390 - Hannah's Prayer

390-Hannah's Prayer#

390-Hannah's Prayer

(JP Text Group - Shalom Organization)

201101Hannah's Prayer.mp3

The topic we are sharing is: Hannah's Prayer

1 Samuel 1:10-20

10 In bitterness of soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. (13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard; Eli thought she was drunk.) 14 And he said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine!” 15 “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. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 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.

19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

Let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you for your grace. We come before you. You provide for us during this time, filling our hearts with faith to pray. No matter what we encounter, we believe you can remember Hannah and also remember us; you are the God who accomplishes all things. We wish to pour out our hearts before you, believing that you will fulfill our requests in the best way. Bless every brother and sister who comes before you, that they may receive your provision and come to know you more. Bless the following time, we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.

What is the difference between the prayer of this woman named Hannah and that of others? Let’s first look at the background of this story, 1 Samuel 1:1-3:

1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord.

This is the background of the story at that time. There was an Ephraimite named Elkanah who had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Hannah was very sad because she had no children, and her position in the household was precarious; people around her mocked her. Her rival often ridiculed her for not having children, which made her very uncomfortable.

Every year they went to Shiloh to worship God, which was a custom in Israel. Adult men and women were required to go to the temple to worship God three times a year. Hannah went every year, but even after going, she still carried her sorrow in her heart. Although her husband loved her and treated her well, she still longed for a son. So after completing the worship this time, she prayed alone in the temple.

Sharing point one: Hannah prayed to God in her situation, no longer looking at her environment.

For some reason, there had been no record of such a thing for many years, but this time it was recorded that after worship, Hannah prayed to God. She decided to change her way of life, perhaps deciding to rely on God this time, no longer looking at her environment or what her rival said.

1 Samuel 1:9-11: After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.

This indicates that their worship of God at that time was not like ours, which lasts for an hour; it could last several days, sometimes about a week. After worship, they would eat and rest there overnight, continuing to worship God the next day, which took a long time. This time it was recorded that after eating and drinking, Hannah went alone to the Lord’s temple to pray. At that time, the priest was Eli, who was sitting in his place watching everyone who came in to pray.

Verses 10-11 say,

Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

In the Old Testament, if someone had a matter to pray about, they could make a vow to God. This is somewhat different from the New Testament. In the New Testament, God tells us His promises and desires, allowing us to claim them by faith; whereas in the Old Testament, a kind of agreement was reached between God and man. At this moment, what was Hannah’s prayer? She said: I have no son; if you give me a son, I will dedicate him to you as a Nazarite, so that he will belong to the Lord for his whole life.

Because it specifically mentions that no razor will ever be used on his head. Where is this scripture found?

Numbers 6:1-5:

1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a Nazarite vow (Nazarite means to be set apart for the Lord), to dedicate themselves to the Lord, 3 they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as they remain under their Nazarite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins. 5 ‘During the entire period of their vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long.

Do you see? Isn’t it very similar to the vow that Hannah made today? In fact, Hannah’s prayer to God was: If you give me a son, I will let him be a Nazarite. Here God has regulations; if you want to dedicate yourself to the Lord, you must live according to God’s way. Since you want to dedicate him to God as a Nazarite, it is not up to you how to do it; you completely hand this child over to God to take care of, and the priest will take care of this child. Making a vow in the temple must also be in accordance with the Lord’s will; in the Old Testament, this is how people made vows.

A Nazarite means set apart. Nazarites are a group of people who voluntarily dedicate themselves to God as holy. Whether male or female, anyone who wishes to dedicate themselves to God for a certain period or for life is a Nazarite. Nazarites have very strict prohibitions, three of which are:

First, they must not eat the fruit of the vine or any related products made from grapes. This is to ensure they live a holy life and not be influenced by wine, whether it is fermented or unfermented. Because if they drink this wine, they can easily become intoxicated and unable to discern God’s will, even making mistakes.

