The Missing Peace

Praying with Purpose

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Jason Bradley (Host), Nadine Joseph-Collins PhD

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Series Code: TMP

Program Code: TMP000009A


00:33 Hello and welcome to The Missing Peace.
00:36 My name is Jason Bradley
00:38 and our primary host for this program is
00:40 Dr. Nadine Joseph-Collins.
00:41 Dr. Nadine hails from the island of Saint Lucia,
00:44 she is passionate about prayer
00:46 and has been empowering the prayer lives
00:48 of people around the world,
00:50 Dr. Nadine is an Author, Speaker and affiliate
00:53 of Sanare Life Ministries
00:55 where she works alongside her husband, Nyse Collins.
00:59 Dr. Nadine is going to make our prayer lives go, "Wow!"
01:02 But before she does,
01:03 let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
01:06 "Dear Heavenly Father,
01:08 before we begin to open your Word
01:12 and discuss different prayer topics...
01:15 and prayer strategies and tips
01:18 Lord, we ask that you would please be with us
01:21 and send the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and direct us,
01:24 in Jesus' name we pray, amen. "
01:26 "Amen. "
01:27 What is our topic for today?
01:29 Today we'll be looking at the topic,
01:31 "Praying with Purpose"
01:32 because purpose is referred to as that sense of resolve...
01:38 or having some sort of determination... right,
01:41 and purpose is also the reason why something exists...
01:45 why it was created...
01:47 or why something is done
01:49 so, being able to learn how we can actually pray with purpose
01:53 with that kind of determination, with that resolve...
01:57 praying with... with the ideas in our minds that
02:01 "Hey, I am here for a reason
02:03 but I'm also sending up these prayers for a reason
02:05 is something that's important to us.
02:06 Okay.
02:08 I believe... and E.M. Bounds who is a prolific writer on prayer,
02:12 he says that the definite and direct utterance
02:16 of one who knows that they have the ear of God
02:20 and that God has the willingness
02:22 as well as the power to grant the petition...
02:24 that's how he speaks about praying with purpose
02:27 so we know for sure that we have the definite ear of God
02:30 and we know also that God has the willingness...
02:34 and when I look at the Bible, somebody whom I see...
02:37 who went to God... many...
02:39 there are many instances in the Bible
02:40 where we can find really good prayer examples
02:42 but somebody who would fit into that sort of description
02:46 where, you know, that person prayed with determination
02:49 or knew that they had the ear of God
02:51 and God will be willing to answer them... is Hannah.
02:53 Okay.
02:55 And, you know, in her stories in 1st Samuel...
02:57 we pick up her story there
02:59 and if we knew anything about her story...
03:01 just in its basic sense,
03:03 Hannah was married to Elkanah
03:05 but she was one of Elkanah's wives,
03:09 he also had another wife,
03:11 now, the other wife, Peninnah would bear children
03:14 but the Bible says, "Hannah had a barren womb"
03:18 and so, we could imagine at the time
03:21 in Hannah's societal context,
03:23 in fact, in the Old Testament in general,
03:25 every time it speaks of a woman who couldn't bear children
03:28 or a woman whose womb was shut... or was closed...
03:31 or couldn't bear children...
03:32 people would probably look down at that person
03:35 because in the Old Testament
03:36 it was saying, "Woe unto the barren womb... "
03:39 I really thank God though that in the New Testament,
03:41 Paul said something different
03:43 because in the New Testament, he actually says,
03:46 "Woe unto them who have suckling child in this generation. "
03:49 But back then, it wasn't the case,
03:52 just the fact that Hannah couldn't have children
03:54 must have been... something that you're embarrassed for
03:57 she must have felt like a societal outcast
03:59 she may have also had a low self-esteem
04:02 because, here I am, I'm with my husband
04:04 he has another wife, she is having children
04:07 every year she's probably having children
04:10 and I am here, I can't have any children
04:12 so, Hannah may have felt rejected
04:14 and, of course, Peninnah used that to taunt Hannah.
04:20 Oh, oh, that's messed up.
