“But Saul said, ‘Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.'”
-1 Samuel 11:13
So there’s a lot happening here in 1 Kings 11, people who had risen up in rebellion and in the verse right before this, in 1 Samuel 11:12, the people are saying to Samuel, we need to put some people to death for this rebellion. But Saul speaks up, he says, “Not a man shall we put to death this day,” and this is the phrase that I want to encourage us to think about and pray according to for today, the Lord has worked salvation in Israel. Now there was a specific context here in first Samuel 11 in which the Lord had worked salvation. But that phrase is a phrase we see all over the Bible.
The Lord alone has the power to work salvation.
1 Samuel 11:13 Reminds Us of the Lord’s Power
The Lord alone has the power to work salvation. Salvation is his work. It’s what he does, and when he does, we have much reason to celebrate. And so, in light of this phrase, the Lord has worked salvation. I want to lead us to pray that the Lord would do that work in individual lives around us, in specific lives around us. I want to lead us to pray right now and obviously, you’re going to have to fill in the blank with the people around you.
When you think about family members, friends, coworkers, neighbors who you know need salvation from the Lord. They need God to work this salvation. I want to lead us to intercede specifically for them right now, and then much like we often do on this podcast for us to intercede for the Lord to work salvation among unreached people, specifically Gujarati Hindus in India and spread out in other countries around the world.
1 Samuel 11:13 Leads Us to Pause
So let’s pause right now and just think about people in your family, friends of yours, coworkers, neighbors, people you know, people in your sphere of influence, picture their names and their faces right now who don’t know Jesus and let’s just pray right now. God, we lift up all of these people to you, as I have faces and names in my mind and others have the same.
God, we ask you right now, please work salvation in their lives. Please God, we ask you, work salvation, do your work of saving sinners. In these specific lives we pray. And God, as we ask you to do that, we pray that you would give us sensitivity to your spirit and boldness to share the gospel with them. We know that the only way they can be saved is by hearing the gospel and believing it, so God help us to proclaim the gospel to them.
1 Samuel 11:13 Helps Us Not to Stay Silent
God, please keep us from being silent. Help us to speak your gospel to these people. And God, we pray knowing that our words can’t convince them, only your spirit can do this supernatural work. Only you can work salvation. We ask you God, please work salvation in their lives. We’re asking for that right now, together. And God we’re uniting our hearts together also for Gujarati Hindus all across India, spread out in other countries. God, we pray for your salvation to be made known. God, we pray that you would work Salvation among Gujarati Hindus. Please God, please, save them.
This Verse Leads Us to Pray for the Gujarati People
Open their eyes to you as the one and only true God, as the one who has made away for them to be forgiven of their sins. God, please work salvation, cause the gospel to go to them. Send out laborers to take the gospel to Gujarati men and women and children, God we pray that you would work your salvation among them. That they may be reached with the gospel. That disciples may be made and churches might be planted and multiplied among them. God, work salvation in ways that lead to celebration. To celebration in heaven and celebration on earth. As we say today, the Lord has worked salvation for this person. He has done this for that person and for this people group, for that people group. God, work salvation, we pray. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
View the 2021 McLean Bible Church Reading Plan.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