Second, they must not cut their hair. The hair on their heads must grow long without being cut, to ensure they live a holy and witnessing life. Therefore, when a Nazarite goes out, they will always be different from others. So everyone can see that this is a Nazarite; through what they eat and their hairstyle, it is clear they are different people. There are some people in the world who believe in other religions, and through their clothing or even their hair, you can tell which religion they follow. Nazarites are easily recognizable because they have very strict regulations.

Third, they must not come near a dead body. To ensure they live a holy and self-denying life, they must be clean; therefore, they are absolutely not allowed to come near any dead body.

Being a Nazarite is not simple. Although these three regulations may seem easy on the surface, in practice, they are quite difficult to follow because they cannot enjoy the various delicacies made from grapes like ordinary people. In Israel, they mainly drink wine or eat things made from grapes, and there are many things they cannot touch, and they cannot follow the trends to do what they like. They cannot cut their hair. There are many things they cannot touch, and even when a close relative dies, they cannot come near. All these are regulations for Nazarites who are set apart for God.

Their lifestyle is stricter than that of priests. There are two types of Nazarites: the first type is temporary, lasting from one month to seven years. Once dedicated, they cannot go back on their word. For example, once a vow is made before God, it cannot be revoked the next day.

When we pray to God, we should have this kind of faith; once we pray, it should be settled. We cannot pray one way today and change it tomorrow, saying, “Lord, that way didn’t work yesterday; I should change my way of praying to you.” Do not do this; do not change your goal or method every day.

Before God, we should say, “Lord, I wish for you to accomplish this matter for me. Please help me, give me strength and wisdom to achieve it.” Just pray for this matter and do not change it! If we treat our relationship with God in the same way as a Nazarite, many things will become very simple.

For example, for those who serve full-time today, they are dedicated to God for life, which is very similar to being a Nazarite. Some people serve as temporary volunteers for a month, while others serve before the Lord for a few years, which is somewhat like being a Nazarite. But it is essential to firmly establish one thing in our hearts: once we reach an agreement with God, we must not change our commitment. If we change this commitment privately, we will also doubt whether God’s words are also subject to change.

Although God is unchanging, if our hearts are constantly changing, doubts will arise. Therefore, before becoming a Nazarite, one must think carefully; once the vow is made, it must be fulfilled. This temporary Nazarite was exemplified by the Apostle Paul; lifelong Nazarites include those dedicated to God from the womb or shortly after birth.

The Bible records three examples: Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist, all of whom were Nazarites. When we pray to God, we are essentially telling Him our thoughts, and once we say it, we should not change it. God is an unchanging God, and we should pray likewise, Amen.

What kind of determination have you made before God? I do not expect you to change it every few days. First, we must be trustworthy people to fully understand that God is trustworthy, Hallelujah! In the last days, too many people do not keep their word, and it is difficult for them to believe God’s words. We must cultivate a habit of being trustworthy; if we make a promise to others, we must fulfill it. If we cannot do it, we should not promise; that is reasonable.

Hannah cannot say, “Now that I have no son, I will tell God that if you give me a son, I will let him be a Nazarite.” Once the child is born, she cannot say, “Lord, I cannot bear to part with this one son…” This is also unacceptable. In the last days, many people are deceitful, and they overturn what they said before; there are too many such people, and it is difficult to receive anything from God because they have developed this habit. Hannah was serious in her heart; she thought very clearly that she wanted to dedicate her child to God and made such a vow. She was determined to fulfill it.

1 Samuel 1:12-14:

At that time, the priest was Eli, who was a lifeless priest. How does the Bible describe Eli? In 1 Samuel 3:1-2,

1 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place.

This is how our God evaluates Eli. Although he was a priest, in God’s eyes, he was just an old man whose sight was failing and could not see clearly. Not being able to see clearly, brothers and sisters, indicates that Eli’s heart was not close to God, and he was unclear about many of God’s intentions. As we continue reading 1 Samuel, we understand that later God had to use the boy Samuel to deliver prophecies. Why? Because Eli could not hear!

