Hello and welcome
to The Missing Peace.
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My name is Jason Bradley
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and our primary
host for this program is
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Dr. Nadine Joseph-Collins.
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Dr. Nadine hails from
the island of Saint Lucia,
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she is passionate about prayer
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and has been
empowering the prayer lives
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of people around the world,
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Dr. Nadine is an
Author, Speaker and affiliate
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of Sanare Life Ministries
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where she works alongside
her husband, Nyse Collins.
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Dr. Nadine is going to
make our prayer lives go, "Wow!"
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But before she does,
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let's bow our heads
and have a word of prayer.
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"Dear Heavenly Father,
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before we begin
to open your Word
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and discuss
different prayer topics...
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and prayer strategies and tips
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Lord, we ask that you
would please be with us
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and send the Holy Spirit
to lead, guide and direct us,
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in Jesus' name we pray, amen. "
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"Amen. "
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What is our topic for today?
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Today we'll be
looking at the topic,
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"Praying with Purpose"
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because purpose is referred
to as that sense of resolve...
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or having some sort of
determination... right,
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and purpose is also the
reason why something exists...
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why it was created...
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or why something is done
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so, being able to learn how we
can actually pray with purpose
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with that kind of determination,
with that resolve...
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praying with... with
the ideas in our minds that
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"Hey, I am here for a reason
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but I'm also sending up
these prayers for a reason
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is something
that's important to us.
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Okay.
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I believe... and E.M. Bounds who
is a prolific writer on prayer,
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he says that the
definite and direct utterance
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of one who knows that
they have the ear of God
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and that God has the willingness
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as well as the power
to grant the petition...
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that's how he speaks
about praying with purpose
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so we know for sure that we
have the definite ear of God
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and we know also that
God has the willingness...
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and when I look at the
Bible, somebody whom I see...
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who went to God... many...
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there are many
instances in the Bible
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where we can find
really good prayer examples
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but somebody who would fit
into that sort of description
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where, you know, that
person prayed with determination
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or knew that they
had the ear of God
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and God will be willing
to answer them... is Hannah.
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Okay.
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And, you know, in her
stories in 1st Samuel...
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we pick up her story there
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and if we knew
anything about her story...
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just in its basic sense,
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Hannah was married to Elkanah
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but she was one
of Elkanah's wives,
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he also had another wife,
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now, the other wife,
Peninnah would bear children
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but the Bible says,
"Hannah had a barren womb"
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and so, we could
imagine at the time
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in Hannah's societal context,
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in fact, in the Old
Testament in general,
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every time it speaks of a
woman who couldn't bear children
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or a woman whose womb
was shut... or was closed...
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or couldn't bear children...
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people would probably
look down at that person
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because in the Old Testament
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it was saying, "Woe
unto the barren womb... "
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I really thank God though
that in the New Testament,
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Paul said something different
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because in the New
Testament, he actually says,
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"Woe unto them who have suckling
child in this generation. "
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But back then,
it wasn't the case,
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just the fact that
Hannah couldn't have children
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must have been... something
that you're embarrassed for
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she must have felt
like a societal outcast
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she may have also
had a low self-esteem
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because, here I
am, I'm with my husband
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he has another wife,
she is having children
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every year she's
probably having children
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and I am here, I
can't have any children
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so, Hannah may
have felt rejected
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and, of course, Peninnah
used that to taunt Hannah.
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Oh, oh, that's messed up.
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Well, I'm sure it was, right,
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so she taunted Hannah
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so, every time she'd be
throwing words at Hannah
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and, of course, you
could imagine her pregnant
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going with her belly and
pushing it forward and stuff
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because Hannah
can't have children
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and I'm sure, as a woman,
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I'm certain that
would hurt Hannah a lot
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and the Bible says,
Hannah was indeed hurt
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because Peninnah
made her life miserable.
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I don't think
there was probably a day
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that Peninnah
did not remind Hannah
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that she couldn't have children.
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Wow!
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You see, and so, she was
going through that kind of story
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and part of the reason, I think,
Peninnah would have even used
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the insult and add injury to it
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is the fact that
Elkanah... the Bible says,
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loved Hannah more.
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Oh... so she was jealous.
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She was also jealous of
Hannah, so the thing is that
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the Bible says
that three times a year
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Elkanah would
probably go to the temple,
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that was his custom
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so we see here... a home
that seemed to be unhappy
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but yet still
it was a Godly home
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because this man
was still devoted
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in his practices toward God
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and so, every
year when they would go
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and they would have
to bring in their lambs
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what happened? They
would offer up their sheep
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and then, a goat
or lamb whichever
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and the breast and the right
thigh would go to the priest
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and then the fat
would be burnt to the Lord
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and then the rest
would be eaten by the family.
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Now, usually, the Bible says
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the older son would get
a double portion of that
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but guess what Elkanah
did with that double portion?
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What he did with that
chunk of what was brought home?
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What?
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He gave that double
portion to Hannah...
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even though the custom was
to give it to... let's see...
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the firstborn
son... because he did that
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because he wanted
to appease Hannah.
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The Bible says
he loved her so much
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he wanted to appease her
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and just imagine she still cried
and she still complained...
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and she was still hurt...