04:22 Well, I'm sure it was, right,
04:23 so she taunted Hannah
04:25 so, every time she'd be throwing words at Hannah
04:27 and, of course, you could imagine her pregnant
04:29 going with her belly and pushing it forward and stuff
04:32 because Hannah can't have children
04:33 and I'm sure, as a woman,
04:36 I'm certain that would hurt Hannah a lot
04:38 and the Bible says, Hannah was indeed hurt
04:40 because Peninnah made her life miserable.
04:42 I don't think there was probably a day
04:44 that Peninnah did not remind Hannah
04:46 that she couldn't have children.
04:48 Wow!
04:49 You see, and so, she was going through that kind of story
04:52 and part of the reason, I think, Peninnah would have even used
04:56 the insult and add injury to it
04:59 is the fact that Elkanah... the Bible says,
05:03 loved Hannah more.
05:04 Oh... so she was jealous.
05:07 She was also jealous of Hannah, so the thing is that
05:12 the Bible says that three times a year
05:14 Elkanah would probably go to the temple,
05:16 that was his custom
05:17 so we see here... a home that seemed to be unhappy
05:20 but yet still it was a Godly home
05:22 because this man was still devoted
05:25 in his practices toward God
05:27 and so, every year when they would go
05:30 and they would have to bring in their lambs
05:32 what happened? They would offer up their sheep
05:34 and then, a goat or lamb whichever
05:37 and the breast and the right thigh would go to the priest
05:40 and then the fat would be burnt to the Lord
05:42 and then the rest would be eaten by the family.
05:44 Now, usually, the Bible says
05:46 the older son would get a double portion of that
05:49 but guess what Elkanah did with that double portion?
05:53 What he did with that chunk of what was brought home?
05:56 What?
05:57 He gave that double portion to Hannah...
05:59 even though the custom was to give it to... let's see...
06:03 the firstborn son... because he did that
06:06 because he wanted to appease Hannah.
06:09 The Bible says he loved her so much
06:12 he wanted to appease her
06:13 and just imagine she still cried and she still complained...
06:16 and she was still hurt...
06:17 so he said to her, "But, Hannah, aren't I enough for you?
06:22 Am I not worth more than ten sons to you?"
06:24 And she said, "No... "
06:25 So you could imagine maybe he himself felt a little bad
06:28 because he does not even know how to appease his wife,
06:31 he's trying to reassure her,
06:33 "I know you don't have kids for me
06:34 but that has not taken away anything from you
06:39 it hasn't made me love you less, in fact, I love you more
06:42 and that's why I demonstrated my love for you
06:44 by giving you that double portion. "
06:45 But Hannah still wasn't pleased
06:47 and I think one day Hannah broke...
06:49 Hannah snapped...
06:50 because Hannah went to the temple
06:52 the Bible says and she began to talk to God
06:56 she was speaking to God for probably such a long time
07:00 that the Priest Eli walked in there...
07:02 he wasn't hearing her words but he saw her...
07:05 her mouth moving... so probably there's lisping and so on
07:09 and he thought to himself,
07:10 "This woman must be a crazy woman... "
07:12 but Hannah didn't care if the priest thought she was crazy
07:16 because Hannah was there for a purpose,
07:18 she had a determination...
07:20 that day she went there to get some resolve
07:22 and she stayed there
07:24 and she spoke to God desperately crying,
07:26 if fact, if you look at verse 10 to 11
07:28 in 1st Samuel chapter 1, you have it there where
07:33 Hannah was in deep anguish and she cried bitterly
07:36 and prayed to the Lord and she made a vow
07:39 and she said, "Lord Almighty,
07:40 if you will only look on your servant's misery
07:44 and remember me, and not forget your servant
07:47 but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord
07:51 for all the days of his life,
07:53 and no razor will ever be used on his head. "
07:56 So, there she made a clear covenant with God.
08:00 So, there are many times, we're speaking to our Viewers,
08:03 there are many times somebody might feel left out...
08:06 I don't know if you know what it is to feel left out
08:08 or to be left behind or to be left alone
08:11 but many people go through these situations,
08:14 I remember, one situation where...
08:17 when I was in my late teens and so on
08:19 after I had graduated from High School,
08:21 most of my friends who graduated that very same year
08:23 went off to college,
08:25 some came back home and I was still home...
08:26 I worked for nine years before I actually went to college.