What does this indicate? Even those who serve the Lord, if their hearts are not in God’s work or if they have other thoughts, even if God gives them a message, it is hard for them to hear.

From the perspective of believers, if one is thinking about all sorts of chaotic plans and ideas, even when praying before God, it is difficult to accept the thoughts God gives you. Therefore, when we come before the Lord to pray, we must pour out our hearts and set aside all our thoughts, seeking God’s truth to guide us. Although Eli was the priest at that time, the word of God was very rare, and there were not many visions. It was not that God was unwilling to give them visions; it was because Eli and his children had already lived contrary to God’s words, causing many to lose faith.

From Hannah’s prayer, it can be seen that Eli was really incompetent. Hannah was very troubled in her heart and prayed continuously before the Lord. Eli looked at her and wondered what she was doing. Why were her lips moving without making a sound? What did Eli think? He thought she was drunk, which indicates that Eli often did such things. Do you understand? A person’s thoughts are often reflected through their lips and eyes. When Eli saw Hannah praying like this, he assumed she was drunk without even asking her, saying, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine!” Brothers and sisters, if you were Hannah, you would surely feel hurt. The pressure and exclusion from her family were already very painful, and now she came to pray to God, and the priest did not understand her and even accused her. What should she do? Many people would leave the temple with resentment, not explaining anything to the pastor, just leaving, and no one would know what had happened.

Brothers and sisters, if Hannah had focused on people, she would have completely lost faith this time. Because the shepherd had no spiritual insight and did not understand her inner sorrow! Others pray, and he thinks they are drunk. The good thing is that Hannah did not get angry; she explained her true situation to Eli.

1 Samuel 1:15-16:

15 Hannah replied, “Not so, my lord. 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. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

Do you see? Hannah always regarded herself as a servant, as God’s maidservant. She came to pray before God, and although Eli was very incompetent, she did not despise Eli or look down on him; she still addressed Eli as “my lord”: “Not so, my lord.” She told Eli what was in her heart.

In the church, whether between pastors and believers or between believers, or even further, between believers and non-believers, if there can be such patience to sit down and communicate, many hurts can be avoided! Unfortunately, many times, between pastors and believers, a single word from the pastor can upset the believer, causing them to become hurt and not return, leading to resentment, saying that the pastor is not a good person, and they will pray, “How can you say I am drunk?” This shows a lack of spiritual insight. If this is the case, her bitterness will only increase. Hannah did not get angry; after being misunderstood by Eli, she explained her situation to him.

Sharing point two: We believe that the Lord’s words will surely be fulfilled.

For ordinary people, if the pastor does not believe in himself, it is hard for us to believe what he says afterward. Have you noticed that this is how relationships work? When someone hurts us, regardless of whether what they say afterward is right or wrong, our instinctive reaction is to think they are not telling the truth, viewing them through colored glasses. But Hannah was not like this; we should learn not to be disturbed by external environments but to pray to God, believing in His words. Just after their misunderstanding, Hannah sincerely told Eli her situation, and after Eli understood her situation, he spoke the following words to her.

1 Samuel 1:17-18:

17 Eli said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him!” 18 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.

Interestingly, just a moment ago, Eli misunderstood her, thinking she was drunk and scolding her. After Hannah explained her situation to Eli, he spoke God’s words to her, “You can go in peace. May the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him!” If you have already determined that the pastor has no spiritual life and cannot even see this matter, can what he says be fulfilled? If you have such a mindset, it will be hard to receive this promise later. When interacting with others, this point must be remembered! It is very important; even if this person’s behavior does not meet your standards, if what comes out of their mouth is the truth, you still have to believe it, Amen.

At that time, Eli said, “You can go in peace; God will surely grant you what you have asked for.” Hannah was very happy to accept this blessing: “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Hallelujah, this is a dialogue between people of God!

