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Hannah's Prayer - A Turning Point in History

Hannah's prayer to God and His answer changed the course of history for God's people. Learn from Hannah's persistent and pure-hearted prayer, her willingness to sacrifice, and her unwavering faith in God's promises.

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Hannah's Prayer - A Turning Point in History

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  1. Hannah’s Prayer

  2. Introduction During the time Hannah lived, the people were morally bankrupt, the priests were corrupt, people hated to go to worship, and the word of the Lord was rarely heard. Hannah’s prayer to God and God’s answer to her prayer helped to change the course of history of God’s people in her generation. Samuel was the answer to Hannah’s prayer and he became a great prophet, priest, and judge in Israel (Acts 13:20; Heb. 11:32).

  3. Hannah’s Prayer- out of Pain Hannah is distressed because she is barren while her husband’s other wife provokes her when she is blessed with children (1 Samuel 1:1-7). God wants His children to pray to Him when they are suffering (Ps. 50:15; Jas 5:13; Phil. 4:6-7) Hannah did not get drunk or rebel but instead poured out her soul to God (1 Sam. 1:10). Do we seek God’s help when we are in pain or forsake Him (Jas 4:8)?

  4. Hannah’s Prayer- Promises Hannah vows that if God will give her a son, she will give him to the Lord all the days of his life (1 Samuel 1:11) She wasn’t trying to bribe God, but was willing to sacrifice her desires to serve Him (Eccl 5:1-5). When you pray for something, how far are you willing to sacrifice yourself to serve God? If you pray for spiritual growth, are you being diligent to fulfill God’s will in your life? (Eph. 6:10ff; 2 Tim. 2:15, 21; 1 Pet. 2:11).

  5. Hannah’s Prayer- Persistent She persisted in prayer instead of giving up when it didn’t happen (1 Sam. 1:12; 1 Thess. 5:17) Jesus prayed 3X in the Garden, “Not My will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42). The apostle Paul prayed earnestly that his thorn in the flesh would be removed (2 Cor. 12:8). Do you give up too easily if your prayer isn’t answered or are you persistent (Lk. 18:1-8)?

  6. Hannah’s Prayer- Pure Heart She didn’t pray like many others apparently did during that time but spoke from a pure heart (1 Sam. 1:13-16; Matt 5:8; 6:1ff) Are you calling on the Lord from a pure heart or are you seeking to fulfill your lustful desires? (2 Tim. 2:22; James 4:3-4) Do you say what you really want to say to God or do you use meaningless repetition of other people’s words? (Matt. 6:5-7)

  7. Hannah’s Prayer- Positive She is confident that God was going to answer her prayer after Eli’s words of encouragement as she is no longer sad (1 Sam. 1:17-18) We should pray without any doubting like she did (James 1:5-8) When you pray, are you confident that God will answer it according to His will which will be best for you? (Heb. 4:14-16; Rom. 8:28) God is able to do much more than we ask or think (Eph. 3:20-21). Be positive!

  8. Hannah’s Prayer- Praise After God answers Hannah’s prayer she praises Him (1 Samuel 2:1ff). Do we remember to praise God after He answers our prayers or do we quickly forget how the Lord has blessed us (Heb. 13:15)? Hannah’s prayer and faith is given as an example for us so that we through the perseverance and encouragement of the Scriptures might have hope (Rom. 15:4).

  9. Conclusion One woman’s prayer of faith in the midst of severe trials helped to turn the Israelites back to God for many years (1 Sam. 7:3ff). Will you be like Hannah today who will persistently pray with a pure heart, be positive, and praise God in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation? The effective prayer of even one righteous person can accomplish much (James 5:16).

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