Don't Speak on it

Intro:

There was a man from Ephraim named Elkanah. He was from the hill country however historical data says he is also of the tribe of Levi. In the beginning of Chapter 1 the Bible states that he has two wives. Hannah and Peninnah. The text them implicitly states that Hannah had no children. Each year Elkanah went up to shiloh were the first tabernacle of the Lord was located and would offer sacrifices to God. He was a devout man and a believer of God. The tension in the text begins with the sacrifice. Elkanah had a small issue in the when he offered to Lord of hosts he did like many of us do today we give our children and family something to put into the collection plate. The trouble was he had two wives, and only one wife had children. So he would give Peninnah and her children a little something something to put on the offering, but Hannah did not have any children. To make up for it because he loved Hannah he gave her a double portion as if she already had a child, but the text says the Lord had closed her womb. Now church can I pause here for a moment just to say that although things in your life seem to be unfair and unequitable does not mean God will not make up the difference! The bible then goes on to say that Peninnah would rub this into Hannah’s face every year that she was without child. Can you imagine going to worship God with someone who illicitly provokes you because they have what you do not have, and can do what it seems like you cannot do? My God the bible says that Hannah was miserable! Let me pause shortly again and say just because some folks don’t treat you right, don’t allow that to stop you from worshipping God! Although she knew Peninnah was going to make fun of her for being barren she still went on the offer her sacrifice, and some of us need to take notice of Hannah’s faithfulness and stop making excuses on why we can’t make it to worship! Touch your neighbor for me real quick and say be committed! and look back them and say Don’t speak on it

Fast and Pray:

The Bible says after Peninnah tormented Hannah that she wept sorely and began to fast and pray. Follow the text now and notice the scenery they were at the tabernacle where the presence of God was in that time, but instead of receiving a blessing she was being tormented. Sometimes it seems like your own family will torment you. Instead of being there for you they remind you what you don’t have. Instead of loving you through they talk about you behind your back and sometimes even in your face! Instead of praying for you and having compassion on you they put you as an outcast by killing you with their mouth. Is there anyone in here know what Hannah is dealing with. If it is not family then sometimes it’s church folk. You come to worship but they have come to gossip. You come to praise but they come to poke fun. You come with an uplifted spirit and it seems like all they want to do is put heaviness on you. I don’t know about you, but I get sick and tired of religious folks and church folks who are more interested in keeping their superiority like Peninnah instead of worshipping like Hannah! Even though I get sick and tired of family sick and tired of church folks, I still have to witness what Hannah did. Hannah instead of popping off and setting it off she did something we all need to learn how to do! She started fasting and praying! The Bible says she refused to eat and was grieved in her heart, but she found herself fasting and praying in Shiloh the place where the presence of God was. She prayed and cried and she cried and prayed until even the Priest couldn’t help but notice her. Can I touch on that a little. I am not saying for you to put on show because Jesus warns us about that, but I am wondering where are the real prayer warriors who don’t mind getting ugly in prayer to get a breakthrough. Who don’t care if folks talk about them I am going to pray anyway. I don’t care if everyone is eating I am fasting for a breakthrough. God is looking for some women some men who don’t mind getting on the altar and crying out to God for a breakthrough! Some of us need to fast and pray, because even Jesus told his disciples in "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." There are times in our lives that we need to mature from popping off, cursing folks out, and acting a fool and learn how to do like Hannah and push back from the table in a fast, and fall down on our knees a pray that God will either change you or change your situation! I come to tell someone here at Wortham this morning that God is about to give you your breakthrough, but it’s time to fast and PUSH Pray until something happens! Somebody high five your neighbor and say PUSH! Push! Push!

