Prayer That Changed a Nation

1 Samuel 1:8–18 KJV 1900

8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons? 9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. 11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head. 12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. 15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. 17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. 18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

When God Calls

A Prayer That Changed the Nation

Text: 1 Samuel 1:9–18 (KJV)

Main Idea

God can take a surrendered prayer from a broken heart and set in motion His plan for an entire nation. Hannah teaches us that when we approach God with humility, appeal to Him with honesty, and yield to Him wholeheartedly, the Lord gives peace before He gives provision. When God calls us into a new season, He often begins by calling someone to pray in a way that changes them first, and then changes the nation after them.

Introduction

Series Outline

Week 1: Formed with a Future (Psalm 139:8-13)

Week 2: A Prayer That Changed the Nation (1 Samuel 1:9-18)

Sermon Illustration: “The Envelope in the Drawer”

There was a church that began renovating an old office. It was one of those old churches where you can still smell the wood in the cabinets and see the fingerprints of years of ministry on the doorknobs. In the bottom drawer of a heavy filing cabinet, someone found a sealed envelope. It was yellowed with age, with one line written in careful handwriting: “Do not open until you have to.”

They carried it into the fellowship hall and set it on a table like it was a fragile piece of history. A few folks laughed it off at first, but nobody rushed to tear it. Something about that sealed envelope made people think about the things we hide from each other; the prayers we whisper when we cannot find words for our pain, and the burdens we carry that never make it into a testimony service.

When they finally opened it, there was no money, or land deed. There was only a single page with a mother’s prayer written in trembling ink: “Lord, give me a child, and I will give him back to You. If You will raise him up, use him to bless Your people.” Tucked behind that prayer was a small program from a service decades earlier where a young man had preached his trial sermon, and on that program was the note: “Today, the Lord answered my mama.” The envelope was not holding paper. It was holding proof that one surrendered prayer outlives the moment and keeps working long after the tears dry.

The Setting of Our Text

Our chosen text is a pivotal one because it sits at the turning of the ages, when Israel is moving from the days of the judges toward the days of the kings. The nation has not yet demanded a monarch, but the spiritual drift that will produce that demand is already present. Judges ends with the painful refrain that “every man did that which was right in his own eyes,” and it records a repeated cycle of sin, suffering, supplication, and salvation that left the people unstable and often unfaithful.

Now we enter a season where Israel is worshipping at Shiloh, but the worship life of the nation is weakening. Leadership is compromised, discernment is dull, and the people are increasingly drawn to the patterns of the surrounding nations. In the chapters to come, they will demand a king so they can be “like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:5). Yet before God ever answers the nation publicly, He begins His work quietly by raising up the prophet who will speak His Word, confront sin, and anoint kings.

We engage a text where a faithful and godly man, Elkanah, is leading his family as best he knows how, and his beloved wife Hannah is crying out to God for a child because she has been barren for the duration of their marriage. Her pain is intensified by the taunting of Elkanah's second wife Peninnah.

However, Hannah's prayers rise above the noise of a troubled culture and reach the throne room of God and stand in holy contrast to the stench of sin and apostasy spreading through the nation. While the nation is drifting, one woman is praying. While leaders are losing sensitivity, one worshipper is pouring out her soul. While the culture is loud with rebellion, heaven is moved by quiet faith.

This is how God often works when He calls. He does not always start His next chapter with a headline. Sometimes He starts it with a handmaid at an altar. Sometimes He starts it with tears on a temple floor. Sometimes, He starts it with a prayer that nobody applauds, a prayer that gets misunderstood, a prayer that looks weak to people but sounds mighty in the ears of God.

Beloved, do not miss the grace in this moment. Hannah does not merely want a baby. God is preparing a prophet. Hannah is asking for a son, but God is shaping a nation. What looks like a private request is about to become a public rescue. What feels like a personal burden is about to become a national breakthrough.

So as we walk into 1 Samuel 1:9–18, I want you to watch what happens when desperate faith meets a faithful God. Watch what happens when a woman rises up from the table and goes to the altar. Watch what happens when she pours out her soul before the LORD. Watch what happens when she walks away with peace before she ever holds a promise in her arms.