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so he said to her, "But,
Hannah, aren't I enough for you?
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Am I not worth more
than ten sons to you?"
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And she said, "No... "
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So you could imagine maybe
he himself felt a little bad
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because he does not even
know how to appease his wife,
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he's trying to reassure her,
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"I know you
don't have kids for me
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but that has not
taken away anything from you
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it hasn't made me love you
less, in fact, I love you more
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and that's why I
demonstrated my love for you
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by giving you
that double portion. "
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But Hannah still wasn't pleased
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and I think one
day Hannah broke...
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Hannah snapped...
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because Hannah
went to the temple
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the Bible says and
she began to talk to God
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she was speaking to God
for probably such a long time
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that the Priest
Eli walked in there...
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he wasn't hearing her
words but he saw her...
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her mouth moving... so probably
there's lisping and so on
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and he thought to himself,
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"This woman must
be a crazy woman... "
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but Hannah didn't care if
the priest thought she was crazy
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because Hannah was
there for a purpose,
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she had a determination...
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that day she went
there to get some resolve
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and she stayed there
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and she spoke to
God desperately crying,
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if fact, if you
look at verse 10 to 11
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in 1st Samuel chapter
1, you have it there where
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Hannah was in deep
anguish and she cried bitterly
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and prayed to the
Lord and she made a vow
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and she said, "Lord Almighty,
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if you will only look
on your servant's misery
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and remember me, and
not forget your servant
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but give her a son, then
I will give him to the Lord
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for all the days of his life,
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and no razor will
ever be used on his head. "
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So, there she made a
clear covenant with God.
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So, there are many times,
we're speaking to our Viewers,
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there are many times
somebody might feel left out...
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I don't know if you know
what it is to feel left out
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or to be left
behind or to be left alone
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but many people go
through these situations,
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I remember, one
situation where...
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when I was in my
late teens and so on
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after I had
graduated from High School,
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most of my friends who
graduated that very same year
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went off to college,
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some came back home
and I was still home...
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I worked for nine years before
I actually went to college.
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Wow! you worked for nine years?
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Nadine: Yes. Jason: Wow!
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So, for a long time, I
was there feeling left behind
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because I could not
afford to go to school
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and people were going
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and so, Hannah is
here in a situation
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and many of our Viewers are
there in their own situations,
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feeling left behind
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because everybody
in their age group
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seemed to be married
but they're single...
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Hmmm...
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Everybody who is promoting
marriage seem to be having kids
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but they're
struggling to even get pregnant,
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people are struggling
probably to get a home
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and they're seeing somebody else
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may have more than one home,
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so we have people who
are feeling left behind
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in so many ways
and they're struggling,
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and Hannah is
one of these people,
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so, Hannah's prayer had
purpose... it had direction...
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it had determination...
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she wanted something done...
she wanted a boy child...
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Hannah was so bold
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that she risked being
called "drunk" by the Priest,
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she really didn't care and
if we look at verse 14 there
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he actually asked her,
"Must you come here drunk?"
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And he asked her to
throw away her bottle.
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That's how much the priest
thought that she was drunk
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but the thing is, I think Hannah
had reached breaking point...
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Yes.
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She had that experience,
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they say, "The straw that
broke the camel's back... "
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I think that day,
she had that experience
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and that experience
was enough for her...
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she was at the end of her rope
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and she wanted God
to do something now
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before she took
matters into her own hands
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and so, that's why we
see that sort of purpose...
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that sort of determination...
that sort of resolve...
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"I need an answer to this
prayer Lord... and guess what?
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If you bless me with this boy,
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I'm going to give
him back to you. "
00:10:04.53\00:10:05.87
Yes.
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So she was just willing
to give God back that child
00:10:07.27\00:10:09.54
and I thought to myself,
00:10:09.57\00:10:10.91
"Wow! was Hannah
just trying to get... "
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you know she
wanted to get pregnant
00:10:13.44\00:10:14.78
but for it to be a testimony...
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one that God
really answers prayer...
00:10:16.18\00:10:17.65
for it to be a testimony,
maybe to her husband that
00:10:17.68\00:10:20.52
"I know you love me but maybe
you think I can't get pregnant
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but I will show you
that God can do it. "
00:10:22.92\00:10:25.29
Or even to Peninnah
and people in her society
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to say, "Hey, God does
open the womb that is shut... "
00:10:27.69\00:10:30.36
So, she may have
had her own reasons
00:10:30.39\00:10:32.49
by the end of the day,
00:10:32.53\00:10:33.93
we see a woman
praying with purpose...
00:10:33.96\00:10:36.06
determination...
00:10:36.10\00:10:37.43
so when Hannah and Eli
00:10:37.47\00:10:39.63
eventually got
into the discussion,
00:10:39.67\00:10:41.40
Hannah actually explained
to him what was going on...
00:10:41.44\00:10:44.54
she revealed her secrets...
she opened her heart to him
00:10:44.57\00:10:49.68
and in verse 15 to
16, she said to him,
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I could imagine her
saying, "Pastor... "
00:10:52.18\00:10:54.58
He was a
priest... but "Pastor...
00:10:54.62\00:10:56.42
I'm a woman who
is deeply troubled...
