History – 1 Samuel 1-5

We are starting a new book today – 1 Samuel.

Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 1-5

The prayer of Hannah is a moving one.

Hannah was oppressed by Penninah as she did not bear any children for her husband. In those times, it was very shameful not to be able to bear children. During her prayer, she cried out to the Lord until Eli the priest thought that she was drunk. I guess she was really deep in concentration that she did not regard her ‘face’ while praying.

Also, the contents of her prayer were pleasing to the Lord. Hannah wanted a child badly because she was being bullied by her rival. However, when she asked for the child, she asked that the child may be offered to the Lord for service. This is pleasing to the Lord and asking according to the will of God. She did not ask for a child for her own benefit such that she can now brag to Penninah and challenge her but rather when she asked for a child, she thought about God.

The child is from God as it was a miracle that she managed to bear. The Lord accepted her prayers and even blessed her with more children after Samuel.

A few things I learned about her prayer:

1. She prayed vehemently and in tears.

2. She prayed without caring of what others think of her. She did not care for her ‘face’ while praying. She did not care if others think she was drunk or mad.

3. She asked according to the will of God and was pleasing to Him.

In recent years, it can be seen that there is a decline in the number of people receiving the Holy Spirit in church. In the past I have heard that many people received the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit down poured like heavy rain and like what is written in the Bible. Tens of people receive the Holy Spirit daily during the spiritual meeting. Why is it not happening now?

I would think the problem why today less people receive the Holy Spirit is because the believers are not praying like how Hannah prayed. Hannah received blessings from God because she did the points 1 to 3 written. Conversely we see more truth seekers receiving the Holy Spirit than believers. We may say that it is God’s special grace. Yes true, but not completely true as I would think that many of the truth seekers receive the Holy Spirit because they thirst for Jesus to come into their hearts. They prayed vehemently with tears and are not afraid of how people look at them when they pray.

I have heard before a testimony that this Taiwanese old brother prayed for decades for the Holy Spirit but did not receive. He felt so embarrassed that for years he prayed at the back of the church hall and did not want to come forward to pray with the laying of hands as he was scared to lose ‘face’. He was afraid that people may notice him praying for the Holy Spirit. In the end one day, cannot exactly remembered what happened, he was encouraged to go in front. And when he went in front, he received the Holy Spirit immediately. What does it show? It shows that when we pray, we ought to focus on God and put away our pride; Our pride that people mock at us or look down on us. Hannah put away all pride, focused her prayer on God, cried out to Him, had faith in Him and prayed according to His Will. She was blessed by God because of her faithfulness and humility to God. Her prayer is a good model for us to follow.