else. They look great - from a distance. The closer you get to them, the more you see that they’re not all they’re cracked up to be. From a distance, they seem like spiritual giants. Close up, they’re not so impressive. Build up God’s servants with unrealistically high expectations, and you’re setting them up for a very great fall. The closer you get to them, the smaller they become. There’s one Man who’s different: our Lord Jesus Christ - The closer you get to Him, the bigger He becomes!

"May the Lord do what seems good to Him."

2 Samuel 10:1-11:27 

"May the Lord do what seems good to Him" (2 Samuel 10:12). Lord, this is the way it should be. We should be saying, "Not my will but Yours be done" (Matthew 26:39). It's the way things should be - but it's not the way things are. Often, we make wrong choices. we choose our own way rather than Your way. Help us, Lord, to sop trying to get our own way. Help us to start walking in Your way. Help us to say, "As for God, His way is perfect" (2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 18:30).

The end of Saul’s reign, the beginning of David’s reign

The end of Saul’s reign, the beginning of David’s reign

For Saul, the end was tragic - “See how the mighty have fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19,25,27).

David’s reign marked a new beginning. God is gracious. He gives a new beginning

when we have made a mess of things. He is the God of hope. He leads us out of our failure

and into His victory. David became the king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:1-7) and the king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-5).

Behind the story of David, there is the story of God at work: “The Lord was with David”,    “The Lord had established him as king of Israel and made his kingdom famous for the sake

of Israel, the Lord’s people” (2 Samuel 5:10-12).

Worship, Trust And Obedience

“David worships the Lord” - “I will celebrate in the Lord’s presence”, “You are great, Lord God.

There is no one like You, and there is no other god except you” (2 Samuel 6:21; 2 Samuel 7:22).

David trusts God - “Almighty Lord, You are God, and Your words are trustworthy” (2 Samuel 7:28).

David obeys God - “David ruled all Israel. He did what was fair and right for all his people”

(2 Samuel 8:15).

You, Lord, convict us of our sin ... We confess our sin to You.

2 Samuel 12:1-31

You, Lord, convict us of our sin - "You are the man" (2 Samuel 12:7). We confess our sin to You - "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:13). Conviction of sin always comes before confession of sin. How could we confess that we are sinners if You do not show us that we are sinners? You forgive our sin - "the Lord has taken away your sin" (2 Samuel 12:13). You lead us in the way of Your salvation - "washed ... anointed .... changed he went into the house of the Lord and worshipped" (2 Samuel 12:20). What blessing comes to those who confess their sin. You lead us to confess our sin. From there, You lead us into Your forgiveness. You lead us into the fullness of Your salvation. Thank You, Lord.

Who are we trying to please?

2 Samuel 15:1-37

Who are we trying to please? Are we trying to please You, Lord? or Are we trying to please other people? Are we more interested in getting what we want or doing what You want? These, Lord, are searching questions. They call us to be honest with ourselves, to be honest with You. Help us, Lord, to see ourselves the way we really are. Help us to pray for change, real change, change in our hearts, change in our lives, change that brings blessing to us, change that brings glory to You.

Sometimes, Lord, it seems like You have left us.

2 Samuel 13:1-39

Sometimes, Lord, it seems like You have left us. We feel like we're looking for You, but we're not finding You. We ask, "Where have You gone?" - then we start thinking, "Have you really left us?" or "Are we the ones who have wandered away from You?" Call us back to Yourself, Lord. Show us where we've gone wrong. Lift us above our changeable feelings into Your unchangeable love. Show us that You're beside us every step of the way - especially when we find it difficult to feel that You're really with us.

We thank You, Lord, that You love us - and You forgive us.

2 Samuel 14:1-33

We thank You, Lord, that You love us - and You forgive us. What a difference that makes! There are times when we feel unloved. We wonder, "How could You possibly forgive us?" When we feel like this, help us to remember that Jesus died for us. When we see ourselves in the light of the cross of Christ, our great Saviour, how can we keep on feeling unloved and unforgiven? Take us, Lord, to the cross. Show us Your love. Show us our Saviour, suffering for us. Show us our Saviour, praying for us: "Father, forgive them ..." (Luke 23:34).

Help us, Lord, never to forget where the victory comes from.

2 Samuel 8:1-9:13

"The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went" (2 Samuel 8:6,14). Help us, Lord, never to forget where the victory comes from. It comes from You. It's Your victory - and You give it to us. You direct our attention away from ourselves. You direct our attention to Jesus. He says to us, "Without Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). This is a warning to us. We must not try to live in our own strength. Help us to look to Jesus - and to say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

'He's a great guy.' We like it when people say this kind of thing about us ...

