Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.13UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.07UNLIKELY
Fear
0.17UNLIKELY
Joy
0.57LIKELY
Sadness
0.55LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.65LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.71LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.42UNLIKELY
Extraversion
0.23UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.96LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.48UNLIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
OPENING
Last week, we introduced the concept of POWER ENCOUNTERS.
We did so by looking at Matthew 11:12.
We defined POWER ENCOUNTERS as the ongoing conflict between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness.
The Kingdom of God “suffers violence” as the kingdom of darkness wages war against us and tries to keep us from advancing.
However, we are the “violent” that “take it by force” by forcefully pushing back against the kingdom of darkness.
Last week, we “took it by force” by serving an eviction notice to the forces of darkness and letting them know that they have no spiritual authority over our lives.
This week, we are going to learn how we can continue to push back against the kingdom of darkness on a daily basis.
We are going to talk about prayer and what it means to be PRAYER WARRIORS.
In honor of Mother’s Day, we are going to look at one of the most powerful prayers recorded in the Bible that came from the heart of a mother; the prayer of Hannah.
SCRIPTURE
MESSAGE
What is Prayer?
Prayer is:
Talking to God.
Direct contact with God.
The primary way for believers to communicate and fellowship with God.
Prayer can be:
Audible or silent,
Private or public,
Formal or informal.
Prayer is:
Addressed to God the Father,
In the name of Jesus, and
Through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We pray to:
Communicate with God.
Praise and glorify Him.
Tell God how much we love Him.
Make our petitions and requests to God.
A Prayer Warrior is:
Someone who is committed to fighting spiritual warfare through prayer.
Someone who is not afraid to forcefully advance the Kingdom of God against the forces of darkness.
Someone who fights their battles through prayer.
The Example of Hannah
In 1 Samuel Chapter 1, we see an example of a prayer warrior.
We are introduced to a Levite by the name of Elkanah and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.
In Verse 2, we find out that there is trouble in paradise.
As with every other polygamous relationship in the Bible, there were problems.
In this case, it started with the fact that Peninnah had children, and Hannah did not.
Hannah greatly desired to have children, but the Lord had closed her womb.
We are told that they traveled as a family every year to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifices to God.
Every year, Hannah watched as Elkanah gave portions of the sacrifices to Peninnah and her children to eat.
Every year, Elkanah gave Hannah a double portion because he was trying to show her how much he loved her despite her barrenness.
He even tried to comfort her by saying, “Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
How many know that was the wrong thing to say?
None of these things that Elkanah did helped Hannah’s situation or how she felt.
It actually made things worse because they were just constant reminders of her barrenness.
And on top of all this, the other wife Peninnah took every opportunity to rub it in her face.
She provoked Hannah and intentionally made her life miserable.
Her time in Shiloh worshiping and sacrificing to God should have been a time of great joy and celebration for Hannah.
But she was so miserable and heartbroken that she couldn’t eat and enjoy herself.
She could only weep and grieve over her situation.
But there was something different about this year.
This year Hannah got up after the meal and decided to go to the Tabernacle.
She knew that the Tabernacle was the place where she could find the presence of God.
She decided that she was going to take her petition and plead her case to the Lord in prayer.
The Heart of Prayer
Hannah’s prayer came from the heart.
Hannah Prayed with a Honest Heart
Hannah came to God in prayer in “bitterness of soul.”
She didn’t try to hide her feelings or pretend to be someone she was not.
She was just brutally honest with God.
She had years of pent up hurt and frustration and probably a little bit of anger too.
She prayed to God and “wept in anguish” and cast all of her burdens on the Lord.
Do you know that you can be honest before God in prayer?
You don’t have to come to God pretending to be someone that you are not.
You don’t have to pretend to be stronger than you are.
You can come to God with all your questions, all of your suffering, all of your pain.
You can cast your cares upon the Lord because He cares for you!
Hannah Prayed with an Earnest Heart
Hannah made a solemn vow to God.
She told God that if He would give her a son, she would separate him as a Nazarite.
Typically a Nazarite vow was only taken for a certain amount of time.
Here Hannah shows the earnestness of her prayer by telling God that she will dedicate him to the service of God as a Nazarite all the days of his life.
First, let me caution you about making rash vows to God.
The Bible warns us against making vows and not keeping them.
The Bible says it is better to not make a vow to the Lord than to make one and not keep it.
The Bible also tells us that if we do make a vow to God, we better keep it.
But notice what Hannah is willing to do in order to see her prayer answered.
She is willing to give up the very thing she is asking for and dedicate it back to God.
She is essentially saying that she will give the child back to God.
Just the pleasure of having the child is all she needs.
She is willing to dedicate the child completely to the Lord for His service.
We should pray to God earnestly.
God doesn’t want to hear your empty claims.
How many people do you know have prayed something along these lines, “God if you answer may prayer, I’ll be in church every Sunday…I’ll read my Bible every day…I’ll pay my tithes.”
And how many of those people do you know followed through with their end of the bargain?
Be earnest in your prayers to God.
Hannah Prayed with a Fervent Heart
Hannah prayed fervently.
Fervent means “passionate” or “intensity.”
Hannah was praying so fervently in her heart, with so much passion and intensity, that her lips were moving, but no sound came out of her mouth.
Eli thought she was drunk.
How unspiritual was he?
He was unable to discern that she was engaged in deep, heartfelt prayer.
Hannah protests:
What Eli though was drunkeness was actually fervent prayer.
The Bible says that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
In other words, fervent prayer is effective prayer and effective prayer changes things!
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9