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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-09-22 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
1 Samuel 1:25-28 (Voice) |
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Text: |
25 They slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to the priest Eli. Hannah (to Eli): 26 My lord, I swear I am the woman who was praying to the Eternal One in front of you. 27 It was this child I prayed for, and the Eternal has indeed granted me the petition I made. 28 So, as I vowed, I will lend him back to the Eternal. For as long as he lives, let him serve our Eternal One. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Each year that the two wives of Elkanah went to the temple with him, for the annual sacrifice. His wife Peninnah would wind up teasing his wife Hannah due to her being childless. However on this particular year, Hannah was deeply moved by this and she prayed so earnestly that Eli, the priest, thought Hannah was drunk. A few years later Hannah returned with the results of that earnest prayer! How well do we do with that? |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| It appears like most of our prayer lives are spent asking God for things – healing, salvation, bringing families back together, etc. I wonder how much God hears back from us on the prayers that He answers? Let me clarify that, our God is alive and He hears each of our prayers. He knows what’s best for us, and He knows when we are sincere about our prayers and when we are trying to tell Him what to do. In asking an all-knowing God, we know that at times His answer might sometimes be ‘No’, but we often hope that many times His answer would be ‘Yes’. When last have you given Him thanks for a ‘No’ answer to your prayer? Interesting, isn’t it? Anyway, Hannah was so serious in her prayer for a child, that Eli thought she must have been drunk. Regardless, God knew the very heart of this woman, and He answered her prayer very positively. However Hannah added in her prayer what she would do if her prayer was answered positively by God. Bribery? Debt of gratitude? I really don’t think so. It is evident from the story that Hannah went to the temple very dutifully with her husband, as expected, each year. I believe she wanted to acknowledge to God that she was asking for a child unselfishly and not just to show revenge to Peninnah, but that she wanted to contribute to the work of the Lord as much as she could. Perhaps it would benefit us to learn a few things from this holy example of this faithful servant of God, like: * While we want God’s very best for ourselves, let’s try asking as diligently for people, or things, that would benefit kingdom work; * Consider the number of years that Hannah must have made similar requests before God. Let’s remember to praise Him for His answers to our prayers, whether they are in our favor or not; * Let’s not be stingy in returning thanks to God, or offering sacrifices to Him, even if its the total of all that He has blessed us with; * Be persistent in meeting with God, even if He decides alternate ways of answering our prayers. Remember, God wants us to ask, but He wants us to be obedient and giving children so that He might be glorified and praised. |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, please touch us and make us more like You. Today we have another great example of a godly person who asked; You gave in response; And she returned all that was given back to You for Your kingdom work. We are so selfish Lord, please help us to be obedient, giving children of the King, all for Your kingdom’s sake. AMEN! |
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| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
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