I Am Only One (Part 1)

It is so easy to be troubled, upset, and anxious concerning things we care deeply about, but have absolutely no control over.  Relatively small things like finances, other people’s wrong responses and choices, our own decisions (big and small) that will result in lasting consequences.  And bigger things like the state of our country, the pervasiveness and prevalence of sin in our culture, our children’s future…

…or lack thereof…just to name a few.  

I would not normally consider myself a controlling person, but I am a worrier by nature, and I’ve come to realize that the source of my worry is deep-seated fear stemming from a lack of control.  It’s also the result of a wrong perception of God, who He is and what He can do; and a wrong perception of myself, my importance to God and what He longs to do and can do through me.     

We tend to think that a sense of over-all peace equates apathy.  It isn’t considered socially acceptable not to worry or express a certain amount of concern about different things.  But there is a world of difference between experiencing God’s peace and being apathetic.  Possessing peace isn’t a sign of shallow emotion, but rather of well-placed confidence.  I personally have gotten so used to a certain level of  “acceptable” anxiety that it seemed like there was something wrong for awhile after I realized the Lord had finally delivered me from that. 

And it was all the result of the power of prevailing prayer. 

In this lesson we will see how the power of prayer prevailed in the lives of three men and one woman, and the lasting impact their individual prayers held. 

They were "only one." 

~ Hannah’s humble prayer I Samuel 1-2:22

I love this passage.  From the get-go Hannah has my respect.  Now these are just my impressions as I read these verses, but I find it significant that the Bible points out three times in five verses that Hannah was childless.  (Verses 2, 5, & 6)  I imagine this was her daily experience.   How often well-meaning folks remind couples with no children that they’d better “get busy,” or ask, “What are you waiting for?” 

As if they need to be reminded of the emptiness.  

There is no doubt in my mind that Penninah took every opportunity to throw that in Hannah’s face.  I can’t imagine anything she could have done that would have been more hurtful.  Aside from the fact that, you know, she had to share her husband and home with the very person the Bible calls her “adversary.”  No biggie.  

In attempting to put myself in her shoes, my first thought was, “I don’t think I could have done it.  I would rather be alone and childless than have to share my husband with another woman.”  But that got me to wondering, “How did she do it?  What was it that made Hannah choose humility and meekness over bitterness and reciprocating cattiness?” 

And then it hit me that my question contained the answer. 

She chose it.

As huge as that is, though, it did nothing to temper the depths of grief she experienced as a result of the constant reminders.  The Bible is so beautifully descriptive of her grief.  Verse six says Penninah “provoked her sore, for to make her fret,” and verse seven, “so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.”

I’ve known grief like that.  I’d venture to say you have, too.

Now notice her husband’s response to all of this.  The Bible specifically says that Elkanah loved Hannah.  It says nothing of his feelings for Penninah.  That tells me that Hannah was lovable.  Many wives expect their husbands to love them in spite of themselves, and when they have a hard time doing so they get even more cantankerous.  I could see this describing Penninah.  Just imagine the competitive undertones that must have colored their lives. 

Elkanah kept trying to make Hannah’s emptiness up to her.  He gave her a “worthy portion” in verse five, and in verse eight he asks her, “Why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not?  and why is thy heart grieved?  am not I better to thee than ten sons?”

Now I know he means well, but that makes me laugh...wryly.  Does he really think that he would be better to her than ten sons when she has to share him with someone else?  Especially someone like Penninah?  Really?

I love her response.  At last, it is what it should be.  She says nothing.  Instead she "rose up."  I cannot help picturing her beginning to blossom instead of allowing herself to once again be crushed.  She rose up when dinner was over without making a scene, and went “in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.” 

She took it to Jesus. 

Now at the risk of sounding completely callous, I’m just going to come right out and say it…what good did all those tears do her?  None that I can see.   None, that is, until they were mingled with prayer.  Up until then, she was merely giving her adversary exactly what she wanted.  Penninah wanted their husband’s love like Hannah wanted a child, and misery loves company.  It's the same with us.  We don’t have to give our adversary the satisfaction.  And why would we want to?

