⁸ So the children of Israel said to Samuel, ^(A)“Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

⁴ It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to ^(A)reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ”

^16 [a]Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. ^(A)The effective, ^[b]fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

¹⁹ And all the people said to Samuel, ^(A)“Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.”

²⁰ Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; ^(B)yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. ²¹ And ^(C)do not turn aside; ^(D)for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. ²² For ^(E)the Lord will not forsake ^(F)His people, ^(G)for His great name’s sake, because ^(H)it has pleased the Lord to make you His people. ²³ Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord ^(I)in ceasing to pray for you; but ^(J)I will teach you the ^(K)good and the right way. ^24 (L)Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for ^(M)consider what ^(N)great things He has done for you.

Assurance of Zion’s Salvation