Bible Lesson: Answered Prayer:
Hannah Prays For A Son.
Subject Of Prayer: Barren Hannah
Turns To The Lord With All Of Her Heart.
Bible Text:
l Samuel 1:10-28 NKJV
1 Now there was a certain man of
Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was
Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the
son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 And he had two wives: the name of
one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had
children, but Hannah had no children.
3 This man went up from his city
yearly to worship and sacrifice to The Lord Of Hosts in Shiloh. Also
the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of The Lord,
were there.
4 And whenever the time came for
Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his
wife and to all her sons and daughters.
5 But to Hannah he would give a
double portion, for he loved Hannah, although The Lord had closed her
womb.
6 And her rival also provoked her
severely, to make her miserable, because The Lord had closed her
womb.
7 So it was, year by year, when she
went up to the house of The Lord, that she provoked her; therefore
she wept and did not eat.
(Hannah’s Vow To
The Lord)
8 Then Elkanah her husband said to
her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your
heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9 So Hannah arose after they had
finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was
sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of The Lord.
10 And she was in bitterness of
soul, and prayed to The Lord and wept in anguish.
11 Then she made a vow and said,
“O Lord Of Hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your
maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but
will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to The
Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his
head.”
12 And it happened, as she continued
praying before The Lord, that Eli watched her mouth.
13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart;
only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli
thought she was drunk.
14 So Eli said to her, “How long
will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”
15 But Hannah answered and said,
“No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk
neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul
before The Lord.
16 “Do not consider your
maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint
and grief I have spoken until now.”
17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go
in peace, and The God Of Israel grant your petition which you have
asked of Him.”
18 And she said, “Let your
maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way
and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
(Samuel, Born and Dedicated To The
Lord.)
19 Then they rose early in the
morning and worshiped before The Lord, and returned and came to their
house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and The Lord
remembered her.
20 So it came to pass in the process
of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name
Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from The Lord.”
21 Now the man Elkanah and all his
house went up to offer to The Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow.
22 But Hannah did not go up, for she
said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will
take him, that he may appear before The Lord and remain there
forever.”
23 So Elkanah her husband said to
her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him.
Only let The Lord establish His word.” Then the woman stayed and
nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 Now when she had weaned him, she
took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a
skin of wine, and brought him to the house of The Lord in Shiloh. And
the child was young.
25 Then they slaughtered a bull, and
brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, “O my lord! As
your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here,
praying to The Lord.
27 For this child I prayed, and The
Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.
28 Therefore I also have lent him to
The Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to The Lord.” So
they worshiped The Lord there.
Oh, how easy it is
to dish out fast little prayers. Prayers for this and for that. But
when your in trouble, when you need serious help, it''s time to get
serious with The Lord.
I Samuel 1:1011
NKJV
10 And she was
in bitterness of soul, and prayed to The Lord and wept in anguish.
11 Then she
made a vow and said, “O Lord Of Hosts, if You will indeed look
on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget
Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I
will give him to The Lord all the days of his life, and no razor
shall come upon his head.”
Too many prayers today, are too dry. They don't mean much to the one
who prays and how can they much more to the one who hears them.
Hannah a woman of The Lord, wept bitterly before The Lord.
Hannah a woman of The Lord, was willing to make a vow before The
Lord, a vow that would cost her.
Ezra 10:1 NLT
While Ezra prayed and made this
confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the
Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel—men, women,
and children—gathered and wept bitterly with him.
Isaiah 22:12,13
NLT
12 At that time The Lord, The Lord
Of Heaven’s Armies, called you to weep and mourn. He told you to
shave your heads in sorrow for your sins and to wear clothes of
burlap to show your remorse.
13 But instead, you dance and play;
you slaughter cattle and kill sheep. You feast on meat and drink
wine. You say, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
Joel 2:12-16
NKJV
12 “Now, therefore,” says The
Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping,
and with mourning.”
13 So rend your heart, and not your
garments; Return to The Lord your God, For He is Gracious and
Merciful, Slow to anger, and of great Kindness; And He relents from
doing harm.
14 Who knows if He will turn and
relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a
drink offering For The Lord your God?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people, Sanctify the
congregation, Assemble the elders..."
Luke 6:21 KJV
Blessed are ye that hunger now: for
ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Luke 23:28 KJV
But Jesus turning unto them said,
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and
for your children.
James 4:9,10 NLT
9 Let there be tears for what you
have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness
instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.
10 Humble yourselves before The
Lord, and He will lift you up in honor.
True followers of
The Lord, know well the bending of the knees and weeping with tears.
Hebrews 5:7 KJV
(Christ)
Who in the days of His flesh, when
He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and
tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in
that He feared;
(Real men, know how to weep with tears, before The Lord!)
Hannah's prayer was
answered!
I Samuel 1:19,20
NKJV
19 Then they rose early in the
morning and worshiped before The Lord, and returned and came to their
house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and The Lord
remembered her.
