A benediction is a word of blessing given to encourage God’s people in their spiritual journeys. We bring our summer series on prayer to a close by looking at one of the most beautiful benedictions in the Bible, one as relevant for today as when first given.

This week's passage contains the prayer of a woman named Hannah. It's a prayer of worship and thanksgiving spoken in response to God giving her a son she named Samuel. She in turn gave Samuel to God for a life of ministry. Samuel would eventually anoint David, the great king of Israel, who pointed ahead to King and Messiah Jesus. This message explores the many things Hannah knew of God as revealed in her prayer and which enabled her to pray faithfully and turn her son over to God.

Several prayers of Moses are recorded for us in the first books of the OT. This one, however, stands out because it comes in the immediate aftermath of the golden calf event. What we see in it is the intercessory and meditative work of Moses for the people of God. But what we see most importantly is the one Moses pointed to, Jesus, the better mediator, the better intercessor, the better Moses.

Praying in repentance is not normally the kind of prayer that we gravitate to. Psalm 32 shows us why prayers of repentance are of great benefit to us when we are weighed down by our sin.

This passage contains what one author writes is “the greatest spirit of submission found in the Bible.” That might be a slight overstatement when considering Jesus in the garden but the point is still made. In this passage we are going to see the imminent calamity coming onto Judah and how Habakkuk responds with faith-filled defiance. We consider how this was possible and what we can learn and apply in our own walks with the Lord.

This passage contains an event where Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, is told of a coming siege by three enemy and allied kingdoms. In response Jehoshaphat calls the nation to assemble, fast and pray. In this message we will look at the prayer of the king, the answer from God, the response of the nation and the outcome of the event.

In this kickoff message to a new Summer series we address soul tiredness and depletion. Jesus invites us to come to Him and He will give rest for our souls. The questions this sermon answers is what are those things that tire our souls and how can we find rest and replenishment for them?