Then he prayed to the Lord. Samson said, “Lord and King, show me that you still have concern for me. Please, God, make me strong just one more time. Let me pay the Philistines back for what they did to my two eyes. Let me do it with only one blow.”

Hannah was very sad. She wept and wept. She prayed to the Lord.

As Hannah kept on praying to the Lord, Eli watched her lips.

She was praying in her heart. Her lips were moving. But she wasn’t making a sound. Eli thought Hannah was drunk.

Don’t think of me as an evil woman. I’ve been praying here because I’m very sad. My pain is so great.”

Hannah said to Eli, “Pardon me, sir. I’m the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. And that’s just as sure as you are alive.

I prayed for this child. The Lord has given me what I asked him for.

Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed. She said, “The Lord has filled my heart with joy. He has made me strong. I can laugh at my enemies. I’m so glad he saved me.

Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife. He would say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman. May they take the place of the boy she prayed for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would go home.

Then Samuel said, “Gather all the Israelites together at Mizpah. I will pray to the Lord for you.”

They said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God to help us. Keep praying that he’ll save us from the power of the Philistines.”

Then Samuel got a very young lamb. He sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord to help Israel. And the Lord answered his prayer.

Samuel wasn’t pleased when they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So he prayed to the Lord.

They said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for us. Pray that we won’t die because we asked for a king. That was an evil thing to do. We added it to all our other sins.”

I would never sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I’ll teach you to live in a way that is good and right.

Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel. He said, “Why haven’t you answered your servant today? If I or my son Jonathan is to blame, answer with Urim. But if the Israelites are to blame, answer with Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen by casting lots. The other men were cleared of blame.

David’s Prayer to the Lord

Then King David went into the holy tent. He sat down in front of the Lord. He said, “Lord and King, who am I? My family isn’t important. So why have you brought me this far?

“Lord who rules over all, you are the God of Israel. Here’s what you have shown me. You told me, ‘I will build you a royal house.’ So I can boldly pray this prayer to you.

She said, “Please pray to the Lord your God. Pray that he will keep our nearest male relative from killing my other son. Then my son won’t be destroyed.” “You can be sure that the Lord lives,” the king said. “And you can be just as sure that not one hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”

David had been told, “Ahithophel, along with Absalom, is one of the people making secret plans against you.” So David prayed, “Lord, make Ahithophel’s advice look foolish.”

He asked them, “What would you like me to do for you? How can I make up for the wrong things that were done to you? I want you to be able to pray that the Lord will once again bless his land.”

The bones of Saul and his son Jonathan were buried in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. The tomb was at Zela in the territory of Benjamin. Everything the king commanded was done. After that, God answered prayer and blessed the land.

David built an altar there to honor the Lord. He sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. Then the Lord answered David’s prayer and blessed the land. The plague on Israel was stopped.

Solomon Prays to Set the Temple Apart to the Lord

Then Solomon stood in front of the Lord’s altar. He stood in front of the whole community of Israel. He spread out his hands toward heaven.

But please pay attention to my prayer. Lord my God, be ready to help me as I make my appeal to you. Listen to my cry for help. Hear the prayer I’m praying to you today.