00:10:56.48\00:10:58.22
I have been... I have not
been drinking wine or beer,
00:10:58.25\00:11:02.06
I was pouring out
my soul to the Lord.
00:11:02.12\00:11:04.69
So, do not take your
servant for a wicked woman!"
00:11:04.73\00:11:07.43
Right... "But I
have been praying here
00:11:07.46\00:11:09.56
out of great
anguish and grief. "
00:11:09.63\00:11:11.70
Hmmm...
00:11:11.73\00:11:13.07
So, she's just letting him know
the feelings that were inside
00:11:13.10\00:11:16.10
and why she was
doing what she was doing...
00:11:16.14\00:11:18.07
she wanted him to
know how desperate she was
00:11:18.14\00:11:20.04
for God to bless her
00:11:20.08\00:11:21.41
and many of us... we
have situations to pray about
00:11:21.44\00:11:24.28
but we're not desperate
enough for God to bless us
00:11:24.31\00:11:27.25
but Hannah's example is saying,
00:11:27.28\00:11:29.18
"Listen to me... I'm,
tired, I'm at the end of my rope
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and I want God to bless me. "
00:11:31.92\00:11:33.39
You remember Jacob...
00:11:33.42\00:11:34.76
One thing... I just
want to jump in real quick.
00:11:34.79\00:11:36.99
It's okay.
00:11:37.03\00:11:38.36
One thing that I
really like is the fact that
00:11:38.39\00:11:40.73
she was saying that if the
Lord blessed her with a child,
00:11:40.76\00:11:43.87
that she would
dedicate that child to the Lord
00:11:43.90\00:11:45.70
which is important because
00:11:45.73\00:11:47.17
when you look at
everything that we have
00:11:47.20\00:11:49.87
these things are
entrusted to us...
00:11:49.90\00:11:52.37
they're not ours per se
but they're... they're...
00:11:52.41\00:11:57.45
God is entrusting us
with kids or with money
00:11:57.48\00:12:02.52
we're called to
be good stewards...
00:12:02.55\00:12:04.19
with our kids, we're
called to train up a child
00:12:04.22\00:12:06.29
in the way he should go
00:12:06.32\00:12:07.66
and when he grows
old... he won't depart from it
00:12:07.69\00:12:09.02
we are to raise our kids
to love, honor and serve God
00:12:09.06\00:12:13.46
and so, I really
like the fact that
00:12:13.50\00:12:16.67
she wasn't just going to say,
"Okay, thanks God for this gift"
00:12:16.73\00:12:22.00
and then go do
whatever she wanted to do
00:12:22.04\00:12:23.91
she was going to
dedicate that child to the Lord.
00:12:23.94\00:12:26.88
Exactly, and she
had the confidence
00:12:26.91\00:12:29.64
that thing that she desired...
00:12:29.68\00:12:31.51
that thing that she asked God
that God would give it to her
00:12:31.55\00:12:35.25
so she left God's
presence with peace
00:12:35.28\00:12:38.59
and the thing I like
about it is that in verse 17,
00:12:38.62\00:12:43.06
after she had spoken
to Eli about her situation
00:12:43.09\00:12:47.46
and what she desired of him,
00:12:47.50\00:12:49.56
and he realized that
she really wasn't drunk
00:12:49.60\00:12:51.37
but just a desperate woman,
00:12:51.40\00:12:53.27
Eli says to her in
verse 17, "Go in peace!"
00:12:53.30\00:12:56.71
He says, "May the God of Israel
00:12:56.74\00:12:59.61
grant the request
you have asked of him. "
00:12:59.64\00:13:02.64
And that brings us
to an important point
00:13:02.68\00:13:05.41
in our prayer life, you see,
00:13:05.45\00:13:07.02
because Hannah was
praying on her own,
00:13:07.05\00:13:09.85
but even though Hannah
was praying on her own,
00:13:09.88\00:13:12.15
God used Eli to
provide confirmation
00:13:12.19\00:13:16.29
that that thing she was seeking
God for will come to pass
00:13:16.32\00:13:19.53
so, she prayed with purpose and
the Lord provided confirmation
00:13:19.56\00:13:23.87
and the reason why I would like
us to look at that confirmation
00:13:23.90\00:13:28.17
because many times
in our own experiences
00:13:28.20\00:13:30.64
we pray about things...
00:13:30.71\00:13:32.77
sometimes we're not patient
enough for God to answer us
00:13:32.81\00:13:36.75
and sometimes, we do not even
spend enough time seeking Him
00:13:36.81\00:13:40.72
to know what it is that
He wants us to pray about
00:13:40.75\00:13:43.75
and I believe for Hannah to have
gone to God with such confidence
00:13:43.79\00:13:47.06
God must have placed the
dream inside of her heart,
00:13:47.09\00:13:49.76
He must have
placed the desire there
00:13:49.79\00:13:51.73
and then He was
leading out that desire...
00:13:51.76\00:13:53.70
but the thing about it is that
many times, we ask, for example,
00:13:53.73\00:13:58.30
people to pray for us,
00:13:58.33\00:13:59.67
you remember we spoke
about passing notes...