2 Samuel 16:1-23

'He's a great guy.' We like it when people say this kind of thing about us. It makes us feel good about ourselves. What do You think of us, Lord? Yours is the one opinion that really matters. What does it mean to be truly 'great'? Do we want to be called 'great'? or Do we want to give all the glory to You? We know, Lord, that we'll never love You with a perfect love. Your love is the only perfect love. Help us, Lord, not to get discouraged, when we let You down. Lift us up, Lord. Make our love for You more real and more true, more life-changing and more pleasing to You.

What are we to do when our whole life seems to be one problem after another?

2 Samuel 21:1-22:7

What are we to do when our whole life seems to be one problem after another? We're to pray - and, when we pray, we're to believe that You will hear and answer our prayers (2 Samuel 21:14; 2 Samuel 24:25). What are we to do when the going gets tough? We turn to You, Lord. It's not about how tough we are. It's about how trustworthy You are. You are absolutely trustworthy, completely dependable, utterly reliable. You are the faithful God. Those who trust You fully find You wholly true. Help us, Lord, to trust You - to know that You are faithful.

God's Kindness And God's Strength

“God’s kindness” (2 Samuel 9:3)
God has shown His kindness to us. We are to show His kindness to others.
“Be strong!” (2 Samuel 10:12) - We are to be strong in the strength of the Lord.
Strength and kindness - God will give us the strength to be less self-centred, and more other-centred and God-centred.

God’s love is greater than our sin!

“The Lord considered David’s actions evil” (2 Samuel 11:27) - This is a summary of the sinful

and shameful events that are recorded in 2 Samuel 11. For most of 2 Samuel 12, we have a record

of the consequences of David’s sin. At the end of the chapter, there's a ray of hope - the birth of a son, Jedidiah. His name means “The Lord’s Beloved”. God’s love is greeatr than our sin!

So often, Lord, we start out well - and then something goes wrong.

2 Samuel 1:1-27

So often, Lord, we start out well - and then something goes wrong. Our heads go down. We lose our way. We fall away from You. Where does this spirit of defeat, this spirit of giving up, come from? - It comes from Satan. He sweeps in. He sweeps us off our feet. He sweeps us away from You. When Satan attacks us, help us, Lord, to remember Your promise: You are "able to keep us from falling" (Jude 24-25). Help us to hear Your Word: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

We walk by faith - not by sight.

In 2 Samuel 15 - 16, we have a very human story.
It’s just like our life today. We read it, and we think about our own life. 

We ask, “Where is the Lord in all of this?”
We need to maintain the Lord’s priorities.
We need to keep “God’s ark” - His Word - among us, seek His favour and honour His servants   (2 Samuel 15:25; 2 Samuel 16:18).
If we are to keep sight of the Lord, we must maintain His priorities.
If we fail to maintain our focus on the Lord, we will be swept along by events that do not seem to
be filled with any real sense of the purpose of God being fulfilled in our lives. When God seems far away, we must remember this - we walk by faith, not by sight.

The Lord forgives our sin - and He calls us to walk with Him on the pathway of holiness.

In 2 Samuel 13 - 14, we read about sin - rape, murder and deception. This realistic account of human

behaviour highlights the sin which separates us from God. This shows us very clearly our need of

salvation. We need the Lord’s saving grace in our lives, if we are to be kept from going further along

the road of sinful living. By His grace, He saves us. He forgives our sin. He calls us to walk with Him on the pathway of holiness.

The Lord is King. We “worship His Majesty.”

“May the Lord your God be praised.
He has handed over the men who rebelled against your Majesty” (2 Samuel 18:28).
The king is called “your Majesty”. We must never forget that there is an even greater
King, an even greater Majesty. The Lord is King. We “worship His Majesty.”

A song of praise, a song which exalts the Lord, a song which gives glory to the Lord.

David sings his song to the Lord (2 Samuel 22:1-51). It’s a song of praise. It’s a song which exalts the
Lord. It’s a song which gives glory to the Lord. At the heart of David’s song of praise, there’s a
particularly rich section, which is full of precious statements concerning the Lord.
* God’s way is perfect (2 Samuel 22:31).
* Who is God but the Lord? (2 Samuel 22:32).
* God arms me with strength (2 Samuel 22:33).
* He makes my feet like those of a deer (2 Samuel 22:34).
* He trains my hands for battle (2 Samuel 22:35).
* You have given me the shield of Your salvation (2 Samuel 22:36).
* You make a wide path for me to walk on so my feet do not slip (2 Samuel 22:37).
These great verses jump out from the particular historical circumstances out of which David speaks.
They speak to us as words which jump across the centuries.
These words begin as David’s confession of faith. They become our confession of faith.

God answered the prayers for the land ...

In 2 Samuel 20 - 21, there are so many names.
As we read these chapters, we must not overlook the spiritual dimension.
We must respect the Lord and His servants (2 Samuel 20:19).
We must seek the Lord’s blessing. “God answered the prayers for the land” (2 Samuel 21:14).
We must look to the Lord to do this in our generation.