Pray, and Keep Praying!

“Pour out your heart before Him.”                              Ps 62:8 NAS

More than anything else in life, Hannah wanted a son. And as the years passed she wrestled with disappointment and despair. “In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord” (1Sa 1:10 NIV). However, she did two things that worked—and they’ll work for you too! (1) Instead of turning away from God, she turned to Him. Instead of praying less, she prayed more. She knew that while her husband couldn’t give her a child, God could. She may not have been happy with God’s timing, but she never doubted His goodness. Unfortunately, one of the things we’re tempted to do when things fall apart is to avoid God’s presence. That’s a mistake, because He’s the one you need most! Yes, it’s hard to pray when your heart is breaking. But unless you’ve prayed with a broken heart and a deep sense of your need, you’ve never really poured out your heart before God, or learned what the Bible truly means by prayer. (2) She didn’t just think about what she wanted, she also thought about what God wanted. “She made a vow, saying, ‘O Lord Almighty, if you will…not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life’” (v. 11 NIV). And shortly after that Samuel was conceived. When you’re willing to make a promise to God that He can hold you to (which is what a vow is), you’re getting serious about prayer. And that’s when God will get serious about your prayer as well! So, “pour out your heart before Him.”

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