Because the same God who heard Hannah is still hearing His people. And if God is calling us into a new season, then somebody in this house must be willing to pray the kind of prayer that changes more than a moment. Somebody must be willing to pray a prayer that changes the nation. Hannah's prayer was for something that would impact generations, not just a moment.

I. Approach God in Humility (1 Samuel 1:9–10)

Hannah’s first movement is not outward; it is upward. Before she ever speaks to Eli, before she ever receives a blessing, before her situation changes at all, she makes a humble approach toward God. The passage shows us that nation-changing prayer does not begin with public platforms. It begins with private posture.

A. Hurt While Others Are Happy (1 Samuel 1:9)

1 Samuel 1:9 KJV 1900

9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

The Bible says, “So Hannah rose up… after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh” (1 Samuel 1:9). Everybody else has finished the meal. The household has participated in the worship rhythm. The table has been served. The portion has been given. The laughter and conversation are still hanging in the air. But Hannah stands up, because there is a hunger in her that food cannot satisfy.

Do not miss the tension of this moment. Shiloh is the place of worship. Shiloh represents the place of peace. Yet Hannah is sitting at a table in a place called peace while her soul is unsettled. That is a real picture of church life. You can be surrounded by worship and still be weighed down by worry. You can sit among people who are smiling and still be silently suffering.

Sermon Illustration: A young couple who went to a Sunday celebration when the church was doing baby dedications. The sanctuary was full of proud parents, tiny outfits, cameras flashing, and a choir singing about the goodness of God. People were hugging in the aisles, laughing in the lobby, and talking about how fast children grow. That couple smiled, shook hands, and sat through it all with respectful joy, but something in their eyes kept drifting toward the floor.

After service, they slipped away before the crowd reached the doors. The husband said, “Pastor, we always leave early on days like this.” His wife stood quietly, then she finally whispered the truth, “I did not come today because I was jealous. I came because I needed faith.” Then she told the minister that while everybody was clapping, she walked into an empty classroom, knelt by a little chair, and prayed, “Lord, let my heart stay soft even when my womb stays closed.” Months later, they brought in a picture of the child they began fostering, and on the back was a note in a teenager’s handwriting that said, “Thank you for praying for me before you even knew my name.” You can clap on the outside and be cracked on the inside.

But Hannah does something wise. She does not let her hurt make her hard. She does not let her pain turn into bitterness against God. She rises up. In other words, she refuses to stay stuck at the table when her answer is not at the table. She moves from routine religion to reverent pursuit. She makes a humble decision that says, “I cannot fix this, but God can.”

Application: When you hurt while others are happy, do not isolate in pride. Instead, practice withdrawal, worship, and waiting. Withdraw from distractions, worship with sincerity, and wait with expectation.\

Are you praying for something that will impact generations or just moments?

Cross-References (KJV):

Psalm 55:22 “22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

Psalm 121:1–2 “1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, From whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth.”

1 Peter 5:6–7 “6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Psalm 46:1 “1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”

Matthew 11:28 “28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

B. Humility Is Deeply Felt (1 Samuel 1:10)

1 Samuel 1:10 KJV 1900

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

Look at the narrator description, “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.” (1 Samuel 1:10). Hannah is not performing and she is not posturing. She is not trying to look strong for anybody in the room. She is deeply burdened, and she is deeply honest.

Notice the order in the text. Her bitterness does not turn into a fight, it turns into a prayer. That is humility. Humility is not pretending you are fine. Humility is bringing what is real in you before the God who is able to heal you. Humility is when you stop defending yourself and start depending on the Lord. Hannah’s tears become her testimony before she ever speaks a word.

Some of us have been trained to hide what is heavy. We know how to keep it together, but we do not know how to pour it out. Yet Hannah shows us a better way. She does not deny the wound. She directs the wound. She takes the ache of barrenness, and she lays it at the feet of the One who opens and closes the womb. She takes the sting of taunting, and she places it into the hands of the One who judges righteously.

Beloved, hear this carefully. There is a difference between bitterness that poisons you and bitterness that pushes you. Bitter pain can either make you mad at God, or it can make you run to God. Hannah chooses the altar over the attitude. She chooses prayer over pettiness. She chooses humility over hopelessness.