The Bible says after Peninnah tormented Hannah that she wept sorely and began to fast and pray. Follow the text now and notice the scenery they were at the tabernacle where the presence of God was in that time, but instead of receiving a blessing she was being tormented. Sometimes it seems like your own family will torment you. Instead of being there for you they remind you what you don’t have. Instead of loving you through they talk about you behind your back and sometimes even in your face! Instead of praying for you and having compassion on you they put you as an outcast by killing you with their mouth. Is there anyone in here know what Hannah is dealing with. If it is not family then sometimes it’s church folk. You come to worship but they have come to gossip. You come to praise but they come to poke fun. You come with an uplifted spirit and it seems like all they want to do is put heaviness on you. I don’t know about you, but I get sick and tired of religious folks and church folks who are more interested in keeping their superiority like Peninnah instead of worshipping like Hannah! Even though I get sick and tired of family sick and tired of church folks, I still have to witness what Hannah did. Hannah instead of popping off and setting it off she did something we all need to learn how to do! She started fasting and praying! The Bible says she refused to eat and was grieved in her heart, but she found herself fasting and praying in Shiloh the place where the presence of God was. She prayed and cried and she cried and prayed until even the Priest couldn’t help but notice her. Can I touch on that a little. I am not saying for you to put on show because Jesus warns us about that, but I am wondering where are the real prayer warriors who don’t mind getting ugly in prayer to get a breakthrough. Who don’t care if folks talk about them I am going to pray anyway. I don’t care if everyone is eating I am fasting for a breakthrough. God is looking for some women some men who don’t mind getting on the altar and crying out to God for a breakthrough! Some of us need to fast and pray, because even Jesus told his disciples in "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." The Bible says that Hannah prayed to God for Him to give her a male child. A male child signifies wealth, stability, and the blessing. She told God what she wanted, and didn’t worry about what she couldn’t do. She then made a vow to the Lord and said if you give me a son I will give him back to you to serve you and no razor will touch his head signifying that he was to observe the Nazarite vow which signified that this son would be anointed prophetically! There are times in our lives that we need to mature from popping off, cursing folks out, and acting a fool and learn how to do like Hannah and push back from the table in a fast, and fall down on our knees a pray that God will either change you or change your situation! I come to tell someone here at Wortham this morning that God is about to give you your breakthrough, but it’s time to fast and PUSH Pray until something happens! Somebody high five your neighbor and say PUSH! Push! Push! Don’t speak on it just PUSH

Silence:

Notice in the text She is fasting due to her pain and anguish of being barren or with no child. Her rival in Peninnah has tormented her because she was barren. Can I get real sometimes folks will dig at you on the places you are barren in your life. Some of us are barren financially. We make bad decisions with our finances and seemingly are always short on money. Many times it’s due to the fact that we don’t honor God first with our finances. I heard some of yall spiritually just then saying Pastor don’t speak on it. Some of us are barren physically, because we don’t eat right, get enough rest, and sure don’t excercise then we have the nerve to say I don’t know why I am sick or why my back hurt or why my knee hurt you know why because you are not doing right with your body. I know I hear yall don’t speak on it. Some of us are barren spiritually because we focus too much on the physical or pleasing our flesh. We indulge in entertainment, we watch every show, every soap opera, by all the new music, do all the new dances, but we can’t pray our way out of a wet paper sack. We don’t study to show ourselves approved of God and we are barren spiritually! We have to remember in the text that the book says God had shut her womb. She didn’t do anything wrong God was just saving it for the right time. Matter of a fact God loves using barren people to produce the Promise! Sarai was barren and Rachel was barren, but out of their seed came the promise of God. Matter of a fact some of you all need to realize right now that just because you are barren in an area of your life does not mean that God is not going to turn it around and use you to bless the whole nation!

But But But pause for a second and follow me because I am about done. The text says that the Priest Eli was sitting watching Hannah as she prayed. Notice what the text says. She prayed with her heart! Listen don’t miss this. She was crying on the inside and her lips were moving, but she didn’t speak on it! She prayed so long and so hard, but nothing was uttered from her lips! She prayed so hard until Eli though she was drunk, but I just wonder if I can two or three people to agree with me that sometimes I can’t say out loud what you are praying for! Sometimes you just need to be quiet. Sometimes we try to put things into eloquent words and sound all deep when all we need to do is pray within our hearts until our lips may move but there is nothing but SILENCE! She prayed so that finally the priest prophetically tells her that whatever you are asking God for He is going to give it to you! Some of us need to learn how to be quiet and sincerely ask God for what we need in our hearts. We need to do something that religious folks, traditional folks, and church folks don’t know how to do and that is be quiet! The priest told her to go in peace and she got up and ate some food. In other words when she got the word she was good! She still didn’t say a word, but she heard what she needed to hear. Then the tears dried up, and her countenance changed back to normal, because she knew that God was about to do it. I came this morning to tell somebody here today that out of your silent prayer God is about to take your barren situation and give you overflow! Because in the 19th verse the text says that God remembered her and in the process of time she conceived and bore a son! Don’t miss your shout church Not only is God going to bless you, but God is going to anoint your blessing so that your blessing will be a blessing! But don’t give up when your haters bash you don’t give up when it seems like you are barren, don’t give up when you pray and folks think you are drunk, don’t give up when enemies laugh at you, don’t give up! and Don’t speak on it! Because you were quiet! Because you fasted and prayed God is about to turn your circumstances upside down! If you are looking for God to something miraculous in your life won’t you help me prophecy to two or three people and say Don’t speak on it just pray on it!