00:13:59.70\00:14:02.00
we ask people to pray for us
00:14:02.04\00:14:03.44
but we don't spend
time praying for ourselves
00:14:03.47\00:14:05.81
but in this case, sometimes,
00:14:05.84\00:14:07.84
when we ask
people to pray for us
00:14:07.88\00:14:09.44
after we would have
spent time seeking God
00:14:09.48\00:14:11.21
which is what
Hannah was doing repeatedly
00:14:11.25\00:14:13.58
until that breaking day
00:14:13.62\00:14:15.05
is that, He uses
people to give confirmation
00:14:15.08\00:14:17.95
of what it is that
He will bless us with
00:14:17.99\00:14:20.79
so I remember
when I was seeking God,
00:14:20.82\00:14:22.82
for example, to go to school,
00:14:22.86\00:14:24.29
and He instructed me to go
to the Philippines to study
00:14:24.33\00:14:27.60
and I didn't know how I
was going to make it happen
00:14:27.63\00:14:30.40
but I remember... I fasted
and prayed for almost a month...
00:14:30.43\00:14:34.50
for I was seeking
God about this thing
00:14:34.54\00:14:36.10
and one day, I left home
and the Spirit impressed me
00:14:36.14\00:14:39.07
to take a little
notepad that I had
00:14:39.11\00:14:40.58
on that notepad it only
had... the story is longer
00:14:40.61\00:14:44.21
but I'm trying to
give the abridged version
00:14:44.25\00:14:45.78
it just had a logo on it,
00:14:45.81\00:14:47.45
so I went to visit a friend
00:14:47.48\00:14:48.88
who as a
President of an Institution
00:14:48.95\00:14:50.82
and while I was in
his office, he asked me,
00:14:50.85\00:14:54.32
"Have you
considered the Philippines?"
00:14:54.36\00:14:55.82
And I'm like, "What?"
00:14:55.86\00:14:57.19
Then he said, "There's
a really good school there
00:14:57.23\00:14:59.46
it's owned by the
General Conference...
00:14:59.49\00:15:01.06
they have really
good Lecturers you know,
00:15:01.10\00:15:02.63
but I can't
remember the name... "
00:15:02.66\00:15:04.93
and there I went into my purse
00:15:04.97\00:15:07.17
and I took out that
notepad and showed it to him,
00:15:07.20\00:15:10.61
and he said, "Yes,
that's the one... "
00:15:10.64\00:15:12.71
so there God
provided confirmation for me
00:15:12.74\00:15:15.44
that this is where I
really want you to go...
00:15:15.48\00:15:18.15
Yes, and another
thing with Hannah...
00:15:18.18\00:15:20.88
and that
confirmation is amazing,
00:15:20.92\00:15:23.59
another thing with Hannah is the
fact that she was persistent,
00:15:23.62\00:15:27.79
we have... you and I have talked
about persistence with prayer
00:15:27.82\00:15:31.93
and so, that's one
of those things like,
00:15:31.96\00:15:36.43
in the book:
Prayer by Ellen White
00:15:36.46\00:15:38.67
she talks about how sometimes
00:15:38.70\00:15:41.10
we can let go of
God's arm too soon
00:15:41.14\00:15:43.41
right when God's about to allow
something to happen or whatever
00:15:43.44\00:15:50.35
we give up praying...
00:15:50.38\00:15:51.71
If we would just pray and
be persistent with our prayer
00:15:51.75\00:15:55.98
He would have blessed.
00:15:56.02\00:15:58.75
Yes, and that's really one of
the topics we'll be discussing
00:15:58.79\00:16:01.96
in one of our other
programs, "Persistent Praying"
00:16:01.99\00:16:05.36
and it will all come
together in terms of...
00:16:05.39\00:16:07.96
even the fact that
Hannah was purposeful,
00:16:08.00\00:16:10.47
her prayer had this sort
of direction and determination
00:16:10.53\00:16:13.40
that I will not
let go like Jacob,
00:16:13.44\00:16:15.44
I- will-not-let-go-until-you-
bless-me... kind of prayer,
00:16:15.47\00:16:18.21
because there's a
purpose for which I'm praying
00:16:18.27\00:16:21.98
and you know, Hannah had that
00:16:22.01\00:16:24.21
and God through... through Eli
00:16:24.25\00:16:26.41
provided confirmation
00:16:26.48\00:16:28.05
"That thing that you
have asked of me, I will do it
00:16:28.08\00:16:31.22
so, go in peace... "
00:16:31.25\00:16:32.82
the thing about is that Hannah
00:16:32.85\00:16:34.19
probably had
stopped eating for a while
00:16:34.22\00:16:36.76
because the Bible says...
after she left the temple,
00:16:36.79\00:16:40.53
she went home to eat
00:16:40.56\00:16:42.20
and now she was
happy and she was smiling
00:16:42.23\00:16:45.87
because her
countenance had changed...
00:16:45.90\00:16:49.47
her husband would have
seen the difference in her...
00:16:49.50\00:16:51.87
Peninnah would have
seen the difference in her...
