1Samuel 1:9-18
"Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him" (1Sam. 1:17b).
Praying Through to Assurance
Written by: Duane Brush
(Editor of Word Action)
What a change a night of prayer can make. Earlier Hannah was praying in "bitterness of soul"(v.10), and her tears flowed freely; she would vow anything, even a son, if she would be so blessed. After the prayer, her appetite was restored and" her face was no longer downcast" (v.18). What happened?
Through Eli, God had spoken words of assurance (v.17). This is an example of what some call "praying through." Some have had a busy day, or a night of sleep, interrupted by a strong sense of urgency to pray for a particular need or person, only to discover later that it was at that moment prayer was most needed. Hannah must have prayed before, but that night there was a desperate urgency that drew her to the Lord's temple. Her anguish and grief quickly disappeared, like water poured on desert sands. The answer had come, the burden was gone, God had spoken, and it would be done.
The Holt Spirit can give us this assurance. The very desperation that drives us to God in fervent prayer may be God's method for strengthening our faith and preparing us for the answer that is already on its way.
Until we care enough to keep on asking, we cannot be trusted with God's answer (W.E. McCumber).
Word Action
No comments:
Post a Comment