When Hannah prayed before the Lord! 1Samuel 1:1-28
No More Barrenness – The Increase of Fruitfulness
God knew what Hannah desired from Him, but she had to put herself in a position to receive her request. God knew she was barren, but God was not barren, but she had to deal with her heart as people spoke against her and provoked her, and the verse says she became fretful – meaning she was consumed with not having a child, but she had to deal with that. And God begins the process because what she is about to carry is WHAT HAS BEEN ASKED FROM THE LORD! She first had to become pregnant with the Word the Vision and the Purpose the womb must be prepared like a seed to be planted to produce a harvest! Even her husband brings a worthy portion because the other ladies’ husbands gave their wives the same and they had children. When we try to help God make decisions for us, we always try to make God do things for us by our fleshly desires, which will never move God. The only thing that moves God is our faith to please Him and not people and what they think of us! Hannah goes to the house of the Lord and is provoked she weeps and fasts! Her heart is grieved. She was in bitterness meaning deeply grieved, because she had a deep desire, and PRAYED UNTO THE LORD and wept sore! And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of Hosts if thou wilt indeed look at the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.
And it came to pass as she continued praying, and Eli the priest marked her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart, and only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Hannah poured her heart out in a sorrow-filled heart, my soul has been poured out before the Lord. She counted herself worthless. Eli answered the God of Israel grant thee thy petition, you have found favour, as she went, she was satisfied, and joy filled her heart. She worshipped and her husband knew that the Lord remembered her! Hannah conceived and bore a son and called him Samuel. The Lord has established His word and given me my petition which I asked of the Lord.
The Lord spoke to me and said – We must understand that what has happened to Hannah the church must get back to too. The church has become an easy gospel. We seek what gratifies the flesh, think easy thoughts that do not renew our minds, and desire a compromising life that satisfies ungodly desires! Jesus the Word must absorb and fill every part of our being there must be nothing left of us! Everything of who we are is His we belong to Him. He is our thoughts all in all He must consume us. If we do not act to become who He is, we will not see the miracles He has in store for us. There is no place for compromise and complacency. A half-hearted prayer produces a half-baked life! Become persistent, come to a place of desperation, and allow our hearts to become a guiding place being grieved to where we are changed, becoming so consumed with the will and plan of God. God wanted her to become an example of humility and how God’s cry can manifest His plan and purpose. He was looking for a vessel worthy to carry His will to produce His will and become a manifestation of His will. Hannah wept; she made a vow she was stirred she had faith to believe God. God moved her into position just like Mary how is this going to happen, she was barren. But the priest said what you have done has found favour, and she was filled with joy, and at that time her womb was restored to conceive. When God acknowledges our faith, the answer will manifest! Everything we need is in the spiritual realm faith goes and fetches and manifests it in the natural realm, through what we believe in our hearts and say with our mouths.
Samuel means God has heard your answer to your prayer means God has named your prayer with a pledge and a guarantee through the Blood and the Holy Spirit. And answers it with His name as a promise of what He has said is so. The process of Hannah’s heart created a path in the Spirit as an example of God’s provision. Hannah means God has shown favour. You have to do your part of faith and favour to receive the desired result. Did God make her barren, No. But God created a path for her to walk in to overcome her barrenness! Samuel “heard by God” or “asked of God,” was a prophet and a judge in the time of King David and Solomon to anoint them for a time such as this. He kept his heart pure to hear the voice of God to protect the anointing on his life so that he could stand in that office that Hannah prepared for him trusting God for her barrenness to be broken to bring a promise of the Spirit! She was a watchman and intercessor standing in the gap fulfilling God’s plan. What God saw in the future did not distract because she was barren God saw the answer, not the circumstance. He saw the outcome He saw Samuel He saw the future and prepared the path. We just need to walk in the path He has prepared for us we must stay in the plan to finish our course. Hannah saw the plan and I know she has created a path for us through prayer to have the same results!
Hannah’s thankfulness and praise put her in a different level of adoration and gratefulness – 1 Sam. 2:1-11!
The effectual and fervent PRAYER OF THE RIGHTEOUS Hannah makes tremendous Power available dynamic in its working! James 5:16