Those who are obedient are always blessed, Amen. Even if someone has bad habits that we do not like, we believe in God’s words. We cannot say that because of one person, we will no longer go to this church, no longer believe in this pastor, and no longer believe in God; that is our own loss!

Hannah believed that what Eli said to her was God speaking to her, and she accepted this blessing. When Paul went to preach in a place, the believers there believed that the one preaching was not Paul but God speaking to them through Paul. After listening to Paul’s preaching, the people carefully discerned with the Bible whether the message was true or not, and they fully received it; this is the church of Elijah.

It is interesting that these people were all blessed. Hannah believed in the words of God that came out of Eli’s mouth, even though he misunderstood her, and others said his situation was not good, but she believed, and that was enough. Hallelujah! After hearing this, Hannah believed that it would come to pass! How do we see this? She went and ate, and her face was no longer downcast. This is belief!

What is faith? The definition of faith is found in Hebrews 11:1: Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

What we hope for is the thing we desire, and assurance is to see the result. What is faith? It is the result of what you want to see; although it has not yet appeared, you can already see it. This is faith. Hannah wanted a son; although she did not have a son yet, after Eli spoke this word to her, she felt as if she already had a son and was no longer troubled. Assurance about what we do not see means that even though we have not seen the result, we believe it has already been accomplished, and assurance means it will be fulfilled 100%, Amen!

Before the matter is accomplished, because God’s words have said this to me, I believe it will be fulfilled 100% without any doubt. The Bible has many such examples; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all experienced such events, and we should believe in this way. Take Abraham as an example; because of his faith, he believed that the promise God made to him was true. He also wanted a son, and God said, “Your offspring will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.” Abraham believed, and this is faith.

Although he did not see his children multiply like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore during his lifetime, he still believed that God would surely accomplish this! Hallelujah, it is a wonderful thing; Abraham’s life was filled with such great faith. Therefore, whatever God said to Abraham, he immediately acted upon it. He did not wait to see results before acting; he acted because God’s word said so, believing he would see results! I wish brothers and sisters would have this heart when praying before God! When God says it, it will surely be fulfilled; we must believe this. When we pray to God, we are entrusting the matter to Him, so do not carry any sorrow; believe that this matter will surely be accomplished, Amen.

Matthew 21:21: Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.”

Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. The disciples were amazed when they saw Jesus speak to the fig tree, and it withered at the roots. They wondered, “Your faith is so great! Can we do such things?”

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth,” hoping that you would have such faith in God and not doubt! Many times, we doubt because we focus too much on the problem. Some people pray for a while and see no results, and they begin to doubt. The reason for doubt contains disbelief. If you believe, you will not change or waver regarding the outcome!

If it is not time, just wait and wait until the time comes, and the result will appear, Amen! It is interesting that when people doubt, they are prone to make other decisions; this is the worst outcome of doubt. When you start to doubt God’s words, you will begin to think of other ways, right?

Going back to the beginning, Adam and Eve, the devil deceived Eve like this: “If you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” What she did not understand was that God had already given her this promise; she already had the image and likeness of God. It was because she doubted God’s words that she took the devil’s way, thinking that by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she could achieve the result of knowing good and evil, when in fact, it was unnecessary! God had already given her the best discernment! Amen.

When we pray before God, we must have this faith, entrusting the matter to God. What does it mean to entrust? It means to completely hand it over to Him, without worrying about whether it will succeed or when it will succeed. Many times, we want to know the result too much; after you hand it over to God, it is better to quietly wait with hope.

How does the Bible describe having faith? It is like a farmer who plants seeds in spring and waits for the harvest season to come. You cannot plant seeds one day and dig them up the next day to see if there has been any change. If nothing has changed, you dig them up again the third day; you will find that nothing has changed because you have delayed their growth and germination!