00:16:51.91\00:16:54.18
the people in the neighborhood
would have seen the difference
00:16:54.21\00:16:55.91
in Hannah... because now
Hannah was a happy woman,
00:16:55.94\00:16:58.11
she wasn't pregnant yet,
00:16:58.15\00:16:59.48
but she was a happy woman
because she knew that that day
00:16:59.51\00:17:02.12
that the Lord would
have answered her prayer
00:17:02.15\00:17:03.89
and God would give
her what she wants,
00:17:03.92\00:17:05.95
and so, there are many
times in our experiences
00:17:05.99\00:17:08.92
where we are
praying about things,
00:17:08.96\00:17:10.69
we are not sure, for example,
00:17:10.73\00:17:12.86
what God wants... so, of
course, we need to seek His will
00:17:12.89\00:17:15.23
and then we're
praying that will...
00:17:15.26\00:17:16.67
and when He
places it in our heart,
00:17:16.70\00:17:18.03
we need to do whatever it
is that He has asked us to do,
00:17:18.07\00:17:20.67
which is to really
just pray and believe
00:17:20.74\00:17:22.77
that God will grant us the
requests for which we have asked
00:17:22.80\00:17:26.84
because I remember one time
00:17:26.88\00:17:28.88
after I had finished
my Bachelor's Degree,
00:17:28.91\00:17:31.28
the summer, I was seeking God,
00:17:31.31\00:17:34.92
"Hey Lord, what next?"
00:17:34.95\00:17:36.28
And I was also
looking for an apartment
00:17:36.32\00:17:37.89
and I remember, one day,
00:17:37.92\00:17:39.25
coming from the city
with a girlfriend of mine,
00:17:39.29\00:17:40.76
and God says to me,
00:17:40.79\00:17:42.12
"Go up the road to
the yellow house... "
00:17:42.16\00:17:43.96
and I had never
really gone up the road
00:17:43.99\00:17:45.86
because it was past campus
and I took the Pastor's car...
00:17:45.89\00:17:49.36
I was house sitting for
a Pastor... took his car
00:17:49.40\00:17:51.20
and the two of
us went up the road,
00:17:51.23\00:17:52.87
we found a
yellow house eventually,
00:17:52.90\00:17:54.47
we met an old lady, asked
her, "Who owns the house?"
00:17:54.50\00:17:57.07
Then she brought
us to the young man
00:17:57.11\00:18:00.08
saying that's her nephew...
00:18:00.11\00:18:01.48
the thing is, in
my prayer request
00:18:01.51\00:18:03.14
I did ask God
for a new apartment
00:18:03.18\00:18:04.91
I wanted something that was
gated... unlimited internet,
00:18:04.95\00:18:08.52
safe area and so on,
00:18:08.55\00:18:10.72
when the gentleman
brought us to the house,
00:18:10.75\00:18:13.46
it was a six-building apartment,
00:18:13.49\00:18:15.62
the one that was unfinished
was the only one that was left
00:18:15.69\00:18:18.89
and that's the one
that I got eventually,
00:18:18.93\00:18:21.33
even though at that
time I didn't have the funds,
00:18:21.36\00:18:23.47
I was like, "I want it... "
00:18:23.50\00:18:24.87
but the thing about it was
that God answered my request
00:18:24.90\00:18:27.14
because I had that
desire... I had that purpose...
00:18:27.17\00:18:29.77
I had it... I
had in my mind reason
00:18:29.80\00:18:31.91
because you see in
Isaiah 41:21, the Bible says,
00:18:31.94\00:18:35.24
"Produce your cause...
bring forth your strong reasons"
00:18:35.28\00:18:38.28
so sometimes when
we go to God in prayer
00:18:38.31\00:18:40.92
we need to bring our
reasons just like Hannah did,
00:18:40.95\00:18:43.95
"Lord, if you give him to me,
00:18:43.99\00:18:45.65
I'm going to give
him back to you... "
00:18:45.69\00:18:47.52
Hmmm... hmmm...
00:18:47.56\00:18:48.89
So she gave her call,
00:18:48.92\00:18:50.26
she gave her reason
for wanting that child,
00:18:50.29\00:18:51.83
"I want the child so
that he can honor you... "
00:18:51.86\00:18:54.60
and so, sometimes we
can go to Him in prayer...
00:18:54.63\00:18:57.30
where He has placed
things in our heart...
00:18:57.33\00:18:59.20
we can go to Him
and give him the reasons
00:18:59.23\00:19:01.04
for which I want that car
00:19:01.07\00:19:02.40
because I would like
to take people to church
00:19:02.44\00:19:05.11
on a Sabbath morning,
00:19:05.14\00:19:06.47
you know, "I want you to
bless me with that big house
00:19:06.51\00:19:08.28
so that I can make
it a place of refuge
00:19:08.31\00:19:10.41
for people who are in need... "
00:19:10.45\00:19:11.78
so once we can
produce these reasons,
00:19:11.81\00:19:13.82
the Lord is, of course, more
inclined to hear our prayers
00:19:13.85\00:19:16.69
and so on... and so we
see here in Hannah's story
00:19:16.72\00:19:19.65
that she made a promise to God
00:19:19.69\00:19:21.06
that he would...
