a person holding a black letters

David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?”

“To which shall I go up?

These inquiries typically took place outdoors—for David, they were often at his military camp. Some of them take place in a place of sanctuary.6 David relies on this formal petition frequently—Saul did not, perhaps one of the causes of so much loss and suffering.

In our study of the casting of lots in 1 Samuel 10.22, we focused on the idea of whether it is appropriate for us to “inquire” of God by casting lots to seek a “yes or no” answer. This passage presents us with another concept to explore: formal and informal petitions. Do our modern petitions have both formal and informal types? Many of us might say that, when we pray on our own, it is informal, but if we pray in church or at a public event, it is formal. Or, when we make up our own prayers in the moment, they are informal; when we recite an existing prayer (such as the Lord’s Prayer), it is formal.

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