One of the many parallels we will see between the four prayers we will be studying this month is the “if and then clause.”  Most of the time the Lord uses it to show us the part that we play in His promises coming to fruition, but Hannah uses it here in her prayer.  It’s like she’s saying, “Lord, this is what I want, but I don’t want it for myself only.  I want it for You, too.  I don’t just want ‘a child,’ I want a godly child.” 

Prayer is so important in the life of a parent precisely because our control is limited.  We can train and discipline our kids, but we cannot convict them of sin or make them love God.  I think that is partially why we are seeing so many teenagers turning their backs on God today.  They haven’t been taught to love God and be godly; they’ve just perfected putting up a good front.   The Bible says that the first and greatest command is to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, soul, mind, strength, and might, and to love thy neighbor as thyself.  If we don’t love God, we can’t love others, and on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  Even if we could manage to obey all of God’s commands by going through the motions out of sheer will power, it’s all for naught if our motivation isn’t a deep and abiding love for God.  The why behind what we do is just as important as what we do. 

Put yourself in Hannah’s shoes again.  Here she is crying out to God in deep, agonizing grief and to add insult to injury the priest, Eli, accuses her of being drunk!  How often it happens in our times of deepest grief that we are misunderstood, and by those whom we least expect.  But I believe the Lord allows this to happen to cause us to lean even harder on Him.  Even in allowing those seemingly hurtful things to happen He has our good in mind!  I believe Hannah saw this to a certain extent because notice her response.  She wasn’t defensive or taken aback by his audacity.  Again she chose humility, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit:  I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.” 

I love the picture this paints.   She is not selfishly consuming (self-absorbed), she is selflessly pouring herself out as a sweet sacrifice to God.  How many of us would be willing to give our children to the church after only a few years of breastfeeding?    That was the level of her desire and devotion.

Prayer changes things ~ in part because it alters our perspective.  It requires us to humble ourselves before God in meekness, and when we do that suddenly the greatness of God and His power are magnified by our smallness.  Meekness is simply allowing our lives to be governed by God.  Surrendering and yielding to Him in sweet abandon. 

That was Hannah.  The immediate result of her prayer wasn’t conception.  At this point she did not know that God was going to grant her request.  He could have said no.  But it says, “So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.” 

The immediate result was perfect peace.

Peace is always the result of surrender to God,

“And the Lord remembered her.”  God hasn’t forgotten about you, friend.  He knows your heart’s desires more completely than you know them yourself.  He hears every word that you speak.  Farther on in I Samuel 3:19 it says, “And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.”  That is true for us.  When we regard iniquity in our heart the Lord will not hear us because we have built a wall between ourselves and the Lord.  It’s not His wall.  It’s ours.  We know our hearts are not right, and that He has no obligation to hear or answer our prayer when we are not doing our part to live for Him, and love Him through obedience.  He knows you.  He sees you.  He hears you.  Yes, you!  He can’t keep His mind off of you.  You don't have to explain the situation to death to Him or defend your motives.  He knows.  Rest in that knowledge, and just talk to Him about whatever it is that is on your heart.  (Ps. 139:23-24)

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hannah had a proper perception of God and it made all the difference in her prayer life.  She knew that when she prayed, God would do something.  (2:1-10)

She also upheld her part of the bargain, and God blessed her abundantly for it.  Not only did she place Samuel under the care of Eli, knowing that his sons were wicked (2:22 Her faith astounds me!), and honoring God by honoring the man of God in spite of his shortcomings, she also taught Samuel well in the short time she had him. 

“...And he worshipped the Lord there.”  (1:28)

“And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD and also with men.”

Never underestimate the power of your prayers for your children.  There is no greater thing you can do for your kids than to pray faithfully and fervently for them, and leave them in God’s hands.  Completely.  Hands off…open in surrender and praise to God…resting in the assurance that He loves them more than you ever could.   Don’t balk when problem areas come to light with your kids if you are praying for the Lord to have His will and way with them.  Trust God’s hand even in the rough spots.  He knows just what they need to get them where they need to be by the shortest possible route.

God blessed Hannah with more than she asked!  I Samuel 2:21 “And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons, and two daughters.  And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.”

You can never out-give God!