Application: If you feel that deep ache today, practice honesty, helplessness, and hope. Be honest about where it hurts, admit you cannot heal yourself, and hold on to hope in the LORD.

Are you praying for something that will impact generations or just moments?

Cross-References (KJV):

Psalm 34:18 “18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Psalm 62:8 “8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, Pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”

Psalm 51:17 “17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Hebrews 4:16 “16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Philippians 4:6–7 “6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Transition: Hannah’s humility is not passive. It is active faith. When humble hearts approach the LORD, they do not merely feel pain, they begin to form petitions. And that leads us to what Hannah does next.

II. Appeal to God in Honesty (1 Samuel 1:11–16)

If humility is the posture that brings Hannah to the altar, honesty is the pouring out that keeps her there. In these verses, Hannah does not hide behind religious language. She tells the truth about her affliction. She tells the truth about her longing. She tells the truth about her intentions. And her honesty becomes the channel through which God begins a work bigger than her own home.

A. Dedication to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:11)

1 Samuel 1:11 KJV 1900

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head.

The Scripture says, “And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”

Hannah does not merely ask for a son. She makes a solemn vow. She is saying, “Lord, if You give, I will give back.” That is not manipulation, that is consecration. She recognizes that anything heaven sends carries heaven’s claim. If the gift comes from the Lord, then the gift belongs to the Lord.

And notice how specific her dedication is. “No razor… upon his head” points us toward a Nazirite-like separation, a visible devotion that marks a life as set apart for God’s purposes. Hannah is not praying for a trophy, she is praying for a testimony. She is not asking God to satisfy her ego, she is asking God to shape a servant. She is not trying to keep the blessing for herself, she is positioning the blessing for the glory of God.

Application: Real honesty in prayer includes surrender. If God gives you what you desire, you must decide what you will do with what God delivers. Practice consecration, commitment, and compliance. Consecrate what God gives, commit it to His use, and comply with His will even when it costs you.

Are you praying for something that will impact generations or just moments? Cross-References (KJV):

Numbers 6:1–8 “1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord: 3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. 4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. 5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no rasor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. 6 All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no dead body. 7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head. 8 All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.”

Judges 13:5 “5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

Romans 12:1 “1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Psalm 24:1 “1 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein.”

James 1:17 “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

B. Desperation Before the Lord (1 Samuel 1:12–16)

1 Samuel 1:12–13 KJV 1900

12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

The Bible says, “And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth… Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard” (vv. 12–13). Hannah is praying so intensely, yet so quietly, that Eli notices her lips moving and misjudges her devotion. That is what desperate prayer can look like. It is not crafted for applause. It is between a wounded worshipper and a holy God. She is pleading her case before the Lord intensely.

Sermon Illustration: Years ago, a man sat in a hospital waiting room while his family tried to keep conversation going around him. Nurses walked past. People offered polite words. His hands were clasped so tightly that his knuckles stayed white, and his lips moved every few seconds like he was whispering to himself. One nurse finally leaned in and said, “Sir, are you alright? Do you need something?” He nodded, but he did not explain. He just kept moving his lips, and the nurse walked away, assuming he was in shock.

Later that night, after the doctor reported that the surgery had turned a corner, the same nurse returned and found a folded piece of paper under his Bible. On it were simple words written in a shaking hand: “Lord, I do not have the strength to speak this out loud. I am asking You in my heart. Keep my child. Keep my mind. Keep my faith.” Then at the bottom, he wrote, “If You bring us through this, my life belongs to You.” Everybody in that waiting room heard silence, but heaven heard surrender. People saw moving lips, but God saw a poured-out soul.

1 Samuel 1:15 “I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit… I have poured out my soul before the LORD… out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto” (1 Samuel 1:15–16). Hannah is not trying to impress anybody in the sanctuary. She is trying to reach God. Her petition is sincere, and it comes from a deep yearning in her heart. She is not giving God a speech, she is giving God her soul.

Beloved, this is an honest prayer. It is not pretty, but it is pure. It is not loud, but it is loaded. It is not polished, but it is powerful. Hannah teaches us that God can handle the truth, and God can handle the tears. And when you bring the truth of your burden to the throne of grace, heaven hears what earth may misunderstand.\

Biblical Examples of Desperate Prayer

Jacob (Genesis 32:24–30) - Clung to the Lord and would not let go until he received a blessing.

