And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
– Judges 16:20
What a verse. Samson, being attacked by the Philistines, thinks he has strength just like he’s had in the past to overcome them. But he did not know that the Lord had left him. The very next verse says the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. Then they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles.
Judges 16:20 teaches us our desperate need for God’s presence.
There’s a lot we could talk about here, but the main point seems crystal clear. We need the presence of God in our lives, at every single moment. From the moment we wake up, to the moment we to sleep. We are totally dependent on his presence with us. And even after we go to sleep. At all times, we are totally and desperately dependent on the presence of God with us.
Let’s live like this. From the moment we wake up, let’s fix our eyes on God to the moment we go to sleep. Let’s fix our eyes on God as the one we need for strength, peace, help, wisdom, and everything. Everything good comes from him and from his presence with us. And the beauty is in a way that was not true in Judges for us as followers of Jesus, we have the presence of God in us, the Holy Spirit in us.
Let’s live in communion with God’s Spirit in us. Walking in step with his Spirit, not grieving his Spirit. Living in total dependence on and desperation for his Spirit. In everything we do. Let’s not take a step forward without living in the constant awareness of our need for God’s presence in us, with us, for us. Oh God, we praise you for making this a reality in our lives.
Judges 16:20 explains the consequences of spiritual complacency.
Jesus, we praise you for dying on the cross for our sins, rising from the dead, ascending to Heaven, and sending your Holy Spirit to dwell in us, to live in us. We praise you for your constant presence with us. And we pray you would help us to live in total dependence on your presence with us at every moment. God, we pray for a spiritual sensitivity and spiritual desperation to mark our daily lives.
Lord, in everything we do today. In every interaction, every step, every decision, every thing we say or communicate… God, we pray that you would help us to live in constant awareness of your Spirit in us. Help us to live in dependence on your Spirit to help, lead, guide, and direct us. Keep us from sin and ourselves to empower us to worship, to witness. God, we pray for Spirit-led worship and Spirit-empowered witness in our lives all day long today.
Oh God, we confess that we can do nothing good today apart from your good presence with us and in us. Help us to live this to the full. And oh God, in light of the promise of Jesus that when we receive power from your Holy Spirit, we will be witnesses to the ends of the Earth. We pray that you’d help us to faithfully carry out the purpose of the Holy Spirit in us today, where we live, and wherever you lead us in the world.
Prayer for the Pashtun Yusafzai People
God, we pray for Spirit-empowered witness to reach the Pashtun Yusafzai people of Pakistan.
Oh God, we pray for four and a half million Pashtun Yusafzai people in Pakistan who don’t know the good news of your love for them. God, we pray that the good news of your coming to be with us in Jesus would reach them that they might know you are with them and for them in Jesus. God, we pray, draw them to yourself and bless your Spirit-empowered church to spread the good news of your love for them. Oh God, we pray all of this in light of your Word in Judges 16:20, in Jesus’ name, in the name of the one who makes it possible for divine presence to be with us at all times. In his name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
