Latest / The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast / 552 | The Elements of Prayer - Part 2 - Hannah’s Story of Answered Hope

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552 | The Elements of Prayer - Part 2 - Hannah’s Story of Answered Hope · The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast

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She's a happy girl. Hello, friends, and welcome back to another podcast of Woman.
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At the Well Ministries, where we believe that all of us have to come to Jesus
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like the woman at the well in John chapter 4.
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Our highest priority is making God real in your life.
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Whether you are listening in our app, in your favorite podcasting app,
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or on our website at watwm.org, we invite you to sit down with us as we look
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to the scriptures to learn more about God and to strengthen your daily walk with Jesus Christ.
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Praying produces results. James 5.16 says that the effectual,
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fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
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Join us in this broadcast of Woman at the Well Ministries as Kim teaches Part
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2 of our series on prayer.
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During this message, Kim highlights the hand of God in Hannah's life,
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revealing to us how God answered her prayer.
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God is no respecter of persons, and what He has done And for Hannah, he will do for you.
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Will you do for God what Hannah did? Hello, and thank you for joining us in
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this broadcast of Woman at the Wild Ministries.
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And what a pleasure it is as we begin to look in the scriptures.
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And I would ask you to turn to 1 Samuel 1.
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And we're going to look at God's answering prayer.
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And we're going to see that praying produces results.
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James 5.16 says, to confess your
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faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
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The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
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Luke chapter 11 verses 9 and 10 give us this promise.
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And I say unto you, ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and ye shall find.
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Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth,
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and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that
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knocketh it shall be opened jeremiah 33 3
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says call unto me and i will answer thee
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and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not shall we pray our
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kind and most gracious dear heavenly father lord i just praise your holy name
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for the excitement that you swell within me as i begin to realize the absolute
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power of prayer lord i pray that you would open every heart.
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That you would fill every mind with your presence, and that each heart would
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just open themselves up to you to hear what you had to say to them as you speak
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to them through your holy word.
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Lord, I pray that you would take this vessel of clay and you would bring it
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to your honor, dear Heavenly Father, and that all that would be said and all
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that would be done would bring glory to you.
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And I pray that it would bring a lost soul into right fellowship with you.
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Lord, I pray that it would just open up the eyes of those who are not living for you as they should.
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But most of all, dear Heavenly Father, I pray that you would just touch that sin-sick soul.
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I pray, dear Heavenly Father, that you would just reach out and grab that person in despair.
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That you would save their soul, Lord, and that you would dust the world off
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of them and that you would place them on higher ground.
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And your heavenly father that they would have spring in their step
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and joy in their heart and strength to their bones
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as they begin to see that there is power in
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serving you there is joy in serving you
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there is comfort in serving you there is
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love in serving you and that you provide all of our
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needs according to your riches and that we can do all things
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through you which strengthen us your heavenly father i pray
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that you would watch over us and protect us and that you would have
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your richest blessing upon the reading that we're about to
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do and all these things we ask in thy most precious and holy name
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we pray and all of god's people said amen
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we're going to read a lengthy passage because
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we're going to read the entire chapter of first samuel
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chapter one but what i want you
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to realize is hannah has a need she has a desire she has a want she has something
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in her life that her heart truly wants she has something in her life that she's
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going to bring to God and she's going to ask him.
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To give her the desires of our heart. And he said that if we trust in the Lord,
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and lean not into thy own understanding and in all our ways acknowledge him,
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that he would give us peace and joy.
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He said, if we delighted ourself in the Lord, that he would give us the desires of our heart.
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Hannah is coming to the Lord because that's where she knows her help comes.
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Psalmist David said, I look into the hills from whence cometh my help.
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He was referring to Jesus Christ and God. Where are you looking for your help?
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This moment in time, where are you turning to?
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Where are you placing your trust?
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Beginning in verse 1 of the first book of Samuel of chapter 1.