We are too anxious, constantly digging up the seeds we have sown, only to find that they cannot sprout. After leaving them in the soil for a while, they will sprout! Too many people lack the patience and heart to wait; they are too anxious! To be honest, God blesses us according to our faith. Many spiritual blessings are received by faith! Jesus told His disciples, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours!” Previously, Jesus said not to doubt, Amen.

After Hannah prayed, some doubted her prayer, saying, “You are drunk,” but Hannah did not doubt. After the priest Eli spoke a blessing to her, she completely believed it, and thus her face was no longer downcast! This matter was already settled in her heart; it was accomplished! She just needed to wait for the time to come, Amen!

We can receive God’s blessings and live with hope; this is the mindset. Do not worry about what will happen tomorrow; God’s promises will surely be fulfilled! No one and nothing can hinder God’s blessings from being accomplished in our lives, Amen.

Mark 9:14-19:

14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” 19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

This situation involved a boy possessed by a mute spirit, which tormented him, throwing him to the ground, making him foam at the mouth and gnash his teeth; the boy was emaciated. The boy’s father brought him to Jesus’ disciples, but they could do nothing. What happened next is worth our caution! After the disciples prayed, they found nothing happened, so they stopped and began to argue with the teachers of the law, discussing what was going on with the boy.

Isn’t this deviating from the topic? Because when you are working for the Lord or praying, there may indeed be teachers of the law appearing around you, who do not do the right thing but like to debate with you: “Let’s discuss whether your prayer aligns with our orthodox doctrine.” If they come at you like this, you cannot pray, and your faith will be disrupted.

What should you do when encountering such people? Never stop your work to debate with them like Jesus’ disciples did; do not give them that opportunity. Jesus came and did not debate with them, right? Just keep your focus on God, hold onto God’s words; if this matter has not been accomplished, just continue to pray, and do not engage in meaningless debates with others.

Continuing to read Mark 9:20-27:

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

Through this scripture, I want to talk about how to draw on faith. This person was possessed by a spirit, and when Jesus arrived, the spirit acted out, throwing the boy into convulsions, rolling on the ground, and foaming at the mouth; the situation was dire! Jesus did not say, “This is so serious!” and did not describe the problem. We should not do such things either. Especially when praying, do not describe your dire situation; God knows! Just tell God the result you want, pray with faith, and it is enough to pray with God’s promises!

Do not say, “Lord, he has been tormented by this spirit since childhood.” Start describing what happened to him from zero years old until today, how many times the spirit has tormented him! Do not do such things; this is not God’s promise, and there is no need to say it. Jesus asked, “How long has he been like this?” The father replied, “Since childhood, the spirit has often thrown him into fire,” but Jesus did not ask him that!

The man said, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Jesus’ words to him are also what we need to receive. Jesus said to him, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.” Many people may not understand this; they think that if we have faith, we can do anything. That is not the case; although this topic is correct, it does not mean that we can cast out demons only if we have enough faith or that we can accomplish something only if we have enough faith.

In fact, this faith is something everyone can possess. What Jesus meant to express is that in the original text, this scripture refers to faith not as having enough faith to cast out demons, but whether you believe that Jesus can do all things! When can we have faith that Jesus can do all things? We often have many things we cannot do, right? If you have faith that Jesus can do all things, you will accomplish everything; we can never do everything.

What faith do we have? We believe that Jesus can do all things; that faith is enough. Is this faith something everyone can have? As long as you believe in Jesus, the more you know Jesus, see what Jesus has done, and understand Jesus’ authority and power, you will believe that Jesus can do all things; reaching this faith is sufficient! Right?

There are some things we cannot handle; when we come before God to pray, we say, “Lord, I believe you can help me accomplish this matter. I believe you will give me wisdom, strength, and authority to achieve this matter; having this faith is enough!” At any time, believing that Jesus can do all things is sufficient. Can Jesus heal you? Can Jesus solve your current problems? If your answer is yes, and definitely yes, then that is enough; then just wait in peace and see how this matter changes, and do what you need to do; that is enough!

