Lesson Nine

Effective Long Distance Communications

 

Introduction:

Whenever our ladies get together, I always try to address the average woman's problems. this one transcends all lines... old, young, married, widowed, with children or without.

(Text: 1 Samuel 1:1-19)

I. Hannah was to be pitied.

[1]. She was chided by the other wife.

[2]. "In bitterness of soul" (vs. 10) clearly describes her state. We can compare this to Job who used the same phrase in (Job 10:1) as did Hezekiah in (Isa. 38:15).

[3]. The environment was not conducive to prayer since the children of Israel has broken away from the high standards of morality and spirituality set up by Moses. Hannah had to find the path to God.

II. Hannah made a promise. (vs. 11) She made a deal with God.

[1]. God invites discussion. In (Isa. 1:18) He says, "Come let us reason together."

[2]. Job mentioned the same privilege in (Job 13:3) when he said he desired "to reason with God."

[3]. Moses bargained with God in (Ex. 32:9-14) and changed God's mind.

III. Hannah petitioned God. (vs.16)

[1]. "Out of the abundance of my complaint..." Compare with what the psalmist said in (Ps. 142:2).

[2]. "...and grief." This is the same heaviness of grief described by David in (Ps. 31:9-10).

IV. Hannah was prayerful.

[1]. Hannah was the fourth woman in the Bible to grieve because she had not conceived. Sarah laughed. Rebekah became listless and indifferent. Rachel said, "Give me a child or else I die." (Gen. 30:1) Hannah prayed.

[2]. Her petition came from the anguish that was in her soul and from the confidence in the power of God to answer her request. The term "handmaid" was used by Hannah three times suggesting humility, submission and dependence on God.

[3]. She may have prayed again before they left Shiloh as indicated in (verse 19).

V. Hannah's perseverance prevailed.

[1]. Verse 10 says it all: "...and the Lord remembered her." By the way, does the Lord hear from you enough to "remember " you?

Others God remembered: Noah, Abraham, Rachel, Issac and the thief on the cross.

[2]. God kept His side of the bargain, and so did Hannah.
    (a). She gave her son to God. (1 Sam. 12:26-28)
    (b). God kept His promise and then some. (1 Sam. 2:21) Hannah was given three sons and two daughters...more than she ever asked for!

Application for us:

This story is not just for the childless; the emphasis is on prayer. All spiritual growth, all victory over temptation, all confidence and peace in the midst of difficulty depends on the practice of prayer.

Some basic information regarding prayer:

When to pray:

Some Christians look at God as a spare tire, forgotten for months at a time, and then used in an emergency. They expect God to be on hand to lend immediately help in a time of distress.

[1]. Anytime - "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." (Ps. 55:17) Don't use "call-waiting" on God! An eight year old California boy named Danny Dutton once wrote an essay on God. When addressing the issue of prayer, he wrote: "God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, as some people like preachers pray other times than at bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the television or radio on account of this. As He hears everything, not only prayers, there must be a terrible lot of noise going on in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off."

[2]. Instantly - "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer." (Rom. 12:12)

[3]. Continually - "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." (Lk. 18:1) (1 Thess. 5:17)

What to pray for: (For grammar purists, "for what to pray"!)

[1]. The salvation of others - (2 Cor. 5:20)

[2]. The removal of affliction - (Ja. 5:13)

[3]. Your friends and your "friends" - (Job 42:10)

(a). This could have an additional bonus for you!

(b). It could be one of your best spiritual weapons.

[4]. Our land - (2 Chron. 7:14) America isn't going to "get right" until we do.
[5]. Thanksgiving - (Rom. 1:21) gives us a clear picture of the outcome of the ungrateful. (1 Thess. 5:18) reminds us to "give thanks in all things.."

How to pray:

In one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books I read about a woman who cut out pictures of what she wanted: a husband, a beautiful wedding, flowers, diamonds, a lovely home, etc., because she had read in the Bible that God wants to give us the desires of our heart. Now that seems a little mercenary to me, but have you ever thought about picturing your prayer requests answered in your mind? For instance, the prodigal back home, the sick parent well again, the lost husband saved, the miserable marriage happy. Our prayers don't depend on our feelings but on the trustworthiness of the Promiser.

[1]. In the Spirit - (Eph. 6:18)

[2]. Fervently - (Ja. 5:16) Sir Eric Roll tells the story of a little boy who was observed by a minister in church praying very fervently; but, much to the pastor's surprise, he was also heard to say from time to time, "Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo." So when the service was over, the minister went up to the boy and said, "Son, I was very pleased to see you praying so devoutly, but do tell me, why did you keep saying, 'Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo'?" The little boy replied, "Well, you see, sir, I have just been taking my geography examination in school, and I have been praying to the Lord to make Tokyo the capital of France." Now that is fervent praying!!!

[3]. With faith and confidence - (Ps. 6:9)

Conclusion:

Often our prayers can be compared to the Chinese "prayer balls." Prayer requests are written on paper, rolled in mud and then thrown at an idol. If they stick, they'll be answered. I wonder if that is how my prayers may appear...some words I toss at God as I blast through another busy day. The wonder isn't that we pray on our knees so little; the wonder is that we ever get up when we realize the need around us, and we catch a vision of what God can do. The devil dreads our prayers and keeps us up to our eyes in work. He laughs at our toiling, mocks our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.

 

My Daily Prayer

If I can do some good today,
If I can serve along life's way,
If I can something helpful say,
Lord, show me how.
If I can right a human wrong,
If I can help to make one strong,
If I can cheer with smile or song,
Lord, show me how.
If I can aid one in distress,
If I can make a burden less,
If I can spread more happiness,
Lord, show me how.
If I can do a kindly deed,
If I can help someone in need,
If I can sow a fruitful seed,
Lord, show me how.
If I can feed a hungry heart,
If I can give a better start,
If I can fill a nobler part,
Lord, show me how.

(Author unknown)

The Lord can't show you how unless you talk to Him.
 

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