Hannah's prayer...1 Samuel 2:1-11...Problem...Promise...Pause...Presenting

 


Hannah has a problem.  The Lord has closed up her womb and she is childless.  It will take an act of God for this to change, so Hannah goes to the Lord in prayer.

Hannah makes a promise.  She tells God that if He would give her a child then she would give that same child back to the Lord to serve in His tabernacle.  Hannah is asking not only for a child but a male child.  

Hannah takes a pause.  God has answered her prayer but she gives a pause to her end of the bargain.  She is waiting for the child to be weaned, probably into the toddler stage of life.  

Hannah follow thorough with a presenting.  After the child, the boy Samuel, is weaned she brings him to God's tabernacle and leaves him with the high priest Eli.  She will most likely see him on future trips but she comes to Jerusalem with her firstborn son and she leaves without him.

How many times have you bargained with God?  Have you ever prayed, "God if you do this then I will do this?"  Did God answer the prayer?  If so did you keep your end of the bargain?  If God didn't answer the prayer maybe He knew you would keep your end or the bargain or maybe you were asking for the wrong thing.

Hannah's prayer gives us a pattern to follow in our prayers.

2.1-2 - God focused - God is sacred, solely and solid.

2.3-5 - God's requirements - Hannah prays against pride to be replaced with humility.  Hannah prays against self-sufficiency to be replaced with a dependency on what God can do.  Hannah prays against greed to be replaced with a hunger for God's provision.

2.6-8 - God's sovereignty - God not only created the earth but also the laws of the universe that the earth sets upon.  God is in control.

2.9-11 - God's provision and plan - God keeps His own and He silences those who oppose Him.  God will render justice and He will give a King, His King!  

Starting our prayers with being God focused will probably change the direction of the rest of our prayers; our prayers need to remind us of what the Lord requires of us; our prayers need to re-establish our acknowledgement that God is in control; and our prayers need to include the gospel that has impacted our lives for eternity and its proclamation to the world.

Adam

p.s. - A side note of my study and not used in the sermon was this:

1 Samuel 2:26 (LSB) - Now the young boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with Yahweh and with men.

Luke 2:40 (LSB) - And Jesus was advancing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.



A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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