08:31 Wow! you worked for nine years?
08:33 Nadine: Yes. Jason: Wow!
08:35 So, for a long time, I was there feeling left behind
08:38 because I could not afford to go to school
08:41 and people were going
08:43 and so, Hannah is here in a situation
08:44 and many of our Viewers are there in their own situations,
08:47 feeling left behind
08:48 because everybody in their age group
08:50 seemed to be married but they're single...
08:52 Hmmm...
08:53 Everybody who is promoting marriage seem to be having kids
08:55 but they're struggling to even get pregnant,
08:58 people are struggling probably to get a home
09:00 and they're seeing somebody else
09:02 may have more than one home,
09:03 so we have people who are feeling left behind
09:05 in so many ways and they're struggling,
09:07 and Hannah is one of these people,
09:09 so, Hannah's prayer had purpose... it had direction...
09:13 it had determination...
09:15 she wanted something done... she wanted a boy child...
09:17 Hannah was so bold
09:20 that she risked being called "drunk" by the Priest,
09:23 she really didn't care and if we look at verse 14 there
09:27 he actually asked her, "Must you come here drunk?"
09:30 And he asked her to throw away her bottle.
09:34 That's how much the priest thought that she was drunk
09:38 but the thing is, I think Hannah had reached breaking point...
09:40 Yes.
09:41 She had that experience,
09:42 they say, "The straw that broke the camel's back... "
09:44 I think that day, she had that experience
09:47 and that experience was enough for her...
09:49 she was at the end of her rope
09:50 and she wanted God to do something now
09:52 before she took matters into her own hands
09:55 and so, that's why we see that sort of purpose...
09:57 that sort of determination... that sort of resolve...
10:00 "I need an answer to this prayer Lord... and guess what?
10:02 If you bless me with this boy,
10:04 I'm going to give him back to you. "
10:05 Yes.
10:07 So she was just willing to give God back that child
10:09 and I thought to myself,
10:10 "Wow! was Hannah just trying to get... "
10:13 you know she wanted to get pregnant
10:14 but for it to be a testimony...
10:16 one that God really answers prayer...
10:17 for it to be a testimony, maybe to her husband that
10:20 "I know you love me but maybe you think I can't get pregnant
10:22 but I will show you that God can do it. "
10:25 Or even to Peninnah and people in her society
10:27 to say, "Hey, God does open the womb that is shut... "
10:30 So, she may have had her own reasons
10:32 by the end of the day,
10:33 we see a woman praying with purpose...
10:36 determination...
10:37 so when Hannah and Eli
10:39 eventually got into the discussion,
10:41 Hannah actually explained to him what was going on...
10:44 she revealed her secrets... she opened her heart to him
10:49 and in verse 15 to 16, she said to him,
10:52 I could imagine her saying, "Pastor... "
10:54 He was a priest... but "Pastor...
10:56 I'm a woman who is deeply troubled...
10:58 I have been... I have not been drinking wine or beer,
11:02 I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.
11:04 So, do not take your servant for a wicked woman!"
11:07 Right... "But I have been praying here
11:09 out of great anguish and grief. "
11:11 Hmmm...
11:13 So, she's just letting him know the feelings that were inside
11:16 and why she was doing what she was doing...
11:18 she wanted him to know how desperate she was
11:20 for God to bless her
11:21 and many of us... we have situations to pray about
11:24 but we're not desperate enough for God to bless us
11:27 but Hannah's example is saying,
11:29 "Listen to me... I'm, tired, I'm at the end of my rope
11:31 and I want God to bless me. "
11:33 You remember Jacob...
11:34 One thing... I just want to jump in real quick.
11:37 It's okay.
11:38 One thing that I really like is the fact that
11:40 she was saying that if the Lord blessed her with a child,
11:43 that she would dedicate that child to the Lord
11:45 which is important because
11:47 when you look at everything that we have
11:49 these things are entrusted to us...
11:52 they're not ours per se but they're... they're...
11:57 God is entrusting us with kids or with money
12:02 we're called to be good stewards...
