Category: Whispers and Shouts

1 Samuel 2:1,2,8-10 (NIV)
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
    for I delight in your deliverance.
2  There is no one holy like the LORD;
    there is no one besides you
there is no Rock like our God.
8  He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap
he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor…
9  He will guard the feet of his faithful servants…
It is not by strength that one prevails…
The Most High will thunder from heaven…
He will give strength to his king
    and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

“It is the Most High who will thunder from heaven when his kingdom comes – ultimately in Jesus. Now Hannah has seen and experienced that it is the Lord in his kingdom who thunders louder than any storm in our lives.  And Hannah’s experience of God’s kingdom went beyond her. As she caught a glimpse of the King Jesus to come. She was part of that kingdom coming in her generation as she offered herself to the Lord as his servant. Her life is a testimony and an invitation to us also to pray.” [Adapted from Brenda’s message.]

Prayer: Jesus, we rejoice in you! There is no other rock. We are your servants. We pray for others to realize their need for you and to receive your kingdom invitation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Let’s worship to “House of the Lord” by Phil Wickham (click here).

-AS

1 Samuel 1:17-18 (NIV)
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

“We might expect the order here to be
1. Hannah prays
2. Hannah gets pregnant
3. Hannah is joyful, and the storms of her life dissipate.
But something different appears in the story. Instead of the order listed above, we find
1. Hannah prays.
2. Hannah is joyful.
3. Hannah gets pregnant.
The order of events is not empty! Hannah found joy and deep faith as she found her deepest needs met in God. Faith-filled Hannah has found a source of joy and security greater than her hope of sons: God Himself!” [Thomas, Heath and J.D. Greer. Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel.]

“This is the blessing that we experience when we pray like Hannah prayed. In our need and our poverty, as we come to God, we are brought into his kingdom. This is ultimately of greater value. This does not mean that our needs are ignored or bypassed for he is our loving heavenly Father. But in the bringing of our needs to him, we first and foremost experience that which is greater – God and his kingdom – just as Jesus promised we would.” [Adapted from Brenda’s message.]

Prayer: Father, thank you for giving us your kingdom. In you, there is fullness and joy. May your kingdom come and your will be done. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Let’s worship to “Set My Heart” by Vertical Worship (click here).

-AS

1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV)
11 And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

“…Hannah offers to give back to God any son He gives to her. The detail about no razor touching the boy’s head shows that Hannah is invoking what the Israelites called ‘Nazirite’ vow. Her son would leave the family to serve in the temple of God…In other words, when Hannah makes this Nazirite vow for her son, she renounces everything that would have been valuable about having a son!” [Thomas, Heath and J.D. Greer. Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel.]

“She is saying – whatever God gives to her in response to her request will be for him and his kingdom alone.  This only makes sense if she has been before the LORD, in his presence. She has already seen and received something of greater value – God’s very presence and love. There is no one besides him. She was lifted up into his kingdom. And her life was thus surrendered to God and his kingdom.” [Adapted from Brenda’s message.]

Prayer: Lord, before you, in your presence, I joyfully surrender to you. You alone are worthy. In response, I offer myself and give back everything to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Let’s worship to “No One But You” by Hillsong Worship (click here).

-AS

1 Samuel 1:9-10 (NIV) – Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up… In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.

“Verse 9 contains the turning point of Hannah’s story, but it is a subtle turning point. In fact, a casual reader is liable to miss it altogether: ‘Hannah got up.’ This is not merely a superfluous detail, as if the author were saying Hannah finished her meal and got up to walk into the living room. No, the Hebrew word for ‘got up’ indicates decisive action…Hannah stood up resolved and made a choice…What had just changed? What had Hannah resolved to do?” [Thomas, Heath and J.D. Greer. Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel.]

“In v. 9 and 10 – she stood up and began to pray. She is still in deep anguish and weeping bitterly but now it is no longer internal only. She is praying to the Lord. As she prayed, Hannah came to understand that she was before God – in his presence and there was no one besides him that mattered. Before the Lord, in his presence, she poured out her soul. The storm that was inside her heart no longer remained inside. The bitterness, anguish, and grief were finally poured out – before the Lord.” [Adapted from Brenda’s message.]

Prayer: Lord, you invite us to come to you. Before you, in your presence, I pour out my soul. You are all that I need for my current situation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Let’s worship to “Draw Me Close” by Michael W. Smith (click here).

-AS

Let us read aloud the following together,

Matthew 5:3-10 (NIV)
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

1 Samuel 2:8 (NIV)
8 He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor.
“For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s;
    on them he has set the world.”

Prayer: Jesus, I am poor in spirit. I realize my need for you. Those who come to you in this way, you do not reject. You raise the poor and lift the needy. You seat them with princes and have them inherit a throne of honor. Thank you for inviting us into this blessing. You have given us the kingdom of heaven. May we live in all the blessings of the kingdom of heaven today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Let’s worship to “Mercies (New Every Morning)” by Matt Redman (click here).

-AS