The goal of my prayers for you all today....
as God answers our prayers,
we will know more of Him
and worship Him
and not worship the answer to our prayers.
Let me explain...
This morning in my Bible study, we were looking at Hannah. Lauren knows Hannah well, we studied her on Wednesday nights for the entire spring! Hannah was in a very tough place- her husband had another wife, Peninniah. Peninniah had children but Hannah could not have children. Children are very valued in life today but in that day- your children defined your life. Without children you didn't have much value. In spite of this, her husband loved her more. The Bible calls Peninniah Hannah's rival- so like think of our sports rivals but worse- she lived with her rival. Rival can also be translated her trouble or her adversary. And lets just make it all worse- Hannah had been praying for a child for years, and she knew God was not answering her prayer.
So she was praying and praying and praying in the Temple one day until the priest thought she was drunk. We can understand how deeply she was praying bc we pray like this in our church- we cry to God because we know he hears us. But poor Hannah- he thought she was drunk! I'm sure that hurt her feelings so bad!!! But the priest then encouraged Hannah that the Lord heard her prayer. Great news- after she prayed, she went home peaceful. And the best news of all, Hannah got pregnant. She had little baby Samuel.
The Bible records her prayers when she took Samuel back to the Temple to live. wait- what? She prayed all those years for a baby and waited on the Lord and then gave him back??? Yep. Because in those years of prayer, she truly learned who God was.... listen to how Jeremiah summarizes a time like this...
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13
Hannah knew that the Lord gives and she trusted him. When she received the answer to her prayers, she gave it right back. We practice a taste of this when we give our tithe- we trusted God to meet our needs, he does, so we give some right back.
Listen to how Hannah describes God as she dropped Samuel off at the Temple to live:
She said God was her Rock.
He is worthy of worship and holy.
She said there is not one like him.
He is a God of knowledge.
He kills and brings life.
He makes poor and rich.
He brings low and exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust.
He lifts the needy from ashes.
He places people at seats of honor.
He owns the pillars of earth.
He sets the world on the pillars.
He guards the feet of the faithful.
He cuts off the wicked.
He breaks his adversaries.
He is the judge of the earth.
He gives strength to the king.
Hannah has been through this terrible time for years. And after the prayers was answered, instead of wondering why he didn't answer sooner, he decided to live in the peace of the Sovereign Lord. She decided to worship God instead of her son. She knew who she was in God's eyes and knew knowing God was most important.
So as we pray, let's remember, these opportunities to pray are an opportunity to get to get to know God better. And as we live, lets agree that he is a great God! Let recognize that every good and perfect gift is from him. James 1:17 And lets be grateful for the opportunity to show the world who he is!
as God answers our prayers,
we will know more of Him
and worship Him
and not worship the answer to our prayers.
Let me explain...
This morning in my Bible study, we were looking at Hannah. Lauren knows Hannah well, we studied her on Wednesday nights for the entire spring! Hannah was in a very tough place- her husband had another wife, Peninniah. Peninniah had children but Hannah could not have children. Children are very valued in life today but in that day- your children defined your life. Without children you didn't have much value. In spite of this, her husband loved her more. The Bible calls Peninniah Hannah's rival- so like think of our sports rivals but worse- she lived with her rival. Rival can also be translated her trouble or her adversary. And lets just make it all worse- Hannah had been praying for a child for years, and she knew God was not answering her prayer.
So she was praying and praying and praying in the Temple one day until the priest thought she was drunk. We can understand how deeply she was praying bc we pray like this in our church- we cry to God because we know he hears us. But poor Hannah- he thought she was drunk! I'm sure that hurt her feelings so bad!!! But the priest then encouraged Hannah that the Lord heard her prayer. Great news- after she prayed, she went home peaceful. And the best news of all, Hannah got pregnant. She had little baby Samuel.
The Bible records her prayers when she took Samuel back to the Temple to live. wait- what? She prayed all those years for a baby and waited on the Lord and then gave him back??? Yep. Because in those years of prayer, she truly learned who God was.... listen to how Jeremiah summarizes a time like this...
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13
Hannah knew that the Lord gives and she trusted him. When she received the answer to her prayers, she gave it right back. We practice a taste of this when we give our tithe- we trusted God to meet our needs, he does, so we give some right back.
Listen to how Hannah describes God as she dropped Samuel off at the Temple to live:
She said God was her Rock.
He is worthy of worship and holy.
She said there is not one like him.
He is a God of knowledge.
He kills and brings life.
He makes poor and rich.
He brings low and exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust.
He lifts the needy from ashes.
He places people at seats of honor.
He owns the pillars of earth.
He sets the world on the pillars.
He guards the feet of the faithful.
He cuts off the wicked.
He breaks his adversaries.
He is the judge of the earth.
He gives strength to the king.
Hannah has been through this terrible time for years. And after the prayers was answered, instead of wondering why he didn't answer sooner, he decided to live in the peace of the Sovereign Lord. She decided to worship God instead of her son. She knew who she was in God's eyes and knew knowing God was most important.
So as we pray, let's remember, these opportunities to pray are an opportunity to get to get to know God better. And as we live, lets agree that he is a great God! Let recognize that every good and perfect gift is from him. James 1:17 And lets be grateful for the opportunity to show the world who he is!
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