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Now there was a certain man of ramathem zophim
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sorry about that of mount ephraim and his name was elkanah the son of jerohem
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the son of elihu the son of tohu the son of zuth and ephrodite and he had two
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wives and the name of the one was hannah and the name of the other was penanah.
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And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
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And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto
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the Lord of hosts in Shiloh.
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And the two sons of Eli, Hopfni, and Phinehas, the priest of the Lord, were there.
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And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife and
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to all her sons and her daughters portions.
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But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion for
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he loved Hannah but the Lord had shut up
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her womb and her adversary also
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provoked her sore for to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb
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now it wasn't enough that Hannah couldn't have the children she wanted it wasn't
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enough that Hannah was feeling like she was less than a woman and she wasn't
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able to do what she felt she needed to do,
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it wasn't enough that she felt she wasn't pleasing her husband.
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She now has her adversary provoking her.
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And that's just how the devil works.
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When you think you've got just enough, he'll send something else to prick you,
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something else to jab at you.
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Something else to wear you down. But isn't it a wonderful thing to know that
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the grace of Jesus is sufficient?
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And that he said where sin did abound, that grace did much more abound.
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And that no matter how frustrated you are, the patience of God is inside of
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you because he dwells in you.
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And if you call upon the name of the Lord, you can do all things and you can
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withstand the provoking of your adversary.
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Because he said your adversary the devil walketh
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about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour but he
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told us in first john 4 4 to be a good cheer little
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children because i have overcome them because greater is
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he that is in you than he that is in the world the adversary doesn't stand a
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chance because he lost the battle on calvary he lost the battle when jesus rose
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from the dead and he has no power over you and romans 6 says his sin has no
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more dominion over you you are free and whom the Lord sets free, you're free indeed.
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Hannah had an adversary. Something tells me that maybe you do. I do.
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Something tells me you have somebody that can press your button just by looking at you.
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Something tells me that you haven't taken that button and handed it to the Lord,
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and asked for him to cover it in his grace.
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Because if the truth be told, if the Lord dealt with us as we deal with our
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adversaries, we'd always be on his buttons.
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Because we don't do anything he tells us to do, really. And certainly live far below our privileges.
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Hannah had an adversary. She aggravated her.
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And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord,
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so she provoked her, therefore she wept, and did not eat.
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She had a real problem. She had a true irritant.
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Then said Elkna, her husband, to her, Hannah, why weepest thou?
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And why eatest thou not? And why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than ten sons?
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Poor Elkna, he just didn't get it. He just didn't get it. This was a personal thing.
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Sometimes you have something that is just personal, and you just have to deal with it yourself.
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And it's between you and God. And it's you and God that have to work it out.
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It's you that have to submit under the mighty hand of God that he might exalt you in due time.
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Maybe nobody else sees the problem. That adversary knows.
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So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk.
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Now Eli the priest set up a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.
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And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore.
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Most of us, when we're in bitterness of soul, we just don't go to the Lord.
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We go to the world, or as my mother would say, we go to the dogs.
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We turn our back on God. We don't like how things are.
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We turn our back on God because we didn't get what we wanted.
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We turn our back on God because we think so-and-so has more than we have.
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Oh, my friend, we're getting ready to see.
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That adversary may have had the children that Hannah wanted,
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and that adversary might have thought she had the upper hand but hannah has
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a relationship with god that is unmatched and hannah has the ability to reach
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god and hannah knows who to trust,
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hannah has something that money can't buy and all the children of the world couldn't satisfy,
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hannah knows god and she knows him
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well and she vowed a vow and said oh
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lord of hosts if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of
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thine handmaid take away the fact that she
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can't have kids and remember me and
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not forget thine handmaid but will give me thine handmaid a man child then i
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will give him unto the lord all the days of his life and there shall no razor
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come upon his head that was as a custom at that point and she was showing reverence
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to god by keeping his head covered but hannah.
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She wanted a child. But look what Hannah wants it for.
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She doesn't want revenge on Penanah. She doesn't want revenge on her adversary.
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She's not calling God from heaven to zap her.
