WEEK 5 ● Day 1

READ 1 SAMUEL 23:1-15

As his mania over David increased, Saul grew more and more neglectful of his true purpose as ruler of Israel. Instead, he became hyperfocused on David’s imaginary crimes and how to find and kill him. At the same time, David pressed more and more into his relationship with God. Though this week’s psalm is thought to be from yet another time David tucked himself away from Saul in a cave (1 Samuel 23:14-15), we’re going to dig into the entirety of chapter 23 and even into 24. Remember, these are not disconnected stories, but a series of events all strung together!

1. In three sentences or less, what is this chapter about so far?

 

 

 

 

 

2. Have you noticed anything different about how David handles the stress and terror of Saul hunting him down? What’s different? (See 1 Samuel 23:2 and 4.)

 

 

3. What happens once David is in Keilah? (See 1 Samuel 23:10-12.)

 

 

 

Over and over, David approaches the Lord in prayer for assistance, advice, and advocacy! Instead of coming to the Lord in the heat of the moment or even simply after the situation has passed, David is now approaching the Lord before acting.

4. Why do you think his approach to God has suddenly changed and grown?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David has seen that his actions mean something. He has seen that people can be hurt (and killed!) because of what he does, where he goes, and with whom he speaks. Realizing he can no longer live in mere survival mode, he leans into figuring out how to thrive in his relationship with his heavenly Father, so others may thrive around him.

As we begin chapter 23, we learn that the Philistines were fighting against Keilah, looting the threshing floors. David reacted with urgency because the attacks would strip the people of Keilah of grain for the following year’s crop. Isn’t it interesting? Even though David was on the run, God tasked him with protecting the people from neighboring nations. We often think that God’s heart for all people only appears in the New Testament, but here He is prompting the future king to care for people beyond his borders.

History Lesson

Wondering what a threshing floor is, exactly? Wonder no longer!

The threshing floor was an essential part of agriculture in the ancient Near East. Typically round, with a diameter of 25–40 feet (7.6–12.2 m), it was usually located near a village in an area exposed to wind. Once the farmer had selected the location, he cleared the ground of stones and compressed the soil until a firm surface resulted. When the “floor” was ready, he laid recently harvested sheaves of grain on it for threshing. The farmer then used large animals, such as oxen or donkeys, to pull heavy threshing sleds over the grain, separating the kernels from the stalks and husks. When the threshing was complete, a winnowing fork was used to toss the grain into the air. The wind blew away the lighter stalks and husks (chaff), as the heavier kernels fell back to the floor. The farmer sifted the kernels through trays to remove any dirt gathered in the process and then temporarily stored the grain in heaps on the floor or sealed it in jars for later use.[1]

The Bible says David “inquired of the LORD” (1 Samuel 23:2, ESV). The Hebrew word used here is sha’al, which means beg, ask, or request. So basically, though this situation needed immediate attention, David immediately stopped to pray.

What a difference from last week’s study! As David ran from Saul first to Nob, then Gath, then on to Adullam and Mizpah, we don’t hear of him stopping to talk to God at all. David didn’t ask the Lord what His plan was, how he should handle things, where he should go, or who he should trust his life with. And because he went off using his own strategy, rather than trusting God with his circumstance, David’s honor waned and people died.

Here in 1 Samuel 23:2, David prays and God answers, telling him, “Go. Attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” When he approached his men with the Lord’s instructions, they balked at God’s direction, wondering how they could even consider going against Philistine forces in Keilah while living in hiding from Saul.

David went to God in prayer once again, this time possibly in front of his men, and asked for clarity in the direction the Lord had given.

5. Why do you think David stopped and went back to the Lord in prayer this second time, though God was supremely clear in what He wanted David to do?

 

 

 

David didn’t inquire a second time out of skepticism. He had none! No, David came before the throne of God for the sake of his men. This is both the sign of a good leader and an indication that David’s faith was continuing to grow.

For a long time, I was the queen of responding with, “I’ll pray for you,” when someone told me their struggles —and I never actually prayed for them. It’s not that I didn’t have every intention to. The promise just flew out of my head amid the busyness of life. I have a feeling I’m not alone in this! We have every intention to come before the throne on behalf of our friends or those in our community and yet . . . we just don’t do it.

6. Do you struggle to remember to pray for others? How can you apply this story of David to your own experience?

 

 

 

The past several years, I’ve felt incredibly convicted about my forgetfulness and have started praying for someone right then and there, similar to what David does in this chapter. Quite honestly, sometimes it’s awkward if I don’t know the person well or if they’re not the type who generally prays. But you know what? Not a single person has ever told me no.

And even if I don’t stop and ask if I could pray for them aloud, I’ll shoot up an arrow prayer, right then. If you’ve not heard that term before, it’s basically shooting a quick yet direct prayer up to God. There’s no fluff, no superlatives. It’s simply something short and to the point like, Lord, bring Andrea wisdom, or Father, help Kelly turn to You and away from fear. It’s amazing how one simple prayer will mark that person for me —and for whatever reason, I’m more likely to remember to pray for them again, outside of that conversation.

A few days ago, I was texting with a dear friend who shared that her husband admitted to having an emotional affair. I could have responded back with “Ohmygosh I’m so sorry” or something similar, but truly, I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t feel like I had wisdom to share or advice to give. I love my friend and adore her husband and simply didn’t have words to express my sadness for them. I felt like everything I could have said seemed flat and trite.

Instead, my texted reply said something like this:

Lord Jesus, You know the deep devastation felt in Lisa’s[2] heart. You understand the crack that has formed in their marriage and relationship. I pray you would give them discernment, kindness, patience, and honesty as they begin to work out what comes next. Help them draw near to You as they take steps to heal and trust again, bringing You in as the strength and third strand of their marriage.

7. The Bible gives us all sorts of insight into how we can live out lives of prayer. Flip over to 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and write it down:

 

 

 

In this verse, Paul encourages us to . . .

8. How do you feel about praying without ceasing? What on earth might that look like?

 

 

 

Prayer isn’t something we should limit to just our quiet time with God. Praying throughout the day means praying when a friend texts us in pain, when we’re driving and dealing with anxiety, when we’re worshiping and sensing God’s nearness. Prayer can be specific and fervent, or we can come to God in such grief that we can’t find words. Whether we speak aloud or allow the Holy Spirit to intercede for us in our wordless ache (Romans 8:26-27), we have access to the throne of God at all times. And when we lift thanks, requests, and adoration up to Him, He is actively listening to every word.

There are 86,400 seconds in a single day. Paul isn’t telling us we need to literally pray all 86,400 of them. He is saying that we need to invite God into our everyday moments. We should act like David and pray before making decisions, talk to our heavenly Father about thoughts, ideas, and struggles, and thank Him for successes and blessings. Basically, we should just chat with Him throughout the day. Let’s develop a lifestyle of saying yes in the midst of whatever we’re facing by immediately turning to God.

Talk to God about how you can begin praying before stepping out in action. And pray that the Lord would give you the courage to immediately pray for your friends, family, even coworkers. Whether you’re asking if you can pray for them aloud or sending up arrow prayers on their behalf, talk to God about any apprehension or fears you have. Ask Him to give you boldness as you step into a life of constant prayer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amen.