A FAITHFUL ROLE MODEL

Introduction Story: “For This Child I Prayed”

In 1997 a new mom held her baby boy for the first time. Filled with joy and thankfulness to God for this wonderful gift, she desired to pray for him consistently. She wanted him to grow up to be a man of God. Well, each and everyday she would pray a prayer for her son using a scripture card book she put in front of the kitchen sink. Some example prayers included: “” She rejoiced when at the age of five her son surrendered his life to Jesus. Yet, as he grew, the boy’s mom could tell he was not living a “Christian life”. She knew something wasn’t right in his life but could never tell what it was.

Unknown to the mom, the boy struggled with doing things his way… He was deceiving… Just some of the things he did included steeling things from school, selling fake drugs to kids at school in order to gain a profit of money, lying and cheated his way through school, participating in secret online addictions that know one knew about accept him. But, in the midst of his rebellion, he had a mom who fought her battles in prayer. She continually prayed those prayer cards for her son everyday and even prayed for her son at other times throughout the days of his life. She did all of this while her son drifted further and further away from God.

It wasn’t until the boy’s junior year of high school that the mom’s battle in prayer was won. Her son’s whole world was taken out from underneath his feet and in his lowest point, he returned to God. He repented of his sin and desired to recommit his life to Jesus.

This mom was thrilled! This motivated her to pray even more for her son asking that God use him in ways she couldn’t imagine. She watched as her son grew in Christ and took steps to grow. He desired to learn more about the Bible and teach it. He desired to tell others about Jesus so he took mission trips to Chicago, Florida, California, and Russia. Because of this mom’s prayer this boy desired to devote himself to the ministry by being a youth minister. And today because of this mom’s prayer that boy is now speaking in front of you telling you this story.

My mom is a faithful role model to me in my life. Her devotion to fight battles in prayer ultimately paved the way for me to get back on the right track with God. Without her prayers, I don’t know if I would be with you here today.

Transition:

In 1 Samuel, we see another Faithful Role Model and I think it would be wise if we all learned from her. Hannah in this chapter struggles with sorrow, but shows her faithfulness to God through her prayer, surrender, and praise. It would be wise if we did the same.

It Is Okay To Grieve (1 Samuel 1:1-8)

1 Samuel 1:2 CSB

“He had two wives, the first named Hannah and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.”

Yet Elkanah (Hannah’s Husband) loved Hannah more than Peninnah (v3-5)

1 Samuel 1:6–8 CSB

“Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving. Year after year, when she went up to the Lord’s house, her rival taunted her in this way. Hannah would weep and would not eat. ‘Hannah, why are you crying?’ her husband, Elkanah, would ask. ‘Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons?’”

Not only is Hannah upset she can’t have a baby, she is also being made fun of for not having one.

Illustration:

Have you ever been upset about something in your life and at the same time had others made fun of you for it? Imagine you didn’t make the team you desire to be on. You would be crushed. Yet, now imagine that others on the team consistently make fun of you for not being on it. This would not feel good.

Application:

How does Hannah Respond? She cries… What can we learn from Hannah? When life is hard, its okay to grieve.

Devote Yourself To Prayer (1 Samuel 1:9-20)

1 Samuel 1:10 CSB

“Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.”

What does Hannah do in response to her hurt? PRAY

But I want you to notice something else about her prayers. Read verses 12-18,

What does Hannah’s health condition look like while she prays. Does the passage say anything about how long she must have prayed?

1 Samuel 1:12–18 CSB

“While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her mouth. Hannah was praying silently, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, ‘How long are you going to be drunk? Get rid of your wine!’ ‘No, my lord,’ Hannah replied. ‘I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord. Don’t think of me as a wicked woman; I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.’ Eli responded, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request you’ve made of him.’ ‘May your servant find favor with you,’ she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.”

Explanation:

Question 1: What does Hannah’s Health Condition look like while she prays?

She looks drunk, raggedy…

Question 2: Does the passage say anything about how long she prayed?

Verse 12 “She continued praying” in verse 18 it says “Then Hannah went on her way; she ate”. We know she was continuing in prayer and we know it must have at least skipped one meal if not more. This was not just a 5 min prayer before bed time. No she was so devoted to prayer she skipped meal times.

Devote Yourself To Prayer (1 Samuel 1:9-20)

When is the last time you skipped a meal to continue a prayer you’ve been praying?

Hannah is so devoted to prayer she is willing to give up food!

Application:

My question to you is this: How devoted are you to prayer? How often do you pray? Do you truly desire to talk to God more than just for five minutes a day?

Transition:

Now, in verse 20 God is going to give Hannah a son.

1 Samuel 1:20 CSB

After some time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.”