12:04 with our kids, we're called to train up a child
12:06 in the way he should go
12:07 and when he grows old... he won't depart from it
12:09 we are to raise our kids to love, honor and serve God
12:13 and so, I really like the fact that
12:16 she wasn't just going to say, "Okay, thanks God for this gift"
12:22 and then go do whatever she wanted to do
12:23 she was going to dedicate that child to the Lord.
12:26 Exactly, and she had the confidence
12:29 that thing that she desired...
12:31 that thing that she asked God that God would give it to her
12:35 so she left God's presence with peace
12:38 and the thing I like about it is that in verse 17,
12:43 after she had spoken to Eli about her situation
12:47 and what she desired of him,
12:49 and he realized that she really wasn't drunk
12:51 but just a desperate woman,
12:53 Eli says to her in verse 17, "Go in peace!"
12:56 He says, "May the God of Israel
12:59 grant the request you have asked of him. "
13:02 And that brings us to an important point
13:05 in our prayer life, you see,
13:07 because Hannah was praying on her own,
13:09 but even though Hannah was praying on her own,
13:12 God used Eli to provide confirmation
13:16 that that thing she was seeking God for will come to pass
13:19 so, she prayed with purpose and the Lord provided confirmation
13:23 and the reason why I would like us to look at that confirmation
13:28 because many times in our own experiences
13:30 we pray about things...
13:32 sometimes we're not patient enough for God to answer us
13:36 and sometimes, we do not even spend enough time seeking Him
13:40 to know what it is that He wants us to pray about
13:43 and I believe for Hannah to have gone to God with such confidence
13:47 God must have placed the dream inside of her heart,
13:49 He must have placed the desire there
13:51 and then He was leading out that desire...
13:53 but the thing about it is that many times, we ask, for example,
13:58 people to pray for us,
13:59 you remember we spoke about passing notes...
14:02 we ask people to pray for us
14:03 but we don't spend time praying for ourselves
14:05 but in this case, sometimes,
14:07 when we ask people to pray for us
14:09 after we would have spent time seeking God
14:11 which is what Hannah was doing repeatedly
14:13 until that breaking day
14:15 is that, He uses people to give confirmation
14:17 of what it is that He will bless us with
14:20 so I remember when I was seeking God,
14:22 for example, to go to school,
14:24 and He instructed me to go to the Philippines to study
14:27 and I didn't know how I was going to make it happen
14:30 but I remember... I fasted and prayed for almost a month...
14:34 for I was seeking God about this thing
14:36 and one day, I left home and the Spirit impressed me
14:39 to take a little notepad that I had
14:40 on that notepad it only had... the story is longer
14:44 but I'm trying to give the abridged version
14:45 it just had a logo on it,
14:47 so I went to visit a friend
14:48 who as a President of an Institution
14:50 and while I was in his office, he asked me,
14:54 "Have you considered the Philippines?"
14:55 And I'm like, "What?"
14:57 Then he said, "There's a really good school there
14:59 it's owned by the General Conference...
15:01 they have really good Lecturers you know,
15:02 but I can't remember the name... "
15:04 and there I went into my purse
15:07 and I took out that notepad and showed it to him,
15:10 and he said, "Yes, that's the one... "
15:12 so there God provided confirmation for me
15:15 that this is where I really want you to go...
15:18 Yes, and another thing with Hannah...
15:20 and that confirmation is amazing,
15:23 another thing with Hannah is the fact that she was persistent,
15:27 we have... you and I have talked about persistence with prayer
15:31 and so, that's one of those things like,
15:36 in the book: Prayer by Ellen White
15:38 she talks about how sometimes
15:41 we can let go of God's arm too soon
15:43 right when God's about to allow something to happen or whatever
15:50 we give up praying...
15:51 If we would just pray and be persistent with our prayer
15:56 He would have blessed.
15:58 Yes, and that's really one of the topics we'll be discussing
16:01 in one of our other programs, "Persistent Praying"
16:05 and it will all come together in terms of...
16:08 even the fact that Hannah was purposeful,
16:10 her prayer had this sort of direction and determination
16:13 that I will not let go like Jacob,
16:15 I- will-not-let-go-until-you- bless-me... kind of prayer,
16:18 because there's a purpose for which I'm praying
16:22 and you know, Hannah had that
16:24 and God through... through Eli
16:26 provided confirmation
16:28 "That thing that you have asked of me, I will do it
16:31 so, go in peace... "
16:32 the thing about is that Hannah
16:34 probably had stopped eating for a while
16:36 because the Bible says... after she left the temple,
16:40 she went home to eat
16:42 and now she was happy and she was smiling
16:45 because her countenance had changed...
