Would YOU Like Me If.....

Would you like Me?

Would you like me if I weighed less? Would you like me if I weighed more or if I were younger or how about being older? Would you like me if I were a certain color or had less gray in my hair? Would you like me if I were taller or spoke like you? Would you like me if I was more  like you?

1 Samuel 1:1-12 This man went from his city year by year to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were the Lord's priests. 4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrifice, he would give to Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters portions [of the sacrificial meat]. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had given her no children. 6[ This embarrassed and grieved Hanna] & her rival provoked her greatly to vex her, because the Lord had left her childless. 7 So it was year after year; whenever Hannah went up to the Lord's house, Peninnnah provoked her, so she wept and did not eat.  8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you cry? And why do you not eat? And why are you grieving? am I not more to you than ten sons?" 9 So Hannah rose after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat beside a post of the temple [tent] of the Lord. 10 And [Hannah] was in distress of soul, praying to the Lord and weeping bitterly. 11 She vowed, saying O Lord of hosts, of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and [earnestly ] remember, and not forget Your handmaid but will give me a son, I will give him to the Lord all his life; no razor shall touch his head. 12 And she continued praying before the Lord.....


For Hannah, she lived within a household that held two women! Then factor in she Hannah was favored by her husband Elkanah yet, she Hannah had no children with him. And Peninnah chose to grieve Hannah about it. In verse 7 we find that Peninnah provoked Hannah that she wept and she did not eat.
Now that is serious ....!


In all that is reported to this in scripture, Hannah did not carry a negative thought. Her desire she made mention of it to the Lord and on a regular basis she pursued the Lord for an answer of a son for her and Elkanah.

In all that is reported in scripture on  Hannah, there was nothing found in a negative way about her. Today's culture is really different from what was allowed at that time. Although you do hear from time to time of men having more than one wife. I believe some Muslims have more than one wife at a time. Yet, that would be hard for any woman, and then to have no children with your husband would make life difficult indeed!

Yes, Hannah prayed for years. She had painful experiences and Peninnah chose to aggravate the circumstances within Hannah's life. But Hannah chose prayer. She knew her answer could come and she chose to keep that prayer of supplication going out to the Lord who answers.

Hannah came to a monumental moment when speaking: "I will give him to the Lord all his life."

She chose not to be paralyzed by the fear the other woman imposed upon her. Hannah chose to pray!

   

Yes the culture dictates something different. People write things to be liked. People will do anything to have a following and yet we find in this woman of so many years ago took the road of prayer.'

In this day and time, God still answers with I sent My Son for you. In this hour, He reminds us that it does not matter the skin color, the weight issue or even how tall or short we might be.

For Hannah prayed out of a heart breaking for "a son" and God even knew then the Son He would be giving for the world to be saved.

It should not matter if someone likes us or not. It should matter when we have committed our all to God!

At some point we must be sane about life. At some point we must choose life and the life giving words that come from God alone.

In the strength of prayer time, our communication with Him, we reject the world's chatter and the world's abuse. In choosing the Lord we are under His protection...........and our expectancy is the answer from Him that will bring much light, much love, and deliver us into a restored life we were meant to have from the start!

SAD but true, cruelty appears to be on the rise today. And it appears even among those who lead others. Today as you and I take inventory of our lives, will we see the familiar anguish and pain or has our hope been set in the Lord?

We too, can be like Hannah who received a son. Within the love of God and for His glory, Hannah had a son and he became a prophet, Samuel who ministered unto the LORD!

It is more important to be found with God. Hannah's identity was found in Him, and she secured a son. Her security did not depend on any man. She kept her voice vocal about the goodness of God and prayed. Within that prayer time, she became free to become what God had planned for her.

May we choose to take our identity within God! Set your course with those who will see potential in you. Pursue people who will see where you are going and not from where you came from.

Are there any associations we must eliminate from our lives?

Find those who will encourage you in the Word of God. They will be those who will always send you fed with His life in you. 

Today, leave the dead behind and seek the land of the living. Seeks those who live for God and will encourage you to do the same!