Moses (Exodus 32:11–14, 31–32) - Interceded for Israel after the golden calf, pleading for mercy.

David (Psalm 51:1–12; 1 Samuel 30:6) - Cried out for cleansing and strength when sin and loss crushed him.

Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:14–19; 20:1–5) - Spread the threatening letter before the LORD and prayed when death and enemies pressed in.

Jesus (Matthew 26:36–44; Hebrews 5:7) - Prayed in Gethsemane with deep anguish and full surrender to the Father’s will.

Application: When you are desperate, do not drift from God. Draw near to God. Practice persistence, pouring, and purity. Persist in prayer, pour out your heart, and keep your motives pure, because you are talking to God, not performing for people.\

Are you praying for something that will impact generations or just moments?

Transition: Honest prayer does not end with a vow and tears. God often answers honest prayer by sending assurance. Hannah will leave the altar with peace before she ever holds the promise. And that brings us to the next movement in the text.

Cross-References (KJV):

Psalm 62:8 “8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, Pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”

Psalm 42:1–2 “1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before God?”

Hebrews 4:16 “16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Romans 8:26 “26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Nehemiah 2:4 “4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.”

III. Assured by God in Hope (1 Samuel 1:17–18)

There is a holy shift that happens in these two verses. Hannah walks into the house of worship heavy, but she walks away hopeful. She does not leave with a child in her arms, but she leaves with peace in her heart. God does not always change the circumstance immediately, but He will change the soul that truly meets Him.

A. Peace of God (1 Samuel 1:17)

1 Samuel 1:17 KJV 1900

17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

Eli answers and says, “Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.” That sentence is more than polite conversation.

The Theology of “Peace” (Shalom)

When Eli tells Hannah, “Go in peace,” he is not merely wishing her calm feelings. In the Hebrew world of the Old Testament, shalom carries the idea of wholeness, completeness, soundness, welfare, and settled well-being under the favor of God. Shalom is not the absence of trouble. Shalom is the presence of God’s ordering hand in the middle of trouble. It is the kind of peace that says, “Even if the storm is still outside, nothing is broken on the inside because the Lord is holding me together.”

Shalom is deeply covenantal. It is tied to God’s faithful commitment to His people. That is why shalom can be spoken over a life before anything changes in the visible world. In many places, the priestly blessing includes peace as a gift God gives His people, not something they manufacture for themselves (Numbers 6:24–26). So when Eli says, “Go in peace,” it functions like a priestly release: a word that places Hannah under the assurance of God’s covenant kindness. It is as if Eli is telling her, “Go with the settled confidence that the God of Israel is for you, and He will not abandon you.”

And here is the deeper beauty. Shalom does not always mean God immediately removes the burden. Often, shalom means God restores order to the heart that was unraveling. Hannah is about to walk out carrying the same request, but she will carry it differently. Shalom gives her stability while she waits.

Shalom anchors her emotions.

Shalom strengthens her worship.

Shalom guards her mind until the petition becomes provision.

That sentence is a spiritual release. It is a spiritual release. It is a word of assurance. It is a reminder that the covenant keeping God who has never failed His people through enemies, travels, and troubles will not start failing with Hannah.

Now understand the moment. Eli has been spiritually dull in his discernment, but God still uses him to speak peace to a sincere worshipper. That encourages us, because it means your hope is not anchored in the perfection of people, it is anchored in the faithfulness of God.

Eli does not hand Hannah a baby. He hands Hannah a blessing. And that blessing becomes a bridge between prayer and promise. Sometimes God answers by giving you the peace to keep walking while you wait. Sometimes God answers by settling your spirit so you can endure the season between the altar and the answer.

Beloved, God has a track record. He has been making ways out of no way for a long time. He has opened seas, fed families, sustained pilgrims, and defeated enemies. He has proven over and over again that He is able to do the impossible and provide miracles. So when Eli says, “Go in peace,” he is pointing Hannah back to the history of God’s faithfulness.

Application: When God gives peace, you must learn to live from it. Practice resting, remembering, and rejoicing. Rest in God’s character, remember God’s track record, and rejoice in God’s promises even before you see the outcome.

