Date: Friday, 22nd March, 2024
Text: 1 Samuel 1:1-20
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
In order to achieve results, sometimes you need to do more than just pray. You may need to prove to God that you are willing to go the extra mile in order to get what you want. What are you willing to part with in order to receive your miracle? What are you willing to sacrifice in order to advance God’s kingdom
Just as you have your personal needs to be met; God’s kingdom also has needs to be met from time to time. Most times we are engrossed in our own needs and are not sensitive to the needs of God’s kingdom on Earth.
In today’s text, we see an obvious vacancy in priesthood at Shiloh. Eli the High Priest was already very old and his two children, Hophni and Phinehas, priests who were meant to continue the priestly dynasty of the family were described as Sons of Belial; scoundrels and wicked men who had no regard for the Lord. By their actions they desecrated God’s temple.
They treated God’s offering with contempt by violently ripping off worshipers of their hard-earned offerings and they slept with temple ushers. Their sins were great in the sight of the Lord and God was seriously planning to eliminate them. The Lord wanted to replace them with a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in his heart and mind.
Barren Hannah sensed the need in God’s house and decided to meet that need. She made up her mind to go beyond just crying and begging God for a child. She chose to change her prayer point by entering into a bargain with the Lord.
Hannah made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 1 Samuel 1:11.
There may be many barren women in Shiloh at the time, but God heard the prayer of Hannah because her prayer point was unique in that it met God’s need for the hour.
Action Nugget: Are you in dire need of a miracle? Meet kingdom needs through your vow today!