There was once a woman who prayed and prayed to have a child. She had a rival who could bear children and tormented her with that fact. Year after year, she asked, she’s asked and nothing happened.
This is a true story. Hannah’s story is like many others. She had something that she desperately wanted and turned to God for an answer. Like her many make the mistake of praying with the wrong intentions—the intention to prove a point to others, to gratify your desires, or to flaunt a physical blessing.
In Hannah’s case, she wanted to quiet her rival and for as long as that was her intention, she never got her blessing. However, when her intentions changed her prayer changed, and consequently so did her life.
“Then she made a vow and said, ‘O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.’” I Samuel 1:11
Hannah’s prayer was no longer for her own glory but for the glory of God. She dedicated her son to God before he was even born. How will your blessing glorify God? Have your prayers just been about “me, me, me” or is your intention to lift God’s name through your blessings?
Use Hannah as an example that a prayer made for the glory of God is a prayer that brings answers.
May the God of the Bible bless you!
Bishop Bira Joshua
