READ 1 Samuel 15
Saul breaks the Law of the Lord then offers sacrifices to the Lord.

INSIGHT
Saul’s fall is fast and far. His spiritual leadership is destroyed before he really gets a
good start. Such a profound disparity between how he starts and how he ends is difficult
to explain. It stands as a warning, however. None of us is above falling, no matter where
we are in our spiritual walk. Our regular prayers ought to include what Jesus teaches us
to pray: “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). Again, Jesus says, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). The price of our spiritual welfare is eternal vigilance.

PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for His protection from evil:
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.  
Splendor and majesty are before him;
Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.  
Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.  
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;  
Bring an offering and enter his courts.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
Let the sea and all that fills it resound
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11).

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I know, Lord,
That a person’s way of life is not his own;
No one who walks determines his own steps.
Discipline me, Lord, but with justice —
Not in your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this
affirmation to the Lord:
This is how we have come to know love:
He laid down his life for us.
We should also lay down our lives
For our brothers and sisters (1 John 3:16).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

• A stronger desire to be like Christ
• Local churches around the nation
• Whatever else is on your heart

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
God will bring this about in his own time.  
He is the blessed and only Sovereign,
The King of kings, and the Lord of lords,    
Who alone is immortal
And who lives in unapproachable light,
Whom no one has seen or can see,  
To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.  
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)