Guided by Samuel, the Israelites drew water and poured it out before the Lord

Samuel prepared the people for battle in 1 Samuel 7:

3 Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord.

Click to expand...

What was the significance of this pouring of water?

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges:

and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord] A symbolical act which has no exact parallel in the O.T., but was probably significant of the outpouring of their hearts before Jehovah in penitence and supplication. … The paraphrase of the Targum is, “And they poured out their heart in repentance before Jehovah.”

Click to expand...

Water symbolized their heart.

Matthew Poole:

As an external sign, whereby they testified and professed both their own great filthiness and need of washing by the grace and Spirit of God, and blood of the covenant, which are oft signified by water, and their sincere desire to pour out their very hearts before the Lord in true repentance, and to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit.

Click to expand...

Water signified blood for cleansing. The act showed their sincerity and commitment to God. The Lord accepted their offering of water.

10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.

Click to expand...

The Israelites put away their idols and turned to the Lord. Samuel performed a symbolic act of pouring water out before the Lord for their cleansing. The Lord saw their repentant heart and worked with them to fight against their enemies.