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She's calling on God to fix what she thinks is broken in her.
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She's calling on God to take care of her.
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Because you see, when it comes down to it, the only person that we have control over is ourselves.
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The only person we can answer for is ourself.
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It's a personal relationship with God. And if something's going wrong with somebody,
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it's time we got on our knees and we prayed to God, change me.
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That I might be able to do your work in that person's life. That I might be
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able to do your will in front of that person.
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That their life might change because of the glory of God they see in me.
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But Lord, change me to be what you want me to be.
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Because there's no way he wants
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us to be fighting with the adversary because
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David said the battle is not mine it belongs to the Lord and since God is no
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respecter of persons my battles aren't mine they belong to the Lord but I just
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keep going out and picking them how about you are you fighting battles that
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aren't even yours they belong to the Lord and that person that's bugging you.
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They're stealing your joy and the bible says that the thieves come to steal and destroy,
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but god came jesus said i come to give you life and that you'd have it more
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abundantly in john chapter 10 and verse 10 we give the devil way too many victories
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because he can't win a one he lost on calvary.
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And he loses every time. In order for him to win, we must hand it to him.
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So she goes to the Lord and asked her to fix, asked the Lord to give her what she wanted.
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But she only talked about her and the changes that need to be made to her.
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And then what she says, Lord, if you make this change in me,
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I'm going to do something for you.
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You see, the God doesn't do things for us so that we'll do things for him.
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We should do things for him for what he's already done for us amen but god saw hannah's heart,
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hannah didn't have malice hannah really
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wanted to serve the lord god almighty and she knew exactly where to go when
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she had a problem and let me tell you this had to look pretty big she didn't
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have any kids her adversary was dreaming with them and she had none and no doubt
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she she was at a loss. Or was she?
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She doesn't look to me. She's upset. She's bitter.
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She's mean in business with Jesus here. Her bitterness sent her to Jesus.
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She basically asked him to take it away. How many of you harbor your bitterness,
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holding on to it with all you got?
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Beating somebody up with it. I forgive you means it's forgotten.
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Maybe you should practice, I'm sorry it's forgotten.
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I forgive you, it's gone. Jesus Christ forgives us our sins.
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He puts it in a sea of forgiveness.
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I believe he's got a sign in there that says no fishing. The devil will bring
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it up. Your adversaries will bring it up.
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Jesus won't bring it up. He says he's faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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Verse 12 of chapter 1 of the first book of Samuel.
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He says, and it came to pass as she continued praying before the Lord that Eli marked her mouth.
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She continued. It wasn't instantaneous. Some of us give up after the first four words.
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Some of us, if we had to pray two minutes, kill us.
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Oh, how I wish you could hear my mother pray.
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Time stands still as she speaks to God.
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God i wish you to have the opportunity to grow
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up and hear my father pray and listen to him just
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pour out his life in front of jesus christ that
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he could take away the bad and fill up the rest of
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him with good but you see it's not big long prayers that matter because you
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remember peter said save me and the lord immediately reached down and picked
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him up it's the heart that matters and the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous
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man available much and she's fervent and you're going to see that it's effectual.
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Now, Eli is so...
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Befuzzled by what's going on that he's
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beginning to look upon Hannah and wonder what she's doing I guess he
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hadn't seen anybody pray hard like that and I'm afraid that in this day
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and time we might think the same thing that Eli did he
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says now Hannah she spake in her heart only her lips moved but
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her voice was not heard therefore Eli thought
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she had been drunken and Eli said unto
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her how long would thou be drunken put away thy wine from thee
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Hannah answered and said no my lord i am
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a woman of a sorrowful spirit i have drunk neither wine
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nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the
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lord she had prayed so fervently and so
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intensely that she had a physical marks
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of the time she spent pouring
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out her heart to god she was in a
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world of hurt but she knew to go to jesus
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christ her spirit was broken i don't know what
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you're facing i don't
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know if you're facing financial ruin i don't know if
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someone's betrayed you i don't know what it is that has
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you at the depths of despair but jesus is already
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there and he understands and he's
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knocking on your heart's door let me remind you
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that luke chapter 11 and verse 9 and 10 says and
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i say unto you ask and it shall be given you seek and
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ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you
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for everyone that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh
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findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be open unto.
