The Secret to Success

Today’s Verse:

Therefore David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. ~Isaiah 45:3

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Do you pray? Do you consider your prayer life successful in the eyes of God? One of the great preachers of the 19th century, F.B. Meyer, said, “The greatest tragedy is not unanswered prayers, but unoffered prayers.” Perhaps the one area many Christians struggle in is having a consistent and fruitful prayer life. It is one thing to believe in prayer, but it is whole different thing to practice it. This morning, we are looking at the prayer life of David.

We see the revival of prayer.

“Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.” Prior to this incident at Keilah, we don’t have much recorded about David praying. For the most part, he spent a lot of time running and trying to escape King Saul. After Saul massacred 85 priests at Nob, something stirred inside of David and made him realize he needed to get back to serous praying. When he heard that the Philistines were robbing the threshing floor of Keilah, David’s prayer life was revived. He started to engage God in his decisions and in each step he was taking. The best thing that we can do when we have been discouraged and encountered setbacks is to see a revival of prayer.

We see the requesting through prayer.

“Therefore David enquired of the Lord….” Prayer is asking. “Ask and ye shall receive” (Matthew 7:7a). “Ye have not because ye ask not” (James 4:2b). David’s patriotism and care for his nation was stirred when he heard that the Philistines were robbing the threshing floor of Keilah. David could have plotted a military stealth attack, but he knew had taken matters into his own hands too much in the previous days. He asked the Lord if he should go and smite the Philistines. He wanted God’s approval before he went forward. He wanted God’s blessing on what he was supposed to do. All you have to do is ask!

We see repeat of prayer.

“And David’s men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.” David’s 600 men had reservations about attacking the Philistines. Their apprehension caused David to second guess what God told him to do. So, David prayed again and God told him again to go and conquer them. When doubts arise, pray again! When the answer does not come right away, keep praying.

We see the result of prayer.

“So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter.” So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. God answered David’s prayers and gave him a very decisive victory. When we pray about everything, we find mercy and grace to help in time of need. When we pray, God does not lead us on a wild goose chase. When we pray, we avoid trouble or setback from not praying. David defeated the Philistines with a great slaughter and took away their cattle. He got back Keilah’s freedom and took the spoils of war. Prayer always leaves us better off than if we do not pray.

Don’t minimize the importance of prayer. Pray about everything. Pray for everyone. Let God show He is strong for you because you took the time to pray.

Have a prayerful God Morning!

Bible Reading Schedule: 2 Thessalonians 1-3

#1Samuel #Prayer