No special Prayer & Communion Moment this week.
Why did God make mothers?
To help us out of there when we were getting born.
Why did God give you your mother, and not some other mom?
Because God knew she likes me a lot more than other people’s moms like me.
What does your mom do in her spare time?
Mothers don’t do spare time.
What ingredients did God make mothers out of?
God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world, and one
dab of mean.
Why did your mom marry your dad?
My grandma says that mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.
He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, and Hannah had none. —1 Samuel 1:2a NIV
So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat. —1 Samuel 1:6-7 NLT
Disappointment + Time =
“Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?” —1 Samuel 1:8 NLT
Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray…. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. —1 Samuel 1:9-10 NLT
Persistently
.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. —I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if You will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to You. He will be Yours for his entire life, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.” —1 Samuel 1:11 NLT
As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!” “No, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad. —1 Samuel 1:12-18 NLT
Hope moves us from discouragement to
.
…“My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because You rescued me. No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God. —1 Samuel 2:1-3 NLT
I WILL pray and put my hope in God for the discouraging situation I’m facing.