Finding Strength in God (1 Samuel 30:6)

In this episode of Pray the Word on 1 Samuel 30:6, David Platt encourages believers to rely on God’s power in seasons of adversity.

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Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical dot net. First Samuel chapter thirty, verse six, and David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. There's a lot going on in this chapter that leads up to this verse and flows out of this verse. It is a low point for sure in David's life and other people's lives who've lost sons and daughters in a tragedy, and they're ready to stone David. And verse six says it's because they were bitter in soul. They were coming after David. And verse six says, but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. What a powerful phrase. In the middle of a dark time, in the middle of a moment where David was at the end of himself, the Bible tells us that David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Just think about that phrase. To strengthen yourself in the Lord your God. This is exactly what Paul will later say in Philippians chapter 4. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Or Psalm 46, God is our refuge and strength and ever-present help in trouble. All right, think about 2 Corinthians chapter 12 when God says to Paul in a vision, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power, my strength will be made perfect in your weakness. I obviously don't know what you're walking through in your life right now, but I'm guessing some of you, maybe many of you, feel weak at the end of yourself, maybe even attacked by others who are coming after you, or just by the flaming darts of the evil one that Ephesians 6 talks about, whatever it might be, and whatever circumstance you're in, I want to encourage you to hear God speaking to you right now through His Word, by His Spirit, saying, Find strength in me. And I just want to pray that over you. God, I pray for your strength over every single person listening right now who feels weak in any way, in light of circumstances they're walking through, suffering, trial, attacks, even from others, whatever it might be, God, I pray that you would pour out your strength in a fresh way on them, even right now, in this moment, that they would know that you are their refuge and their strength and an ever-present help in trouble, that they are not alone. And I pray, 1 Samuel 30, verse 6, that they would find strength in the Lord their God. I pray, Philippians chapter 4, that they would be able to do all things. They would be able to walk through all the circumstances they're facing through you who give them strength, not in their own strength, but in you. Even as I mentioned Ephesians 6 earlier, that they would be strong in the Lord and in the strength of your might amidst all the adversary's attempts to pull them away from you, to discourage them, to bring them to despair. God, in their weakness, 2 Corinthians 12, be their strength. Oh God, I pray that you would use us to encourage others who are weak today as well to speak your strength into their lives and to pray for strength over them. And God, as we pray for the nations today, for the Torah people in Chad, 99 plus percent Muslim, God, we pray that the strength that's found in Jesus, the love that's found in Jesus, the hope that's found in Jesus, the joy that's found in Jesus, the life, eternal life that's found in Jesus alone, would spread to the Torah people, that they might know your grace and your strength and their weakness, your strength to save them from all their sin and bring them to restoration, relationship with you forever, to eternal life with you. It supersedes the sufferings of this world. God, we pray that over the Torah people in Chad, even as we pray that you would help us to live in the strength you've made possible for us today, Jesus, by your presence, your spirit inside us. In Jesus' name we pray all this according to your word, which we love. Amen.