Today is June 17.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.   
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”    
   
Today’s reading is from the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 14.  

One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.  
Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.  
 
Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”  
“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”  
Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.”  
So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.”  
So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.”  
  
Welcome to prayer. As you orient yourself to the Lord today, consider Jonathan and his armor bearer. Young, impetuous, full of faith, ready to take a risk and trust in the Lord’s provision. We might even call them: unwise. How is it that you come to prayer today? Are you full of faith? Ready to step out into mission? Talk to the Lord about how you’re feeling right now. 
   
Listen to the story again and pay attention to my favorite line: Jonathan says to his servant: come on, let’s go over to that enemy encampment. ‘perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf’. I love the ‘perhaps’ in this story.  
   
This is a story about courage, risk, and trust in the provision and providence of God. Jonathan has a sense of God’s power that compels him toward the enemy. Compels him toward the place of risk and total dependency on God. Ask God for the gift of courage today as we end our time of prayer.

Music: We Come Alive - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)