Hannah: Prayer Of Pledge Series

HANNAH

THE PRAYER OF PLEDGE

“Lord, if You will, I will”

Date: March 30, 2002 PM

Place: Allendale Baptist

Text: 1 Samuel 1:9-18

Introduction

Some one once said, “Behind every great man stands a great woman.” I can certainly testify to that statement. I am so thankful for the wonderful women in my life. I have said so many times; I thank God for a mother who prayed for me. I am so thankful even though I was not seeking a Godly wife He gave me one anyway.

The statement is true in scripture…

Abraham had his Sarah

Isaac had his Rachel

Samson had his Delilah

Ahab had his Jezebel

(Some of these were greatly wrong…)

Samuel, the first great prophet since Moses had Hannah….

Mary is one of the most popular names of parents to give to daughters that come from the Bible. She is clearly the most favored of women. But tonight we will look at this woman named Hannah who personifies motherhood.

Hannah means “grace”

She almost wasn’t a mother, but she has been called the model mother of the Old Testament. The Bible speaks of her sorrow, her supplication and her sacrifice.

Let’s look at her sorrow…………

I. Sorrow (vv. 1-10)

A. Hannah had a loving husband but could not bare him a child. In those days a woman found her worth in her children. May still be the same today. A man finds his worth in what he does. A woman finds her worth in her family and her home.

B. Verse 7 tells us she went to the house of the Lord year after year to pray & ask God to give her a child.

C. This had to be part of her sorrow. She must have started to wonder if God heard her prayers. Was God able after so many years to answer this request?

D. How many times have we just given up on God? Stopped asking, never to see the fruit of answered prayer.

E. We may be like sorrow stricken, but let us never give up on God, for He never gives up on us.

F. Perhaps in our time of waiting, waiting on God’s answer, he is preparing us, strengthening us to be used greatly by Him.

II. Supplication (vv. 11-18)

A. Her supplication became a giving of herself.

B. I have a deep belief that when we are willing to do whatever God wants us to do, that’s when He answers our prayers.

C. The answer may not come immediately.

D. Remember we are on God’s timetable. For Hannah, it took several years to see the answer. OUR ANSWER IS NOT ALWAYS IMMEDIATE.

E. Hannah didn’t utter a vague prayer. SHE WAS VERY SPECIFIC.

F. VAGUE PRAYERS WILL NOT CHANGE A NATION; WILL NOT BRING REVIVAL; WILL NOT BRING LOST SOULS TO A SAVING KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST.

Now let’s see her…

III. Sacrifice (vv. 11,19-28)

A. She had prayed, “Lord if You will, I will”. If you will give me a child, I will give him to you for your service.

B. People in crises often try to make deals with God. I recall a movie with Bert Reynolds years ago. All throughout the movie he tried to kill himself. At the end of the movie, he swam out into the ocean, as far as he could possibly go. When he reached that point, he decided he didn’t want to die. He began swimming back to shore. He started to bargain with God. “I’ll give you 75% of all I have, if you get me back.” He would go a little farther, “God if you get me back to shore I’ll give you 40% of all I have.” Finally he reached shore he said, I’m a man of my word, 20% of all I have is yours God.”

C. Hannah made a solemn pledge. She asked God for a son, & she named him Samuel, which means “ask of the Lord.

D. Now that she had promised she kept her word.

How many times have we made a promise to God, and never kept that promise. The Bible tells us it’s better not to make promises to God.

Close

A story comes to mind of an older man trying to show a young man what it means to want something badly. He took the young man to a pool of water & pushed his head under. He held the young man there until unti he wanted to breath bad enough that he struggled with all his might & freed himself and was able to breath. The older man explained, “That is how intense all your desires should be.”

Invitation

Can we do this tonight? Can we just get with God for a moment and ask him for the things we desire?

May be it’s for a child…

Or maybe for a loved one to be saved….

Whatever the need come bring it to God….