ENCOUNTERING GOD THROUGH PRAYER-Hannah-

SERIES: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH GOD

TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 1:1-20

Hannah demonstrated a shining and standing faith in God during her difficult situation and she became a shining example for us today on how to trust God during difficult situations.

Hannah trusted God without doubt or concern and her story teaches us that our faith in God allows Him to bless us.

Her trust in God as she turned to Him, her deep desire for children and her faithfulness in bringing Samuel to God as promised are all evidences of God working in Hannah’s life.

Every person experiences circumstances that cause grief. Many times, we simply don’t understand why the desire of our hearts is not met. In life of Hannah; we see that God knows our hearts, that everything has a purpose and that trust in Him is never misplaced.

As we look at the life of Hannah, her encounter with God happened when she prayed a silent prayer to God. Peninah her co-wife, through her perennial mockery to Hannah moved her to encounter the Living God-1^st Samuel 1:10-11. Let us see:-

THE PROBLEM AND MOCKERY OF HANNAH.

• Hannah had come up to the house of God.
• Year after year she was there with her husband offering sacrifices to God and suffering ridicule under the actions of Peninah who was Elkanah’s other wife.
• How desperate of a situation this all was.
• Another woman who had all that she longed for a husband, children and safe secure home life.
• Despite the fact that Elkanah loved Hannah and did the right thing, love, security, care, Elkanah had absolutely no control over giving her the child for which she longed for.
• Elkanah and Hannah had a problem only God could solve.
• The key verse in the story says, “The Lord had closed her womb.”
• Hannah had to deal with Peninah. So you and I must deal with our Peninah in our life.
• Barrenness of any kind is evil. It is not from God except it is permitted by Him to program you for your promotion and success.
• Hannah had three big problems-

1. She was barren.
2. She was in a polygamous marriage.
3. Her co-wife was not a nice woman.

• No matter the love a man shows a woman, once there is another involved, it can never be appreciated fully.
• It becomes worse if like in the Bible passage above, one is blessed with children, while the other has a lack.
• Your Peninah is that personality or power that mocks you, oppresses you and looks at negative situations in your life to multiply your sadness and your feelings of worthlessness or non-achievement.
• Your Peninah could be your late marriage, your lack of progress generally in life, a tough ministry situation, your reversed marriage, your widowhood, a sickness, a massive debt.
• Whatever mocks your situation and your service and faith in your God!
• Peninah is the “spirit” that says “hey look at me, I am a success, guess what? You are a failure.”
• Peninah is whatever is mocking your success and life saying, “what have you gained from serving God, what have you gained from saving souls, what have you gained from being celibate and not misusing your body.”
• Peninah kills your spirit, tells you, you are unworthy, tells you, you can never achieve anything meaningful, you cannot achieve your goals and dreams.
• But Hannah, just like you was programmed for greatness. She became the mother of one of Israel’s greatest prophets. “But God has closed her womb”-Lamentations 3:37-38.
• Some people think that you are barren, because you have no land, house, car etc. while it is God who has closed your womb “just for a while”-1^st Samuel 1:6.
• You are the light of the world, a city on a hill cannot be hidden-Matt. 5:14.
• But Peninah pushed Hannah to her victory. Peninah pushed Hannah to fast and pray. Peninah pushed Hannah to make her child (Samuel) count more than all the other of Elkanah’s children.
• Peninah is pushing you to your breakthrough right now, in Jesus name.
• By the 6^th verse of 1^st Samuel 1, Peninah was forgotten, while the story of Hannah and her son went on for two books of the Bible and beyond.
• Your Peninah will be forgotten in Jesus name. Peninah will push you to your victory. Please try to memorize the prayer of Hannah in 1^st Samuel 2:1-10.
• God had a plan for Hannah, Samuel needed to be born at a crucial time in history, not sooner not later.
• God’s purposes were greater that only granting Hannah here desire for a baby. Samuel had to be at the right place, at the right time.

THE PRAYER AND MOTIVATION OF HANNAH.

• In her brokenness and pain, Hannah trusted God’s power and ability to work on her behalf.
• Hannah chose to ignore the mockery and take her problem to be one who could help her.
• Hannah made a vow. Saying “O Lord almighty if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, no razor will even be used on his head-1^st 1:11.
• She trusted that God was able to do this miracle for which she asked.
• Hannah believed that only God could open her womb.
• Her prayer was a cry of deep emotional grief and anguish, pouring out her soul to the Lord.
• Hannah did not care of anyone else presence around her.
• Hannah did not care what she looked like, what people would think, she was humbled, broken that only God could change her situation-1^st 1:10-11.
• Her prayer was specific-(a son), submissive (if you will, I will). Her vow was realistic not foolish.
• Her prayer was silent-1^st 1:12.
• Her prayer was sincere -1^st 1:15.
• Her prayer was sustained-“she continued.”
• God lifted her burden from her heart (her face was no longer sad, she lift her concerns with the Lord, she experienced the peace that passes all understanding).”

THE PRAISE AND JOY OF HANNAH.

• God turns our tears into testimony, mockery to melody and problems into praises-1^st 1:19-20.
• She went home and Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son, naming him Samuel.
• She later kept her vow to God, she did not forget her vow.
• Hannah not only dedicated herself to her child but dedicated her child to God-1^st 1:28.
• In her prayer of dedication:-

1. She acknowledges God’s holiness and strength.
2. She focuses on God’s wisdom and knowledge.
3. She acknowledges God’s ability to bring death and to make alive.
4. God is the one who can make poor and give wealth. He humbles and exalts.

CONCLUSION

• Hannah encountered the Living God in prayer. Her burdens were taken away.
• Make God the head of your family, then spend the rest of your life giving your children back to the Lord-They belong to Him.
• Thank God for your Peninah’s they move you to your breakthroughs.
• No matter who you are, what you have done, where you come from, you can encounter God even now.