20 So it came to pass in the process
of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name
Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from The Lord.”
Hannah's prayer
of praise:
II Samuel 2:1-10
NKJV
1 And Hannah prayed and said: “My
heart rejoices in The Lord; My horn is exalted in The Lord. I smile
at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “No one is holy like The Lord,
For there is none besides You, Nor is there any Rock like our God.
3 “Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For The Lord is
The God Of Knowledge; And by Him
actions are weighed.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are
broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired
themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven, And
she who has many children has become feeble.
6 “The Lord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes
rich; He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes And make
them inherit the throne of glory. “For the pillars of the earth are
The Lord’s, And He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His
saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. “For by
strength no man shall prevail.
10 The adversaries of The Lord shall
be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them.
The Lord will Judge the ends of the
earth. “He will give strength to His King, And exalt
the horn of His Anointed.”
Will The Lord,
answer you, when you pray?
The God Of
Answered Prayer:
Joshua 10:14 KJV
And there was
no day like that before it or after it, that The Lord hearkened unto
the voice of a man: for The Lord fought for Israel.
Nehemiah 9:27
KJV
in the time of
their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them
I Chronicles
16:11 KJV
Seek The Lord
and His strength, seek His face continually.
Nehemiah 9:27
KJV
in the time of
their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them
Psalm 6:9 KJV
The Lord hath
heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer.
Psalm 55:17 KJV
Evening, and
morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear
my voice.
Psalm 65:2 KJV
O thou that
hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
Psalm 66:19 KJV
But verily God
hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Psalm 88:1,2 KJV
1 O lord God of
my Salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
2 Let my prayer
come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
Psalm 91:15 KJV
He shall call
upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will
deliver him, and honor him.
Psalm 99:6,8 KJV
6 "...they
called upon the Lord, and he answered them.
8 Thou
answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest
them..."
Psalm 102:17 KJV
He will regard
the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
Psalm 122:6 KJV
Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Proverbs 15:8,29
KJV
8 The sacrifice
of the wicked is an abomination to The Lord: but the prayer of the
upright is His delight.
29 The Lord is
far from the wicked: but He heareth the prayer of the righteous.
Isaiah 38:5 KJV
“...I have
heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears...”
Isaiah 56:7 KJV
"... for
Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
Isaiah 58:9 KJV
Then shalt thou
call, and The Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say,
Here I am...:"
Isaiah 65;24 KJV
And it shall
come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they
are yet speaking, I will hear.
Jeremiah 29:13
KJV
And ye shall
seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your
heart.
Zechariah 13:9
KJV
And I will
bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver
is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My
name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they
shall say, The Lord is my God.
Joel 2:32 KJV
And it shall
come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of The Lord shall
be delivered..."
Matthew 5:44 KJV
But I say unto
you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you;
Matthew 6:6 KJV
But thou, when
thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy
door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which
seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 7:7,8
KJV
7 Ask, and it
shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you:
8 For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened.
Matthew 18:19,20
KJV
19 Again I say
unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any
thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father
which is in heaven.
20 For where
two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the
midst of them.
Matthew 21:22
KJV
And all things,
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Matthew 26:41
KJV
Watch and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but
the flesh is weak.
Mark 11:24,25
KJV
24 Therefore I
say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe
that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25 And when ye
stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your
Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Luke 11:9,10 KJV
9 And I say
unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For every
one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him
that knocketh it shall be opened.
Luke 18:1,7,8
KJV
1 And He spake
a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and
not to faint;
7 "...don’t
you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry
out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off?
8 I tell you,
He will grant justice to them quickly! But when The Son Of Man
returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?”
Luke 21:36 KJV
Watch ye
therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape
all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before The Son
Of Man.
John 15:7 KJV
If ye abide in
Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it
shall be done unto you.
John 16:24 KJV
Hitherto have
ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy
may be full.
Ephesians 6:18
KJV
Praying always
with all prayer and supplication in The Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Philippians 4:6
NLT
Don’t worry
about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you
need, and thank Him for all He has done.
Colossians 4:2
NLT
Devote
yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
I Thessalonians
5:17 KJV
Pray without
ceasing.
I Timothy 2:8
KJV
I will
therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without
wrath and doubting.
James 1:6 KJV
But let him ask
in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of
the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
James 4:8 KJV
Draw nigh to
God, and he will draw nigh to you
James
5:13-16 KJV
13 Is any among
you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick
among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of The Lord:
15 And the
prayer of faith shall save the sick, and The Lord shall raise him up;
and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your
faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be
healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much.
I Peter 4:7 KJV
But the end of
all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
I John 3:22 KJV
And whatsoever
we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do
those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Revelation 8:3-5 NLT (Prayers heard and kept)
3 Then another
angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a
great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of
God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne.
4 The smoke of
the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended
up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.
5 Then the
angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar..."
