The Hannah Principles of Motherhood

1 Samuel 1-2

Intro: What’s our expectation for our children: Leonard Ravenhill, great 20th century revivalist - My mother was a singing mother. Every day as she carried me in her womb she sang and prayed for me. She and Granny, who lived next door to us, prayed together about the child that was to be born. An amazing thing happened two hours—not two months, not two weeks, not two days—after I was born. I was in a prayer meeting. My mother told me twenty years after, ‘‘When the midwife went out, I reached over the bed and laid my hands on you and just prayed, ‘Lord, make this boy a preacher or don’t let him live.’

This may be a bit extreme, but I feel that sometimes our goals for children have been reduced to getting them out of high school and living on their own without too many BIG mistakes.

Hannah

Intro: Application exist in this case not only for mothers, parenting, but Christian living in general. We want to focus not on each of Hannah’s specific actions today but instead the principals that lie therein. I’m sure some of you have days where you wish you could just bring your child here and let the church raise them for you seven days a week. Spiritual boarding school if you will.

· The Story – Elkanah, Hannah, and Peninnah, Eli, Samuel

Turn them over to God first not last. (1Sa 1:10-11)10She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.

11 She made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head." Conventional thinking tells us that we turn to something almost as a last resort. Idea A isn’t working turn to Idea B. I remember a member of a previous church I was pastoring that emailed me and said I’ve been trying to raise my child right for years now I just have to turn him over to God, first not last. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding

Give thanks to the Lord – Hannah - 1 Samuel 2:1-2 Then Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

2 "There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. not just birth, but continually, children are joy, they should be the object of our continual celebration. Though much of it may be with a hint of cynicism or a little tongue and cheek. In our society we complain far too much about the challenges of raising children, forgetting that they are the greatest blessing that God might give to us. Psalm 127:3-5 Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. 5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;

Teach them about the Lord – Could add spiritual disciplines prayer, bible reading, tithing what else? Hannah - (1Sa 1:24-28)24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh, although the child was young.

25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli.

26 She said, "Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the LORD.

27 "For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him.

28 "So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there. (1Sa 1:24-28)Children make note of our priorities more than we do. Actions, priorities, What do we miss church for? Our children are making a mental checklist of what we miss church for and taking note of where church falls in our priority list. Do they know what it looks like to see us pray in our homes? Can they quote movie lines more than scripture? Do we hear them singing secular music more than Christian music? Take them to the house of the Lord. Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; Bringing them under Godly teaching, and modeling Christian living as one of the greatest things that we can do for our children.

Blessing, Hannah 5 children later (1 Samuel 2:21) God always multiples that which we offer up to Him.

Close praising mom – Sharing a few tips and lessons from scripture, but also no one I have more grace and patience for than a mother.

Video