SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4
Scripture: 1 Samuel 7:7-13

1 Samuel 7:7-13 says, “Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. So the children of Israel said to Samuel, ‘Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.’ And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’ So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.” In Hebrews we are told to look at the double anointing and at Samuel and the prophets. When we look at Samuel, it is easy to see what he did. He represented the judicial side of Christ by prayer. He asked God to intervene. And God’s intervention subdued the Philistines. Samuel’s prayer initiated the subduing of the Philistines. Hebrews 11 says if we look at David, Samuel and the prophets, we can do what they did in faith. They subdued kingdoms and so can we. If we are going to gain a harvest, the kingdom of darkness needs to be subdued. Will we do it?