BIG IDEA:
PASSIONATE PRAYER CAN TRANSFORM A ROOT OF BITTERNESS INTO A SEED OF BLESSING
INTRODUCTION:
What are your unfulfilled dreams? When have your expectations of blessing from the Lord been frustrated or delayed?
I. (:1-8) UNFULFILLED DREAMS CAN FOSTER A ROOT OF BITTERNESS
A. (:1-5) The Sovereign Lord Sometimes Frustrates Our Dreams of Fulfillment in Order to Drive Us to Himself
1. (:1-2) The Sad Reality = Hannah had no children
a. Significance of Childlessness in Hebrew Culture
b. Sadness Compounded by Contrast of Fertility of Rival Peninnah
“Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children”
2. (:3-5a) The Failure of Any Human Consolation
a. Godly Husband Consistent in His Pattern of Obedient Worship
“Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh”
b. Loving Husband Made Every Effort to Compensate for Unfulfilled Dreams
“but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah”
3. (:5b) The Paradoxical Providence of the Sovereign Lord
“but the Lord had closed her womb”
B. (:6-7) Jealous Rivals Can Distract Us From Finding Contentment in the Lord (Peninnah)
1. Insecurity Can Motivate Provocation from Jealous Rivals
“Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her”
2. Bitterness Can Develop over Time as Dreams Remain Unfulfilled
“And it happened year after year”
3. Emotional Scars Can Lead to Physical Problems
“so she wept and would not eat”
C. (:8) Loving Counselors Cannot Adequately Cure the Bitterness (Elkanah)
1. Problem Addressed by Loving Counselor
“Then Elkanah her husband said to her”
2. Symptoms of Bitterness Exposed
“Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad?”
3. Adequate Compensation Impossible
“Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
II. (:9-16) DESPERATE, PASSIONATE PRAYER SEEKS BLESSING AND FULFILLMENT FROM A COMPASSIONATE, SOVEREIGN GOD
A. (:9-10) Prayer of Desperation and Distress
1. Priority of Prayer
“Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh”
2. Lack of Self-Consciousness – Oblivious to the presence of Eli the priest
“Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord”
3. Spirit of Desperation and Distress
“And she, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly”
B. (:11) Vow of Consecration
“then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head”
C. (:12-16) Outpouring of the Soul Easily Misunderstood
1. Wrong Perception: Eli thought she was drunk
2. Explanation: “I have poured out my soul before the Lord”
III. (:17-18) ASSURANCE OF A SEED OF BLESSING TRANSFORMS BITTERNESS INTO JOY
A. (:17) Assurance of Answered Prayer
1. Authority of the Priest to speak on God’s behalf
“Then Eli answered and said”
2. Transformation of Spirit
“Go in peace”
3. Assurance of Answered Prayer
“and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him”
B. (:18) Response of Humble Joy
1. Promise Received with Humility
“Let your maidservant find favor in your sight”
2. Behavior and Countenance Transformed from Bitterness to Joy
a. Behavior
“So the woman went her way and ate”
b. Countenance
“and her face was no longer sad”