Hannah’s Prayer: A Mother’s Heart

“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…” 1 Samuel 1:11

The bible does not tell how many years, months and weeks Hannah beseeched God for a child. We do know that she desperately wanted one and promised to give him back to God after he was weaned. God heard Hannah’s prayer and blessed her with a son. She in turn, honored her part of the bargain and gave Samuel back to the Lord. As the story unfolds we know that “…Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men” (1 Samuel 2:26). 

What is the desire of our hearts?  Do we pray for a new house? A new car? A new job? If our prayer is answered will we use it to honor God? While God delights in blessing His children, He also expects us to “walk in His ways” (Psalm 128:1) and to use His gifts to bless others and glorify the “Giver.”

While Mother’s Day is primarily dedicated to honoring mothers, with a little stretch of the imagination, we can use it as a day to extend our “gifts” and share our blessings.

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A Grateful Heart

Being grateful changes our perception by shifting our focus and enabling us to see beyond ourselves. It helps us to see the big picture and not just the immediate situation. But most importantly a thankful heart draws us near to the source of all that is pure and holy by transporting us to the very throne of God. Both the new and old Testament contain several passages encouraging us to be thankful. Below are a few of my favorite.

 

We are to express our gratitude always.    

 “…stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord and likewise at evening;” I chronicles 23:30 (NKJ)

Do it while we live.

 “For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?” Psalm 6:5 (KJ)

Thank God for His salvation.

“And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; It shall rejoice in His salvation.” Psalm 35:9 (NKJ)

Thank God for what he has given us and for answered prayer. 

“I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of You…” Daniel 2:23 (NKJ)

Thank God (as Jesus did) for revealing His truth and wisdom to us.

“…I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.” Matthew 11:25 (NKJ)

Thank God (as Jesus did) for hearing our prayers.

“Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” John 11:41 (NKJ)

Thank God for the faith of others and the encouragement that it brings us.

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” Romans 1:8 (NKJ)

Thank God for the people He has prepared to receive His word.

”For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God…” 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJ)

 Thank God for our call to ministry.

”And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,” 1 Timothy 1:12 (NKJ)

Thank God for family and friends.

“I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,” Philemon 1:4 (NKJ)

Thank God with fellow believers

“I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.” Psalm 35:18 (KJ)

And most important of all…praise and thank Him for who He is.

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11 (NKJ)

When I started praising and thanking God my life began to change dramatically. The things that used to bother me became less significant and I began to see God’s hand working in my life….sometimes in small ways and sometimes in ways that took my breath away! Psalms 143:8 (NIV) has become a part of my daily prayer, “Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift my soul.”

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Courage, Wisdom and Serenity

“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.”
-Reinhold Niebuhr

In a world that’s constantly changing and evolving it’s difficult to know where to draw the line between “acceptance” and “change.” The uncertainty that exists in the financial world, the natural disasters that occur with fearful regularity, the man-made revolutions that erupt with little warning and the political discord that’s part of our daily lives has made serenity a foreign word and wisdom has become greed.

The greater the chaos, the greater our yearning for a place where we can lay down our defenses and renew our hope. It is then that our soul cries out to the Living God for courage and wisdom to make right choices and peace and serenity in knowing that His love and mercy will never fail us.

To download FREE articles on Healing From Loss and suggestions on what to “say/do” when expressing sypmathy please visit my website  www.grief-recovery.org

Seeking Our God

Say a Prayer:  That our hearts will seek God’s desire.

Say a Prayer:  For God’s continued blessings upon our nation.

Say a Prayer:  Glorifying God for His mercy and grace toward us.

Say a Prayer:  For courage and comfort for everyone directly affected by the events of 9/11.

“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” (Jer 29:12)

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.” (Ps 145:18)

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Prayer: Powerful or Rusty?

Prayer, our most powerful tool to discern God’s will for our lives, often  lies discarded and rusty at the bottom of our  “must do” stack until something goes terribly wrong.  When that happens we send a heartfelt plea begging to be rescued.  But what about knowing God’s plan for our lives on a day-to-day basis?  How can we possibly know what it is if we don’t talk to Him? In the same way that we won’t know what our employer expects from us without on-going communication, we won’t know what God wants without asking and listening.

Teach Me to Pray
“Though the road seems dark and the days seem long,
Teach me to pray and know right from wrong.
When confusion mounts and I feel a tear,
Help me to know you are forever near.
Teach me to pray at the break of day.
To take your hand to guide my way.
As the sun goes down and stars come out,
Help me to know what life is about.
Most times I trust and believe in You,
Yet sometimes I doubt what is  really true.
Help save me, dear Lord, from my disbelief,
From my wavering heart bring me relief.
Down the winding path help me find the way.
Dear God, Precious God. Teach me to pray.”
~Edna Louise

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Celebrate Easter Without the Easter Bunny

“He has Risen!” (Mat 28:6)

Easter symbolizes renewal and rejoicing. Winter is over; a new season is coming to life with glorious abandonment, unfurling and blooming before our eyes. It’s a time of great expectations and also a time for reflection. A perfect occasion for getting together with family and friends and reestablishing old connections.

1. Wake up early and greet the rising sun with praise and prayer.

Give praise for the newness of life and the joy of living in harmony with God’s creation. Say a prayer asking for strength and courage to live according to the Creator’s plan and the wisdom to appreciate and care for what He has entrusted to you.

2. Take a nature hike in the country or visit a city park nearby.

Focus on the beauty and the freshness of life as you stroll. If you have children with you share basic information about the various plants, trees and shrubs. Keep it brief and make it interesting. Use this time to emphasis the importance of recycling and taking care of our environment.

3. Share the story and meaning of Easter (birth, death and resurrection of Jesus) with someone you just met.

Keep the account brief and make the story interesting. Let the person you’re sharing with ask questions and relate their own viewpoint. Remember this is a time to share not to preach or create dissension.

4. Invite family and friends to your home for a meal.

Before or after the meal take turns reading the Easter story as recorded in Matthew chapters 26-28. Share what it means to you personally. Ask others to share their views as well. Other ideas for sharing include memories from your childhood and ways that you and your family celebrated Easter (include funny or surprising moments).

5. Volunteer a couple of hours at a homeless shelter.

Easter is after all a time of renewal. There’s no better way to celebrate a new beginning than by encouraging others that are struggling with past losses and are feeling disconnected and hopeless. Listen to their story without judgment and offer encouragement when appropriate.

The spirit of Easter (rebirth) can be celebrated everyday regardless of where you happen to be at any particular moment. Take a minute once or twice a day to breathe deeply, stretch, look up and around you and connect with the present. This moment will pass like all the others. Savor it while it lasts.

What has been your most memorable Easter celebration?

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