16:49 her husband would have seen the difference in her...
16:51 Peninnah would have seen the difference in her...
16:54 the people in the neighborhood would have seen the difference
16:55 in Hannah... because now Hannah was a happy woman,
16:58 she wasn't pregnant yet,
16:59 but she was a happy woman because she knew that that day
17:02 that the Lord would have answered her prayer
17:03 and God would give her what she wants,
17:05 and so, there are many times in our experiences
17:08 where we are praying about things,
17:10 we are not sure, for example,
17:12 what God wants... so, of course, we need to seek His will
17:15 and then we're praying that will...
17:16 and when He places it in our heart,
17:18 we need to do whatever it is that He has asked us to do,
17:20 which is to really just pray and believe
17:22 that God will grant us the requests for which we have asked
17:26 because I remember one time
17:28 after I had finished my Bachelor's Degree,
17:31 the summer, I was seeking God,
17:34 "Hey Lord, what next?"
17:36 And I was also looking for an apartment
17:37 and I remember, one day,
17:39 coming from the city with a girlfriend of mine,
17:40 and God says to me,
17:42 "Go up the road to the yellow house... "
17:43 and I had never really gone up the road
17:45 because it was past campus and I took the Pastor's car...
17:49 I was house sitting for a Pastor... took his car
17:51 and the two of us went up the road,
17:52 we found a yellow house eventually,
17:54 we met an old lady, asked her, "Who owns the house?"
17:57 Then she brought us to the young man
18:00 saying that's her nephew...
18:01 the thing is, in my prayer request
18:03 I did ask God for a new apartment
18:04 I wanted something that was gated... unlimited internet,
18:08 safe area and so on,
18:10 when the gentleman brought us to the house,
18:13 it was a six-building apartment,
18:15 the one that was unfinished was the only one that was left
18:18 and that's the one that I got eventually,
18:21 even though at that time I didn't have the funds,
18:23 I was like, "I want it... "
18:24 but the thing about it was that God answered my request
18:27 because I had that desire... I had that purpose...
18:29 I had it... I had in my mind reason
18:31 because you see in Isaiah 41:21, the Bible says,
18:35 "Produce your cause... bring forth your strong reasons"
18:38 so sometimes when we go to God in prayer
18:40 we need to bring our reasons just like Hannah did,
18:43 "Lord, if you give him to me,
18:45 I'm going to give him back to you... "
18:47 Hmmm... hmmm...
18:48 So she gave her call,
18:50 she gave her reason for wanting that child,
18:51 "I want the child so that he can honor you... "
18:54 and so, sometimes we can go to Him in prayer...
18:57 where He has placed things in our heart...
18:59 we can go to Him and give him the reasons
19:01 for which I want that car
19:02 because I would like to take people to church
19:05 on a Sabbath morning,
19:06 you know, "I want you to bless me with that big house
19:08 so that I can make it a place of refuge
19:10 for people who are in need... "
19:11 so once we can produce these reasons,
19:13 the Lord is, of course, more inclined to hear our prayers
19:16 and so on... and so we see here in Hannah's story
19:19 that she made a promise to God
19:21 that he would...
19:23 "when you give me that son,
19:24 of course, I'd dedicate him to you... "
19:26 they called it "The Nazarite Vow"
19:28 she wanted to bring glory to God,
19:30 it was almost as if she just wanted Him to use her
19:32 and sometimes, you know,
19:33 we have to go to God asking Him to bless us with things
19:38 for our own household's sake...
19:39 because the Bible says,
19:41 "A prophet has no honor in his home... "
19:43 and sometimes, the most difficult people for us
19:46 to be able to convert... to minister to...
19:48 to be able to be effective in ministering with our own family.
19:52 Yeah, that's true...
19:54 And so, that's the thing so God answered Hannah's prayer,
19:57 He gave her a son,
19:59 His name was called "Samuel" which means, "Ask of God"
20:02 and when the child was old enough...