When people do not believe that Jesus can do all things, they often want to mix in their own efforts to help God accomplish something, and often when people try to help God, problems arise. For example, God had already promised Abraham that only what came from him would be called his offspring, and God was very clear! Sarah waited and waited, and seeing that it was not working, she thought, “If I do not put in some effort, Abraham’s body is not working anymore,” so she came up with the idea of having Abraham have a child with her maid Hagar, to have a child in her name, to accomplish God’s will in this way.

What was she worried about? She was worried that God’s words might not come to pass! We have all said this big promise; if it does not come to pass, a lot of people will laugh at us! It is better to take advantage of the opportunity now and get this matter done so that when others ask, we can say we have a son!

It was precisely Sarah’s doubt and her interference that caused very serious consequences later! To fully believe that God can do all things means not to add your own cleverness to God’s words. Focus, attention, and wisdom should be placed on God’s words; listen more to God’s words, and communicate and pray with God, letting God tell you how to do such things; that is enough!

The father of the boy possessed by the spirit, upon hearing Jesus say this, exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” This is enough; having such faith is sufficient! How did Jesus handle this matter? Jesus made a declaration: “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!” This ended the matter. Many people complicate the casting out of demons and healing, thinking they must fast for three days and three nights or pray for forty-nine days; they cannot do so much! By the time you finish fasting, you may not even know what happened; you might be too weak to stand.

It is very simple, right? Jesus said, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!” Jesus’ words have authority; the spirit shrieked, convulsed the boy violently, and came out. It is clear; after coming out, the boy might have been exhausted from being tormented by the spirit for a long time, looking like he was dead. Looking like he was dead does not mean he was dead; the crowd did not even discern; at least they could have touched him to see if he was breathing. They just assumed he was dead. This is the nature of unbelievers; this is the nature of doubters.

Because people like to look at superficial phenomena, just like Eli; he looked at Hannah and said, “Why are you praying with moving lips but no sound? You must be drunk.” Do not judge others based on these superficial things; sometimes it is very inaccurate. Jesus had restored the boy, but those around him, seeing him, said, “He is dead.” This is actually doubt and unbelief, completely opposite to Hannah.

Hannah heard the words and blessings of God spoken by Eli, immediately believed, seized it, and no longer doubted! Her face was no longer downcast! This matter was accomplished! Brothers and sisters, regarding the boy possessed by the spirit, regardless of what others said, Jesus did not doubt; He took the boy by the hand, lifted him up, and he stood up. As a result, everyone saw it; therefore, when you pray to God about something, you must be determined in your heart, do not change every day; if you do, your faith will waver.

When we are weak, we should return to God’s words and hold onto His promises! When the environment is dire, we still believe that God’s promises will surely be fulfilled. Of course, after praying, it does not mean doing nothing; if Hannah wanted to have a child, she must do something, right? After praying, Eli gave her a word, and God’s promise was given to her; shouldn’t Hannah do something? Many people stop here, saying, “I have prayed to God; I do not need to do anything else.” Even if you wait two years, you will not have a child.

How to do things? Let’s look at 1 Samuel 1:19-20:

I often tell everyone to hold onto God’s promises and live accordingly, to pray to God. Hannah also prayed and happily received the priest’s blessing before the Lord, then worshiped and went home. When she got home, it was time for her to act; God had already told her that this matter would be accomplished, so shouldn’t Hannah do something? Do not believe those who say you only need to pray and do nothing else; you will not see anything.

After Hannah returned home and lay with her husband, God’s promise came to pass; the Lord remembered Hannah. Many people pray and stop there, thinking that God can accomplish it, so they just wait happily. After waiting for a year or two, they find nothing has happened. This is because they lack that important part; they did not act! Amen. After we pray to God, we must do what we need to do; pay attention to the changes in the people and environment around you; God has already begun to work! Hannah became pregnant.