Why did God answer her prayer with a “Yes”? You might ask, “Bro Josh, How do we get God to answer our prayers with a Yes all the time?”

The truth is we don’t know why God said yes for sure. God isn’t a genie in a bottle. You can’t just ask God for a Nice truck and then the next day you get it.

So why Hannah? Is it simply because she was devoted to prayer? I would argue no… I think it was a combination of her devotion to prayer and her motivation in her heart.

Hannah was not just wanting things from God for herself, but she wanted things from God to please Him. This is the 3rd thing we can learn from Hannah.

Surrender Your Life To God (1 Samuel 1:21-28)

We know Hannah was devoted to prayer, but do you know WHAT Hannah prayed? Look back at Verse 11

1 Samuel 1:11 CSB

“Making a vow, she pleaded, ‘Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.’”

She prayed and promised to surrender her son to the Service of God. Let’s see if she followed through.

1 Samuel 1:21–22 CSB

“When Elkanah and all his household went up to make the annual sacrifice and his vow offering to the Lord, Hannah did not go and explained to her husband, ‘After the child is weaned, I’ll take him to appear in the Lord’s presence and to stay there permanently.’”

Explanation:

What’s she doing?! Did she not make a promise to give her boy back to service for God? It seems now that she is taking it back by not taking him to the tabernacle for worship.

In reality, she wasn’t gonna drop off a baby boy at the steps of the church… She fed him, raised him until he was old enough to eat solid food.

1 Samuel 1:24–28 CSB

“When she had weaned him, she took him with her to Shiloh, as well as a three-year-old bull, half a bushel of flour, and a clay jar of wine. Though the boy was still young, she took him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh. Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli. ‘Please, my lord,’ she said, ‘as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked him for, I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.’ Then he worshiped the Lord there.”

Explanation:

She followed through on her promise to God. She was willing to surrender to God the very thing she so desperately desired. Yes, She loved her son, but she loved God more!

Application:

Would you be willing to surrender the thing you love the most on this planet, for God? You might ask, “Bro Josh, what is the gain in that?”

This is where the forth thing which Hannah Teaches us comes into play.

When Joy Is Found In Surrender, Praise God (1 Samuel 2:1-10)

Hannah finds Joy in Surrender!

1 Samuel 2:1 CSB

“Hannah prayed: My heart rejoices in the Lord;”

The weirdest thing happens when someone surrenders what they love to God. It may feel like you lost something at first, but it somehow turns into something you have gained.

Argument:

Have you ever heard the saying, “It is better to give than to receive?”

Have you ever given someone something you treasure for yourself?

Illustration:

Playstation 2: I gave it up when I didn’t want too but once I did, I felt joyful that I did.

As it turns out it makes since this saying is true because its a bible verse

Acts 20:35 CSB

“‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

When you give to God especially if its something dear to you, the joy recieved is something more than can be described in words. This is why Hannah starts praising God after surrendering her Son to God.

1 Samuel 2:2 CSB

“There is no one holy like the Lord. There is no one besides you! And there is no rock like our God.”

Application:

When you surrender to God what you desire the most, you become joyful! Therefore, Praise him in Song, Prayer, and in conversation.

Yet, there is still one final thing we can learn from Hannah.

Be Watchful For God’s Blessings (1 Samuel 2:11-26)

1 Samuel 2:18–21 CSB

“Samuel served in the Lord’s presence—this mere boy was dressed in the linen ephod. Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife: ‘May the Lord give you children by this woman in place of the one she has given to the Lord.’Then they would go home. The Lord paid attention to Hannah’s need, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.”

Because of Hannah’s devotion to prayer, her willingness to surrender to God, and her joyful praise, she now was watching for blessings.

She received two kinds:

God blessed her with more children

Hannah got to witness her son Samuel grow in favor with God

1 Samuel 2:22–26 CSB

“Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He said to them, ‘Why are you doing these things? I have heard about your evil actions from all these people. No, my sons, the news I hear the Lord’s people spreading is not good. If one person sins against another, God can intercede for him, but if a person sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?’ But they would not listen to their father, since the Lord intended to kill them. By contrast, the boy Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.”

In the midst of a sinful world, Hannah got to see her son Samuel be light in darkness and grow in favor with God and others.

Conclusion:

When you allow yourself to grieve, devote yourself to prayer, surrender to God, Praise Him, and then Watch for His blessings, He will bless you:

Even if this blessing is not material (such as a new truck, or better boyfriend/girlfriend) the blessing you may receive could just simply be the amazing work of God around you.

Will you be willing to follow Hannah’s lead? Take a moment to think and pray through these two things:

If you are deciding to surrender to God for the first time, please talk and pray with a leader. We would love to walk you through how to start this journey for the first time.

If its not your first time to surrender to God, what have you learned from Hannah that you can apply to your life?