Our Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7:12)

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.”
—1 Samuel 7:12

What a great picture that became the basis for a line in one of the most famous hymns in the English-speaking church: “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” In the second verse of that hymn, the lyrics say, “Here I raise my Ebenezer.”

So, what does that mean? The picture in 1 Samuel 7:12 is a stone that was set up as a marker to remember how God helped his people in 1 Samuel 7. In the hymn, the lyrics state: “Hither by thy help I’ve come, And I hope, by thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home.”

The truth that 1 Samuel 7 teaches, which is echoed in that hymn, is the encouragement I want to give you today as I lead us to pray. According to the Lord God—whom 1 Samuel 5 says is the God over all gods, the Lord over all the nations—the Lord God is your helper.

Would you just let that soak into your life right now? The Lord God is your helper. The Lord God is with you right now, amidst whatever you are walking through today, to help you. He is there to give you everything you need as you walk with him today, tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that, so that you can raise an Ebenezer at the end of every day and say, “The Lord helped me.” He is there today to give you the strength you need, the wisdom you need, the peace you long for, the hope you desire, and the love that is better than life itself. He is there to lead you, guide you, provide for you, direct you, and help you in every way you need.

So, we pray based on 1 Samuel 7:12: Oh God, we praise you as our helper.

What a thought! I am overwhelmed even right now as I say this. You are my helper. You are the God of the universe, the one with all authority in the world. You are the sovereign ruler over the world who spoke, and the whole world came into being—and you are my helper today, as well as the helper of all who trust in you. Oh God, may every one of us feel freshly overwhelmed by this reality right now. Amidst whatever is on our plates today, we praise you as our helper, and we pray for your help.

God, I pray for your help in my life today. I pray for your help over every single person listening to this right now. We need your help. We need your wisdom, your strength, your joy, your peace, and your comfort. We need your help, oh God, in so many different ways, and we praise you for your promise to provide it.

We pray in light of that hymn, and based on 1 Samuel 7, that you would help us all the way home. Help us to walk faithfully and humbly with you today, tomorrow, and every day you give us breath, all the way home until we see your face, look back, and say in your presence, “Thank you for helping me.”

And oh God, please use us as a picture of your help to others. Help us to encourage others. Help us to be a source of strength, encouragement, comfort, peace, and love in others’ lives today. As we think about help, help us to be bold and compassionate. Help us to share the gospel with someone today. Help us when we are afraid or timid; we need your help, God.

A Prayer for the Kryz People

We pray for your help for all who are working for the spread of the gospel to the Kryz people of Azerbaijan. God, please cause the good news of your help in Jesus to spread to the Kryz people of Azerbaijan. Please, oh God, let these 13,000 Kryz men, women, and children be reached with the good news of your help in Jesus. We also pray for all our brothers and sisters who are working to spread the gospel in really hard places in the world. God, please help them in every way they need.

Oh God, we glorify you as our helper, and we pray for your help. In Jesus ’ name, amen.