00:19:21.09\00:19:23.26
"when you give me that son,
00:19:23.29\00:19:24.63
of course, I'd
dedicate him to you... "
00:19:24.69\00:19:26.03
they called it
"The Nazarite Vow"
00:19:26.06\00:19:28.03
she wanted to
bring glory to God,
00:19:28.06\00:19:30.03
it was almost as if she
just wanted Him to use her
00:19:30.07\00:19:32.20
and sometimes, you know,
00:19:32.23\00:19:33.57
we have to go to God asking
Him to bless us with things
00:19:33.60\00:19:38.11
for our own household's sake...
00:19:38.14\00:19:39.67
because the Bible says,
00:19:39.71\00:19:41.31
"A prophet has no
honor in his home... "
00:19:41.34\00:19:43.14
and sometimes, the
most difficult people for us
00:19:43.18\00:19:46.35
to be able to
convert... to minister to...
00:19:46.38\00:19:48.62
to be able to be effective in
ministering with our own family.
00:19:48.65\00:19:52.62
Yeah, that's true...
00:19:52.65\00:19:53.99
And so, that's the thing so
God answered Hannah's prayer,
00:19:54.02\00:19:57.69
He gave her a son,
00:19:57.73\00:19:59.09
His name was called "Samuel"
which means, "Ask of God"
00:19:59.16\00:20:02.80
and when the
child was old enough...
00:20:02.83\00:20:04.70
Hannah kept her promise and
brought him back to the temple.
00:20:04.73\00:20:07.77
She gave him back to God
and we need to take note of that
00:20:07.80\00:20:10.81
because many times,
00:20:10.84\00:20:12.17
we ask God to
bless us with things
00:20:12.21\00:20:14.14
or... He does
bless us with things...
00:20:14.18\00:20:16.51
we're educated... we
have good jobs and so on...
00:20:16.54\00:20:20.02
He blesses us with these things
00:20:20.05\00:20:21.95
and then we forget Him.
00:20:21.98\00:20:23.75
Hmmm... that's right...
00:20:23.79\00:20:25.45
we need to use the
things that God blesses us with
00:20:25.49\00:20:29.86
to bless others and to
give God the honor and glory
00:20:29.89\00:20:34.20
and that's what
Hannah was doing.
00:20:34.23\00:20:35.93
Exactly, and then
in 1st Samuel 2:1 to 10
00:20:35.96\00:20:39.73
then Hannah gives God
praise, of course, for that gift
00:20:39.77\00:20:42.77
and what I want us to
take note of in Hannah's story
00:20:42.80\00:20:45.77
is that, Samuel was
the first of five children
00:20:45.81\00:20:48.61
so that womb that was shut
wasn't opened just for one child
00:20:48.64\00:20:51.78
but the Bible
says that each year
00:20:51.81\00:20:54.98
Eli would bless
Elkanah and Hannah again
00:20:55.02\00:20:57.45
asking God to
give them more children
00:20:57.49\00:20:59.99
because Hannah
kept the sacrifice
00:21:00.02\00:21:02.42
and brought that child to
God so in 1st Samuel 2:20...
00:21:02.46\00:21:06.26
it says, "Before
they returned home
00:21:06.29\00:21:08.10
Eli would bless
Elkanah and the wife
00:21:08.13\00:21:09.90
and say, 'May the Lord
give you other children
00:21:09.93\00:21:12.27
to take the place of
the one she gave to Him. '"
00:21:12.30\00:21:14.60
Hmmm...
00:21:14.64\00:21:15.97
So, here we see Hannah
honoring God by keeping her word
00:21:16.00\00:21:22.68
because God blessed her
with what she asked of Him
00:21:22.71\00:21:26.28
and then, God now,
opened her up to more blessings
00:21:26.31\00:21:29.25
that is just a power-packed
thing all by itself.
00:21:29.28\00:21:31.89
Yes, yes, because if...
00:21:31.95\00:21:34.69
when God blesses us
with something small
00:21:34.72\00:21:38.43
He watches to see what
we do with something small,
00:21:38.46\00:21:41.43
if He gives us
something small and we abuse it,
00:21:41.46\00:21:44.40
how can He trust us
with something larger?
00:21:44.43\00:21:46.27
Yeah, because He says,
"If we are faithful in little,
00:21:46.30\00:21:49.60
then we'd be
faithful in much... "
00:21:49.64\00:21:52.31
just like in Proverbs 22:29,
00:21:52.34\00:21:55.24
"If you're diligent
in your business... "
00:21:55.28\00:21:57.05
in the little things...
00:21:57.08\00:21:58.45
"then He will exalt you...
you will stand before kings
00:21:58.48\00:22:00.98
and not mean men... "
00:22:01.02\00:22:02.35
so, God wants us to
be able to learn how
00:22:02.38\00:22:05.45
to honor Him in
the little things
00:22:05.49\00:22:07.72
so, here a woman
praying with purpose
00:22:07.76\00:22:09.92
the desire of her heart
was just to have that one child
00:22:09.96\00:22:13.50
because she was feeling
so ashamed and everything
00:22:13.53\00:22:17.47
but the blessing
of that one child
00:22:17.50\00:22:19.77
and her being honorable
enough to give it to God
00:22:19.80\00:22:24.47
knowing, "Hey Lord, that's
the only child that I wanted...
00:22:24.51\00:22:28.08
that's the only child
that I actually have...