Notice: 

New teaching at: Voice of Prayer  

Take Heed No One Deceives You: Growing Cold

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZReVJymmyLo

New teaching at: Life Giving Wells

Holy Spirit: Was Given......and Reveals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYcLj0xy8-c&t=663s

You can also visit my You Tube channel Voice of Prayer 

for more teaching at:  http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

Also visit Life Giving Wells You Tube Channel for more teaching:

http://bit.ly/2wgu1kw

We Must Always Know our Position

Have you ever heard those say, " the baby turned one year old today and everyone is ecstatic about her birthday and everyone is coming to see her take those steps around the room?"
I had heard that recently, and wondered if we ever give thought to those around us, and if they are still growing and changing. You know the adults we have known for years, are they still growing?
My thoughts of course are on those who have the Lord as Savior.
We are to be committed to life long change and that is by seeing we grow in the Word of God and in prayer.

Change will always come, and are we equipped to take the next step into tomorrow?

Back to the baby issue now. People are excited to see the baby's first step and to hear their first verbal sound. Although both parents would quip that the baby just said "mommy" or "daddy"and they speak at the same time. A laughable moment maybe, but do we as the disciples of Jesus continue to grow up.

1 Samuel 2:18-21………..18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, "The LORD give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was lent to the LORD." Then they would go to their own home. 21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD. NKJV

You remember Hannah, right? She was the woman who shared her husband with another woman. Elkanah had two wives. But he was very loving and caring toward Hannah. In all this tribulation that only a man could invite into his home, surely Hannah stood by the grace of God to see the victory.

She was the woman who had no children as her womb was closed. Now for whatever reason, certainly Hannah did not linger on the abusive words that Peninnah had probably spoken to her about her inability to have children. Yet, Hannah kept her focus on the Lord in prayer. It was in 1 Samuel 1:10 that Hannah prayed to the Lord.

Moving on in the scripture we find that Samuel ministered before the LORD. Even as a child, he came to learn the life of a priest before the Lord.  His mother Hannah continued to make robes for him to wear. Year after year, she would make a new robe for him to wear. She gave her first child to the Lord, and she continued to show her love and compassion as the caring mother.

Each time Hannah made the trip to Shiloh, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife Hannah. "The LORD give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was lent to the LORD." That loan was of course Samuel. And the scripture tells us he grew before the LORD.

Are we like Hannah and ready to keep "our cool" when abusive words come to us? What if someone does not like you at school or work?  In studying this scripture, I always wonder how Hannah kept "her cool" when knowing her husband invited another woman into their home. I wonder how she slept at night and worked throughout the day to see this "other woman and her children thriving" and Hannah had only her husband. Did Hannah have a "dream" for the future? Did she see her life different and a life filled with children and laughter? Yet, Hannah kept her focus on the Lord! Do we do as much in situations that arise? Do we keep our eyes on the Lord of glory and expect a victory when all hell seems to break loose against us?

Do we continue to make a commitment to the Lord for His goodness and His word of power for our lives or do we retreat to compete for that recliner in the family room that we regard as "our comfort zone"?

Do we seek out our own plan, and keep the T.V. in eye view so we do not make any decisions for change that we must make?

I write to say, you are not the only one who must make changes. We all have to keep to the right course to end up where we are going on this journey.

I think of those who fly planes. They must make a flight plan and set the right course. While in the air they must be periodically keeping eye on the planes course and continually adjust the course to keep going in the same direction. We too must keep our course set. We must keep the course the Lord has set before us. We just need to ask Him about keeping us on the course of life and not that of destruction.

It will always come back to our abiding to His will for us. WE MUST ALWAYS KNOW OUR POSITION!

GOD, WHAT IS THE RIGHT COURSE ADJUSTMENT FOR US TODAY? WE DESIRE TO BE POSITIONED IN YOU!

SET YOUR COURSE WITH THOSE WHO WILL SEE THE POTENTIAL IN YOU.

PURSUE PEOPLE WHO SEE WHERE YOU ARE GOING AND NOT FROM WHERE YOU CAME FROM.

WHAT ASSOCIATIONS DO WE NEED TO CHANGE?

FIND THOSE WHO WILL ENCOURAGE YOU ALONG THE WAY! THEY WILL BE THOSE WHO ALWAYS SEND YOU ON YOUR WAY WITH WORDS THAT PRODUCE LIFE IN YOU. 

LEAVE THE DEAD BEHIND, SEEK THE LAND OF THE LIVING AND RUN WITH THE "DREAM" THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU!

