1 Samuel 13:12-13 Therefore said I, the Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee.
Saul had good intentions, but he did the wrong thing. It was good that he wanted to pray to the Lord for help when he saw the vast army arrayed against him. Fear drove him to pray and offer an offering. But he did it the wrong way, breaking the commandment of the Lord.
Saul should have waited for Samuel to get there and let the priest make the offering. But Samuel was late and didn’t get there soon enough. Saul grew fearful and impatient and anxious at the delay, and he took matters into his hands. God’s way and God’s timing were not good enough, so he went ahead and made the offering himself. He could not trust God to do it His way in His time, so he presumed to do it himself.
We pray and then leave it with God, but then we go and do something on our own instead of trusting the will and way and timing of the Lord