00:22:28.14\00:22:29.91
and I actually have
to give back to you... "
00:22:29.94\00:22:31.45
some of us would
actually fight with Him
00:22:31.48\00:22:32.91
to take that child back...
00:22:32.95\00:22:34.28
but instead,
Hannah brought him to God
00:22:34.32\00:22:35.75
and God says,
"Hey, you know what?
00:22:35.78\00:22:37.52
Let me just bless
you with four more. "
00:22:37.55\00:22:38.89
Wow!
00:22:38.92\00:22:40.26
"Not double... not triple...
let me just bless you with more"
00:22:40.29\00:22:42.52
so, praying with
purpose and determination
00:22:42.59\00:22:45.43
is a sure way for us to
get our prayers answered.
00:22:45.46\00:22:48.23
For Hannah... to have prayed
with such determination...
00:22:48.26\00:22:51.67
I believe God
placed that in her heart
00:22:51.70\00:22:53.77
because Proverbs 13:12 says,
00:22:53.80\00:22:56.00
"Hope deferred
makes the heart sick,
00:22:56.04\00:22:58.11
but a desire
fulfilled is a tree of life. "
00:22:58.14\00:23:01.24
So, Hannah's blessing really
was that tree of life for her
00:23:01.31\00:23:04.68
she was sick at first
because, "Hey, I have that hope,
00:23:04.71\00:23:07.85
I want a child... I
want a child, I want a son"
00:23:07.88\00:23:10.09
and he wasn't coming...
but then the Lord blessed her
00:23:10.12\00:23:12.75
so she had all the
vibrancy in that Tree of Life
00:23:12.79\00:23:15.32
and that's why I said, her
countenance must have changed
00:23:15.36\00:23:17.73
after she left that Temple,
00:23:17.79\00:23:19.39
the Bible did say,
"She went home to eat. "
00:23:19.43\00:23:21.53
So, that says a lot
00:23:21.56\00:23:22.90
because you remember
when David's baby died...
00:23:22.93\00:23:27.50
with Bathsheba... you remember,
at first he wasn't eating
00:23:27.54\00:23:29.50
but after the child
died, he went to eat
00:23:29.54\00:23:31.41
because he knew, "Hey, that's
how God answered the prayer"
00:23:31.44\00:23:33.94
in Hannah's case,
00:23:33.98\00:23:35.31
she knew for sure that God was
going to give her that child,
00:23:35.34\00:23:37.31
and she went home, she was like,
00:23:37.35\00:23:38.68
"You know what? Let
me eat now and relax...
00:23:38.71\00:23:40.05
I'm good now. "
00:23:40.08\00:23:41.42
Sometimes we're
too nervous to eat,
00:23:41.45\00:23:42.78
now she wasn't nervous anymore.
00:23:42.82\00:23:44.19
Hannah was mocked and rebuked
and she was anxious to prove God
00:23:44.22\00:23:49.02
and I'm sure God was
probably saying to her,
00:23:49.06\00:23:51.86
"Hannah, Hannah cool
out... just take it easy...
00:23:51.89\00:23:54.93
don't be anxious about anything,
00:23:54.96\00:23:57.10
you remember
Philippians 4:6 says,
00:23:57.13\00:23:58.67
"Don't be
anxious about anything,
00:23:58.70\00:24:00.17
but instead, by
prayer and supplication,
00:24:00.20\00:24:02.80
let your requests
be made known to me. "
00:24:02.84\00:24:05.37
And so, Hannah kept
on praying and so on
00:24:05.41\00:24:07.71
and God answered her prayer
00:24:07.74\00:24:09.21
for God must always get the
glory on our answered prayer...
00:24:09.24\00:24:12.31
all the time... doesn't
matter what He blesses us with,
00:24:12.35\00:24:15.62
we need to find a way to ensure
00:24:15.65\00:24:17.52
that all of the
glory goes directly to God
00:24:17.55\00:24:20.26
because it's never about us,
00:24:20.29\00:24:21.72
it doesn't matter
how educated we are,
00:24:21.76\00:24:24.03
how rich we are, how
successful we are on the job
00:24:24.06\00:24:26.80
it's really not about us,
00:24:26.83\00:24:28.46
all of that that we
have comes directly from God
00:24:28.50\00:24:32.20
and so, He must always
get the glory in our story.
00:24:32.23\00:24:35.87
So, Hannah's weaknesses...
her own favoring... unwavering
00:24:35.90\00:24:41.31
trusting God, her
faith... her faithfulness...
00:24:41.34\00:24:44.18
being true to her word,
00:24:44.21\00:24:45.55
all of these
things gave God glory
00:24:45.58\00:24:46.92
and in our story... these
things that give us glory...
00:24:46.95\00:24:49.55
sometimes when we
may appear weak...
00:24:49.58\00:24:51.42
God will show up and be strong
00:24:51.45\00:24:53.05
because Hannah was strong...
sorry... was weak emotionally
00:24:53.09\00:24:57.16
she was also weak
probably physically...
00:24:57.19\00:24:59.76
she was probably tired of
just fighting and crying...
00:24:59.79\00:25:02.50
you know what it
is to stay and cry
00:25:02.56\00:25:04.30
for weeks and days and nights...