Are you praying for something that will impact generations or just moments?

Cross-References (KJV):

Philippians 4:6–7 “6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Isaiah 26:3 “3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth in thee.”

John 14:27 “27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Psalm 29:11 “11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; The Lord will bless his people with peace.”

1 Kings 8:56 “56 Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.”

B. Faith in God (1 Samuel 1:18)

1 Samuel 1:18 KJV 1900

18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

Verse 18 says, “And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.” Hannah walks away different. She leaves, and immediately her countenance changes from hurt to hope. She has not yet conceived physically, but new hope has been birthed in her heart.

Notice the evidence of faith. She does not stay stuck in despair. She “went her way.” She returns to life with renewed strength. She “did eat.” The appetite that sorrow stole is restored. And “her countenance was no more sad.” The face that grief bent down is lifted up.

This is what it looks like when a person truly exchanges pain for peace. Hannah is not pretending the problem is gone. She is trusting that God is at work. Faith does not always change your situation overnight, but it will change how you stand in it. Faith lets you keep living without losing your worship. Faith lets you keep serving without surrendering to sadness. Faith lets you walk forward with grace while you wait for God’s timing.

Beloved, there is power in this. Hannah does not walk away with proof. She walks away with promise. She does not leave with a miracle in her body. She leaves with a miracle in her heart. And that is often God’s order. He will give you hope before He gives you harvest.

Application: If you have prayed and you are still waiting, do not go backward. Go forward. Practice confidence, consistency, and countenance. Have confidence in God’s word, stay consistent in worship, and let your countenance testify that God has given you hope.

Are you praying for something that will impact generations or just moments?

Cross-References (KJV):

Romans 15:13 “13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Hebrews 11:1 “1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Mark 11:24 “24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Psalm 42:11 “11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 “7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

Transition: Hannah’s story teaches us that the prayer that changes a home can also change a nation. God met one woman at an altar, and He began preparing a prophet for Israel. The same Lord is still calling His people to pray with humility, honesty, and hope.

Sermon Close

Church, I came to tell you that heaven is still open, and God is still listening. Hannah walked into Shiloh with a heavy heart, but she walked out with a lifted face. She did not leave with the answer in her hands, but she left with assurance in her spirit. And if God did it for Hannah, the same God can do it for you.

So do not stop at the table when you need to get to the altar. Do not let your hurt make you hard. Do not let your misunderstanding make you mute. Do not let your waiting make you weary. Lift your eyes. Lift your voice. Lift your faith. And when you cannot lift anything else, lift your prayer.

Pray until something happens.

Pray until peace moves in, even while the problem stays put.

Pray until hope rises up, even while the tears are still on your face.

Pray until God strengthens you for the journey between the promise and the provision.

Pray until something happens.

Somebody in this house has been carrying a silent burden. Pray until something happens.

Somebody in this house has been misjudged, misunderstood, and mislabeled. Pray until something happens.

Somebody in this house has been waiting on God so long that you have started questioning yourself. Pray until something happens.

And when you pray, do not pray small. Pray surrendered. Pray honest. Pray faithful. Because God can take one praying woman, one praying man, one praying family, one praying church, and He can change more than your situation. He can change the atmosphere. He can change the assignment. He can change the next generation.

So if you need to rise up from where you are, rise up. If you need to come to this altar, come. If you need to pour it out before the LORD, pour it out. And before you see it in your hands, receive it in your heart. Go in peace. Walk in faith. Live in hope. And keep on praying until something happens.

Hymn: I Must Tell Jesus

I must tell Jesus all of my trials, I cannot bear these burdens alone; In my distress He kindly will help me, He ever loves and cares for his own Refrain I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus I cannot bear my burdens alone; I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! Jesus can help me, Jesus alone. I must tell Jesus all of my troubles, He is a kind, compassionate Friend; If I but ask Him, He will deliver, Make of my troubles quickly an end. Tempted and tried, I need a great Savior, One who can help my burdens to bear; I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus, He all my cares and sorrows will share. O how the world to evile allures me! O how my heart is tempted to sin! I must tell Jesus, and He will help me over the world the victory to win.