1 Samuel 8:5b (NASB)
5 Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.

1 Samuel 9:2 (NASB)
2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

1 Samuel 12:22-23 (NASB)
22 “For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.
23 “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.

1 Samuel 13:14 (NASB)
14 “But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

In the days of Samuel, the people of Israel began to look at the world around them. They saw great earthly kings, but turned away from the only great King. They wanted the security of an earthly ruler rather than the ultimate security of the God of the universe.

Unfortunately, we don’t seem to learn the lesson of Israel.  Rather than praying in God’s will, we pray in our own will. Rather than receiving mercy and grace, God might answer our prayer with a result we don’t expect. Israel probably thought that God had blessed them with Saul. He was handsome, a commanding figure, someone that would be feared by other kingdoms. But Saul almost immediately sought his own way instead of following the Lord. Samuel continued to pray for Israel and encouraged them to follow God, but the people wouldn’t listen and so God provided them a hard lesson to live through.

It wasn’t a short term lesson either. God kept Saul in place for 42 years as Saul led Israel on a path that was his own choosing. But early on in Saul’s reign, God decided to anoint another king; a king that would seek after God’s own heart. In the meantime, God gave the people what they wanted; He answered their prayer.

Prayer is so powerful. How many times have I prayed for my will to be done, thinking that I was asking for something that God would want to provide? However, when we seek His will, when our only consideration is His Kingdom, only then can we be assured that His mercy and grace will abundantly shower upon us.

Think about this. If we truly feared the Lord, we would seriously think twice about praying for our will to be done. He might do the same that He did for Israel. We know that God will not turn away from us, but He will discipline us when we are unruly children who want our own way instead of His.

Heavenly Father, I pray that I would only seek that Your will be done. Give me a heart that seeks only after Your heart. Make my prayers a reflection of Your will alone. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,