20:04 Hannah kept her promise and brought him back to the temple.
20:07 She gave him back to God and we need to take note of that
20:10 because many times,
20:12 we ask God to bless us with things
20:14 or... He does bless us with things...
20:16 we're educated... we have good jobs and so on...
20:20 He blesses us with these things
20:21 and then we forget Him.
20:23 Hmmm... that's right...
20:25 we need to use the things that God blesses us with
20:29 to bless others and to give God the honor and glory
20:34 and that's what Hannah was doing.
20:35 Exactly, and then in 1st Samuel 2:1 to 10
20:39 then Hannah gives God praise, of course, for that gift
20:42 and what I want us to take note of in Hannah's story
20:45 is that, Samuel was the first of five children
20:48 so that womb that was shut wasn't opened just for one child
20:51 but the Bible says that each year
20:55 Eli would bless Elkanah and Hannah again
20:57 asking God to give them more children
21:00 because Hannah kept the sacrifice
21:02 and brought that child to God so in 1st Samuel 2:20...
21:06 it says, "Before they returned home
21:08 Eli would bless Elkanah and the wife
21:09 and say, 'May the Lord give you other children
21:12 to take the place of the one she gave to Him. '"
21:14 Hmmm...
21:16 So, here we see Hannah honoring God by keeping her word
21:22 because God blessed her with what she asked of Him
21:26 and then, God now, opened her up to more blessings
21:29 that is just a power-packed thing all by itself.
21:31 Yes, yes, because if...
21:34 when God blesses us with something small
21:38 He watches to see what we do with something small,
21:41 if He gives us something small and we abuse it,
21:44 how can He trust us with something larger?
21:46 Yeah, because He says, "If we are faithful in little,
21:49 then we'd be faithful in much... "
21:52 just like in Proverbs 22:29,
21:55 "If you're diligent in your business... "
21:57 in the little things...
21:58 "then He will exalt you... you will stand before kings
22:01 and not mean men... "
22:02 so, God wants us to be able to learn how
22:05 to honor Him in the little things
22:07 so, here a woman praying with purpose
22:09 the desire of her heart was just to have that one child
22:13 because she was feeling so ashamed and everything
22:17 but the blessing of that one child
22:19 and her being honorable enough to give it to God
22:24 knowing, "Hey Lord, that's the only child that I wanted...
22:28 that's the only child that I actually have...
22:29 and I actually have to give back to you... "
22:31 some of us would actually fight with Him
22:32 to take that child back...
22:34 but instead, Hannah brought him to God
22:35 and God says, "Hey, you know what?
22:37 Let me just bless you with four more. "
22:38 Wow!
22:40 "Not double... not triple... let me just bless you with more"
22:42 so, praying with purpose and determination
22:45 is a sure way for us to get our prayers answered.
22:48 For Hannah... to have prayed with such determination...
22:51 I believe God placed that in her heart
22:53 because Proverbs 13:12 says,
22:56 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
22:58 but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. "
23:01 So, Hannah's blessing really was that tree of life for her
23:04 she was sick at first because, "Hey, I have that hope,
23:07 I want a child... I want a child, I want a son"
23:10 and he wasn't coming... but then the Lord blessed her
23:12 so she had all the vibrancy in that Tree of Life
23:15 and that's why I said, her countenance must have changed
23:17 after she left that Temple,
23:19 the Bible did say, "She went home to eat. "
23:21 So, that says a lot
23:22 because you remember when David's baby died...
23:27 with Bathsheba... you remember, at first he wasn't eating
23:29 but after the child died, he went to eat
23:31 because he knew, "Hey, that's how God answered the prayer"
23:33 in Hannah's case,
23:35 she knew for sure that God was going to give her that child,
23:37 and she went home, she was like,
23:38 "You know what? Let me eat now and relax...
23:40 I'm good now. "
23:41 Sometimes we're too nervous to eat,
23:42 now she wasn't nervous anymore.
23:44 Hannah was mocked and rebuked and she was anxious to prove God
23:49 and I'm sure God was probably saying to her,
23:51 "Hannah, Hannah cool out... just take it easy...