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You she had not drunk she had just simply poured.
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Her heart out to god count not thine handmaid for a daughter of belial or the
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devil for out of the abundance of my complaining grief have i spoken his or.
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Two then eli answered and said go in peace and the god of israel grant thee
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thy petition that thou hast asked of him and she said let thine handmaid find grace.
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So the women went away and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
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When she found God who was never lost, but when she came to him, poured her heart out.
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Did business with the God of the universe, received an answer from on high. She had peace.
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She wasn't sad anymore. And she was able to go forth and eat.
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Friends, when you do business with God, there's a peace that passeth understanding
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and a joy unspeakable and full of glory.
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The world didn't give it to you and the world can't take it away.
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There is hope for your despair and that hope is found in Jesus Christ.
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And you've got to know that all things work together for the good to them that
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love the Lord and that are caught according to his purpose.
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That trial you're facing right now, he's picked it out for you and he's got
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you ready to go through it. And you're not alone.
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And oh, what joy he has for you in the peace of God that no one else understands.
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Her adversary may have had some kids, but she didn't have the peace of God.
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And they rose up in the morning early and worshiped before the Lord and returned and came to their house.
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Terema and Elkna knew Hannah, his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
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Wherefore it came to pass when the time was come about after hannah
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had conceived that she bear a son and called his name
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samuel saying because i have asked him of the lord you can't out give god buddy
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she didn't get just any kid she didn't get kim miller she got samuel she didn't
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get just any kid she didn't get the run of the mill she got samuel and god had
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great plans for samuel because You see,
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he could trust Hannah with Samuel.
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My parents were model parents, and they raised us right.
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And the Lord could trust them with six children because they were going to show
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them the way and introduce them to Jesus. What are you doing with your kids?
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They've been on loan to you from Jesus Christ. They were handpicked for you
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to do something with, for you to show them God, for them to live a life set
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apart like John the Baptist's parents did.
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Friends hannah said lord remember me
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and hannah said lord i
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know that i can come to you and he she poured
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her heart out and he remembered her and
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he gave her a son and she called him samuel and the man elkanah and all his
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house went up offer unto the lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow but hannah
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went not up for she said unto her husband i will not go up until the child be
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weaned and then i will bring him that he may appear before the lord and there abide forever,
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she was prepared to stay close to
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the lord god and give back to him that which he had given her to offer unto
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him all that she had asked and all that she desired she was giving him all she
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had because her desire all along was to serve him her desire all along was to
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be blessed of god so that she could bless others for him.
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And Elkanah, her husband, said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good,
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tarry until they have weaned him. Only the Lord establish his word.
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So the woman abode and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
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Poor Elkanah, he just didn't get it.
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He was watching the glory of the Lord all around him.
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But I don't think he ever quite understood it. But he knew one thing.
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He knew that Hannah knew something. And he was going to trust her.
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And when she had weaned him, this is little Samuel, she
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took him up with her with three bullocks and one ephah flower
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and a bottle of wine and brought him unto the house of
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the lord in shiloh and the child was young and they
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slew a bullock and brought the child to eli the priest
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and she said oh lord as thy
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soul liveth my lord i am the woman
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that stood by thee here praying unto the
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lord so she had come to that place and
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she had prayed for an answered prayer verse 27
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says this for this child i
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prayed and the lord hath given me
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my petition which i ask of thee therefore also have i lent him to the lord as
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long as he liveth he should be lent to the lord and he worshiped the lord there
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you see what she said for this child i prayed And the Lord hath given me my petition.
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There is power in prayer. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
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Thank you for joining us in today's podcast. You can visit the show notes for
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quotes from today's podcast and scripture references.
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you to the Gospel Group Fudge Creek For letting us use their hit song Happy.
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