Samuel and the “elders of Israel” had different ideas about God’s will. The elders saw the external threat of war and conquest and determined that having a king would be the best way to prevent that from happening. Samuel was concerned about the internal life of the community — having a king would disrupt the accustomed lifestyle of the Hebrew people. Both points of view were legitimate so the two sides needed to hear the concerns of the other before making a decision. Without clarity they brought it to prayer: When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say, he repeated it to the LORD for the final determination. That model of careful listening, then bringing to prayer is a model for today’s disagreements.