23:54 don't be anxious about anything,
23:57 you remember Philippians 4:6 says,
23:58 "Don't be anxious about anything,
24:00 but instead, by prayer and supplication,
24:02 let your requests be made known to me. "
24:05 And so, Hannah kept on praying and so on
24:07 and God answered her prayer
24:09 for God must always get the glory on our answered prayer...
24:12 all the time... doesn't matter what He blesses us with,
24:15 we need to find a way to ensure
24:17 that all of the glory goes directly to God
24:20 because it's never about us,
24:21 it doesn't matter how educated we are,
24:24 how rich we are, how successful we are on the job
24:26 it's really not about us,
24:28 all of that that we have comes directly from God
24:32 and so, He must always get the glory in our story.
24:35 So, Hannah's weaknesses... her own favoring... unwavering
24:41 trusting God, her faith... her faithfulness...
24:44 being true to her word,
24:45 all of these things gave God glory
24:46 and in our story... these things that give us glory...
24:49 sometimes when we may appear weak...
24:51 God will show up and be strong
24:53 because Hannah was strong... sorry... was weak emotionally
24:57 she was also weak probably physically...
24:59 she was probably tired of just fighting and crying...
25:02 you know what it is to stay and cry
25:04 for weeks and days and nights...
25:06 it really draws you out... but then, God made her strong
25:09 strong enough to say a prayer of purpose
25:11 so that He could answer it
25:12 and we must be faithful to our promises.
25:15 Remember that story of Ananias and Sapphira...
25:17 some people say "Safeera" in Acts 5:11,
25:20 where these two people made a commitment to God...
25:23 they're saying,
25:24 "Hey, we're going to give this amount of money to you... "
25:28 but when the blessing came... when they sell the land...
25:30 saying, "we are going to give all this money to you... "
25:32 but when the blessing came, they didn't keep their word
25:34 and so, both of them died.
25:35 Oh...
25:37 And so, it's really important for us to take note
25:40 of Hannah's commitment to fulfilling the promise
25:43 that she actually gave to God.
25:44 Hmmm... hmmm...
25:46 Yes, and that's really what I wanted us to focus on
25:49 in terms of praying with purpose...
25:51 having that determination to go to God...
25:54 believing that whatsoever we ask in prayer,
25:57 the Bible says... we'll have it
25:58 and so on and...
26:00 And honoring our word with God...
26:02 and, you know, another principle that I see with Hannah's story
26:07 is the fact that... like, when you take tithing, for example,
26:11 you can't out give God...
26:13 all God asks for is 10 percent and tithe and offering...
26:20 and so, when you give tithe which... it's not ours anyway
26:26 God's entrusting us with that and you think,
26:29 "Well, God's letting us keep 90 percent... "
26:31 like, that's huge...
26:33 and He blesses that...
26:34 when you honor God... He blesses your efforts.
26:37 Yeah, and that's really important and it's true
26:41 because, at the end of the day whatever we have...
26:45 whatever gifts that we have,
26:46 whatever blessings that we have, they are from God...
26:48 they're His anyhow, we are simply stewards of it
26:50 and so, whatever we give God, it's only an indication,
26:55 like with Hannah of our ability to trust Him
26:58 so, giving her child back to God is simply saying,
27:01 "God, I know when I give him to you,
27:03 you're not going to be taking him from me,
27:05 in fact, I'm investing him in your work
27:08 so that more people can be blessed
27:10 and through Samuel we see
27:12 some sort of link to the lineage of Jesus
27:15 because that child was a child created for purpose
27:18 and really... we just need to... as you said...
27:21 just remember that everything has to go back to God...
27:23 everything also belongs to Him in the first place
27:26 so we could just pray.
27:27 "Father, we ask you to teach us how to pray...
27:30 give us the spirit of determination when we pray...
27:33 help us to be steadfast
27:35 and believe in your every word and direction...
27:38 so we can come to you in confidence when we pray,
27:40 in the name of Jesus, amen. "
27:41 "Amen. "
27:42 Thank you Dr. Nadine for that powerful information.
27:46 We pray that you were blessed by today's program.
27:50 We need to be intentional about everything that we do
27:53 and that includes our prayer life.
27:56 Be sure to tune in next time
27:57 when Dr. Nadine shares more information
28:00 to supply the missing peace.


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Revised 2018-02-15