1 Samuel 1:12-18
As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli (the priest) observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.” “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.” She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was NO LONGER DOWNCAST.
Hannah’s deepest desire was to be a mother. With that deep desire, she poured out her soul to the Lord.
What an example Hannah is to how we should respond after the outpouring of our soul to the Lord.
Have you ever had such a burden that it physically wore you out? Have you ever been consumed by a burden? Is there an area in your life that you continually lay before the Lord? Do you pour out your soul to the Lord?
It says that after Eli’s blessing, Hannah went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
How do you respond after you say “Amen”?
I am guilty of this! How many times do we pour out our soul to the Lord and then think about it, stew over it, try to devise our own solutions…and worry about it. When we do this we tend to appear “downcast”. Like it or not, we wear worry on our face, in our posture, in our heart and in our attitude. This is why so many of us have those unmistakable worry lines on our foreheads.
As believers, God has made us a promise…well, quite a few promises. But, one promise that I continually reiterate in my blogs and remind myself of is from Romans. Romans 8:28 says, In ALL THINGS God works for the GOOD of those who love Him, who have been called according to HIS PURPOSE!
Either I choose to believe His Word to be true or I do not! Our response, my response should reflect our belief that God’s Word is the absolute TRUTH!!! The Lord desires for us to pour out our souls to Him, to leave it there and to trust Him with the outcome. Our attitude and continence should be one of joy! We should be confident that the Lord has answered our prayer because He has promised that in ALL THINGS He is working for our good!!!!!
In the next 12+ months, my life will be changing drastically. I will send my son off to college, start a new job, sell my home (I hope), move, send my daughter off to college, move again, probably start another new job and start a life in a new city away from where my children call home. I teeter between being so excited about what the future holds and the fear of the unknown.
One might say to me, “Well, you haven’t experienced a great anguish that brings you to the end of yourself?”. And I would say, “Oh, yes I have!”. It was in, through and being on the other side of that deep anguish that I have learned that God is truly working for my good in ways that I cannot understand!
The challenge for myself, as it is for all of us, it to lay these things before the Lord. And then go on our way believing that God has heard us and has already answered our prayer. This promise is not an “Oh and by the way”. This promise from Romans is what lays the foundation on which we stand! What does it say about my faith in the Lord if I pour my heart out to the Lord then wring my hands in worry and dredge up all my fears?! What good it is if I project a lack of confidence in the Lord with my worries and concerns?!
After I say “Amen”:
My response should be one of trust in the Lord! My response should make an impact on others! My response should draw others closer to the Lord! My response should example my faith in the Lord and in His Sovereignty! My response should create a joy within me that is evident to others! My response should create a quiet strength and steadfast confidence as I approach my days ahead! My response should result in an overwhelming peace within me! My response should be one of praise to the Lord!
My response should always bring glory to the Lord!!!
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for always answering my prayers! Thank you for giving me the understanding that Your answer is not always yes, but Your answer is ALWAYS for my good and ALWAYS for Your glory! Thank you for Your Word! Thank you for making it a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Lord, I pray that You would continually change my response to the prayers that I lay before You each day! May my response be one of joy as I eagerly await Your Hand to reveal what You have already been working out for my good!
Lord, I pray that those who are downcast would experience a noticeable transformation as they grip on to Your promises! I pray that Your Holy Spirit would consume those crying out to You and that they would be overwhelmed with Your presence and peace!
Lord, I love you!
In Jesus’ Name, Amen…and may my heart rejoice!
