Manoah’s Prayer For Instruction

Manoah prayed to the LORD, saying, “Lord, please let the man of God come back to us again and give us more instructions about this son who is to be born.”

Judges 13:8-9

Manoah and his wife were surprised by the news that they would be the parents of a special son. For this infertile couple, the possibility of pregnancy was unexpected enough. Yet God had even greater plans. Manoah wisely recognized that he needed more instruction on how to handle the responsibilities for raising this special boy. So Manoah simply prayed, “Give us more instructions,” and God answered by sending an angel.

Unexpected developments often reveal our inadequacies. When they do, our spiritual maturity will be measured by our willingness to ask God for help. “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (James 1:5).

• Dear Lord, give me more instructions about . . .