00:25:04.33\00:25:06.03
it really draws you out...
but then, God made her strong
00:25:06.07\00:25:09.50
strong enough to
say a prayer of purpose
00:25:09.54\00:25:11.44
so that He could answer it
00:25:11.47\00:25:12.81
and we must be
faithful to our promises.
00:25:12.84\00:25:15.31
Remember that story of
Ananias and Sapphira...
00:25:15.34\00:25:17.91
some people say
"Safeera" in Acts 5:11,
00:25:17.98\00:25:20.32
where these two people
made a commitment to God...
00:25:20.35\00:25:23.35
they're saying,
00:25:23.39\00:25:24.75
"Hey, we're going to give
this amount of money to you... "
00:25:24.82\00:25:28.32
but when the blessing came...
when they sell the land...
00:25:28.36\00:25:30.06
saying, "we are going to
give all this money to you... "
00:25:30.09\00:25:32.03
but when the blessing came,
they didn't keep their word
00:25:32.06\00:25:34.00
and so, both of them died.
00:25:34.03\00:25:35.80
Oh...
00:25:35.86\00:25:37.20
And so, it's really
important for us to take note
00:25:37.23\00:25:40.14
of Hannah's commitment
to fulfilling the promise
00:25:40.17\00:25:43.20
that she actually gave to God.
00:25:43.24\00:25:44.87
Hmmm... hmmm...
00:25:44.91\00:25:46.24
Yes, and that's really
what I wanted us to focus on
00:25:46.27\00:25:49.91
in terms of
praying with purpose...
00:25:49.94\00:25:51.65
having that
determination to go to God...
00:25:51.68\00:25:54.48
believing that
whatsoever we ask in prayer,
00:25:54.52\00:25:57.32
the Bible says... we'll have it
00:25:57.35\00:25:58.79
and so on and...
00:25:58.82\00:26:00.66
And honoring
our word with God...
00:26:00.69\00:26:02.62
and, you know, another principle
that I see with Hannah's story
00:26:02.66\00:26:07.10
is the fact that... like, when
you take tithing, for example,
00:26:07.13\00:26:11.50
you can't out give God...
00:26:11.53\00:26:13.37
all God asks for is 10 percent
and tithe and offering...
00:26:13.40\00:26:20.11
and so, when you give tithe
which... it's not ours anyway
00:26:20.18\00:26:26.85
God's entrusting us
with that and you think,
00:26:26.88\00:26:29.22
"Well, God's letting
us keep 90 percent... "
00:26:29.25\00:26:31.52
like, that's huge...
00:26:31.55\00:26:33.25
and He blesses that...
00:26:33.29\00:26:34.76
when you honor God...
He blesses your efforts.
00:26:34.79\00:26:37.93
Yeah, and that's
really important and it's true
00:26:37.96\00:26:41.76
because, at the end of
the day whatever we have...
00:26:41.83\00:26:45.50
whatever gifts that we have,
00:26:45.53\00:26:46.87
whatever blessings that
we have, they are from God...
00:26:46.90\00:26:48.57
they're His anyhow, we
are simply stewards of it
00:26:48.60\00:26:50.77
and so, whatever we give
God, it's only an indication,
00:26:50.81\00:26:55.41
like with Hannah of
our ability to trust Him
00:26:55.44\00:26:58.71
so, giving her child
back to God is simply saying,
00:26:58.75\00:27:01.65
"God, I know when
I give him to you,
00:27:01.68\00:27:03.55
you're not going to
be taking him from me,
00:27:03.59\00:27:05.95
in fact, I'm
investing him in your work
00:27:05.99\00:27:08.29
so that more
people can be blessed
00:27:08.32\00:27:10.23
and through Samuel we see
00:27:10.26\00:27:12.23
some sort of link
to the lineage of Jesus
00:27:12.29\00:27:15.93
because that child was a
child created for purpose
00:27:15.96\00:27:18.63
and really... we just
need to... as you said...
00:27:18.67\00:27:21.24
just remember that everything
has to go back to God...
00:27:21.27\00:27:23.67
everything also belongs
to Him in the first place
00:27:23.71\00:27:26.04
so we could just pray.
00:27:26.07\00:27:27.41
"Father, we ask you to
teach us how to pray...
00:27:27.48\00:27:30.71
give us the spirit of
determination when we pray...
00:27:30.75\00:27:33.95
help us to be steadfast
00:27:33.98\00:27:35.68
and believe in your
every word and direction...
00:27:35.72\00:27:37.99
so we can come to you
in confidence when we pray,
00:27:38.02\00:27:40.22
in the name of Jesus, amen. "
00:27:40.26\00:27:41.59
"Amen. "
00:27:41.62\00:27:42.96
Thank you Dr. Nadine for
that powerful information.
00:27:42.99\00:27:46.46
We pray that you were
blessed by today's program.
00:27:46.49\00:27:50.27
We need to be intentional
about everything that we do
00:27:50.30\00:27:53.80
and that
includes our prayer life.
00:27:53.84\00:27:55.97
Be sure to tune in next time
00:27:56.00\00:27:57.61
when Dr. Nadine
shares more information
00:27:57.64\00:28:00.01
to supply the missing peace.
00:28:00.04\00:28:02.34