It is not over yet; when the time was fulfilled, we cannot say that after Hannah lay with her husband, she complained every day, “Why hasn’t the child been born? Why hasn’t it been born? I am so anxious; why hasn’t it been born?” The time has not yet come! Why be anxious?

Many times, people are too anxious. What does the Bible say? When the time was fulfilled, she gave birth to a son. When we encounter any matter, we need to pray to God. When praying, do not recount your old grievances; tell God what result you want, hope for what God will accomplish, and hold onto God’s promises when praying. God has this promise; when you pray to God, do not doubt; this is equivalent to God speaking to you, right? Just like Eli spoke to Hannah! God spoke to you; you hold onto this word because you once told me such a promise. Therefore, I take this promise and pray to you, believing that you will surely accomplish what you said because you are a faithful God.

After praying, if you still doubt and worry, this is a common human state. It cannot be said that after praying once, you will not doubt again. Some people will worry, will be anxious, and even will doubt. What should you do? Please continue to pray! Some people ask me whether to pray once or multiple times. The Bible also says you should pray continually. But you also say that after praying once, if you believe, you do not need to pray again. How should it be? Do not get caught up in such rules; do you understand?

If you have a matter you expect God to accomplish, pray about it, and if you still worry in your heart, please continue to pray until you no longer worry or feel anxious, Amen. This is the meaning of praying continually. Because God knows our weaknesses and understands our worries; He is compassionate towards us. Jesus prayed continually; He was willing to have this beautiful communication with the Father, Amen.

We particularly hope that God will accomplish this matter. If we occasionally lack faith, we become anxious and worried; we should pray more before God, draw on His promises, and believe in His promises, so we will no longer worry, and the effects of faith will manifest! Therefore, the focus is not on the number of times but on when you no longer doubt; when your heart is free of sorrow, you can act with faith, doing things with faith and rest. Hallelujah.

After praying, being assured that God has accomplished it, you will find many ideas will come to you, and you will joyfully be able to do something, thus accomplishing the matter, Amen.

When encountering matters, we should pray to God; this is the meaning of praying with faith. Do not get caught up in certain rules, saying, “I have already prayed three times; do I lack faith?” It is not important; what is important is that after that prayer, your heart is enlightened, realizing how much the Father loves you; that is wonderful! You will no longer worry about this matter! That is enough, Amen. After that, your prayers of gratitude will certainly be more and more, right? Jesus often shared His matters with the Father, not because He wanted to ask the Father for something, but because He was willing to communicate with the Father!

Thank the Lord; if you can experience such miracles, signs, and God’s great power many times in your life, you will be particularly willing to pray continually, and your faith will grow larger, Amen. I hope today’s sharing can bring some help to everyone.

Let us pray together

Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for Hannah’s prayer, which teaches us not to look at the environment or the evaluations of those around us at any time; we believe in God’s promises. Your promises are for me, and they are written in the Bible to be fulfilled in my life! You have placed the beauty of all things in this world to serve us, allowing us to witness the beauty of Christ through these matters and to spread the gospel, testifying to the beauty of Christ!

As the new week begins, I believe the Holy Spirit is with me; He will remind me of God’s words. In life, I will not look at people, nor will I place my focus and all my expectations on people; I will solely look to the grace of Jesus Christ! I believe you are the Lord who loves us, and the blessings you give us cannot be taken away by anyone! I believe you can do all things; you will surely lead me into abundance and let me see your great and wonderful power! In this week, I look forward to good things happening, and I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.

Finally, let us do a blessing prayer

In the name of the Lord Jesus, I bless everyone. As the new week begins, wherever you go, the blessings in Deuteronomy 28 will be fulfilled in your lives! You will be blessed when you go out and when you come in; our Lord will bless the work of your hands! You will not borrow from others but will become a help to many! The Holy Spirit is with you, giving you wisdom, love, and strength, allowing you to be a blessing to many in your life! I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!