Father, today I pray for those who read this to have the purpose right before their eyes. I pray that they will see and know without a doubt YOU are in their midst. I pray these will have the right people surround them and speak encouragement and life. I pray that YOU our Father God will send intercessors into their lives. I ask for helpers for each of these people, those who will willingly come alongside them and walk this life journey with them.

Father, You are the strategic God and I ask YOU to strategically align each one praying this with the right people so they might move fully into the right thing YOU have planned for them from the foundation of the world.

Today, Lord, I believe each of these are those willing to continue to grow and become those world changers and history makers. I come against any plan of the enemy to distract and deter them from YOUR plan for them. I plead the Blood of Jesus over the portals of their minds, their wills and their emotions. I plead the Blood of Jesus over their walk with YOU and that they hear YOU guide them by the still small voice. Lord show them the great books, the great songs, the great sermons that are in them even now. And we give YOU glory and praise on this journey of life as we grow beginning those who YOU meant us to be in Jesus' name. Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV) 

What are We Expecting Today?

Do we rise in the morning with no expectation of seeing or accomplishing anything of value as to another, or looking for the miraculous of God's hand intervening in our lives to know He is with us?

Are we seated in the seat of being complacent or do we fan the fire in our bellies to move forward to see the glory of God in our lives, and in those we pray for each day?

We will always find strength in prayer. When we pray the Word of God with the expectancy of seeing the unseen, we believe and trust for the miraculous in our lives.

In the years I ministered at the jail or in the Women's Shelter, I was always coming in to contact with some who thought when they received Jesus as Lord that all their problems would go away. Some thought they would acquire the "rose garden" and move through life without a worry!

As the Lord gave us favor to minister there, we continued to remind people, especially the ladies that in the Bible there are references to women like Hannah who had a painful life. She was the woman who shared her husband with another woman. The other extreme was that Hannah had no children with her husband.

We all can have some kind of painful experience and some may last for years. But when we go to scripture on Hannah, we can remind ourselves of the trust this woman had in her God.

When we move through each sentence describing her life with her husband, to the relationship with the other woman and the lack of no children, we view Hannah as the abused even within her own home.

But true stands the testimony that her worship was to her God. Even though she suffered terribly by verbal abuse from the other woman, Hannah never stopped sharing her heart with the Lord. She would pray out (1 Samuel 1:10) to the Lord and express the pain she was dealing with in her life.

Whatever the total amount of problems in her marriage, she always gained strength in prayer!

So do I rise in the morning with no expectation of seeing or accomplishing anything of value for say my family? Do  I rise today and look for the hand of the ALL MIGHTY GOD to show His arm strong in my life? Will today be just about me and my selfishness and pleasure or is my life set for the godly purpose to God's plan as was Hannah's?

Prayer should be our life-line straight to God's hearing. As we see in the scripture, Hannah devoted herself to prayer and expressed her confidence in the Lord for the answers she so desperately needed.

Will our lives mirror hers in relationship to the Lord? Will we continue to keep communication lines open in prayer and expect God's hand and power to flow in and through our circumstances?

Hannah, was wanting a child, and she got a son who she gave to the Lord. Hannah got her desire and willing gave without hesitation her child to the Lord's service. What faith! What true beauty of trust this woman had in the Lord! No matter the tribulation or trial, Hannah came through victoriously. She had a wonderful reason to praise the Lord. In all of her praise and thankfulness in heart, she received more children in her union with her husband.

No, it is not a "rose garden" and trials come and go, but our expectancy is in the Lord. For He will do valiantly, and the more our trust is in Him, the more ease and peace we will rest in knowing He has our back.

"Lord, stir us today to be powerful. Cause prayer to be as natural to us as breathing is to us. Today we come with praise and worship and through this prayer, we pour out our hearts before You! We need direction in our lives. We will not hesitate to give You honor and praise, as we fellowship with You, and as we pray to You, we have Your ear that hears us speak the desire of our heart.  We desire to co-operate with You and receive instruction for what we may face today. We thank You for illuminating situations we may not understand. We are thankful for the light of Your Word to come into those places we need to see and to make decisions made in truth, integrity and without pain and difficulty. We say thank YOU Lord, for showing and revealing to us the hidden things we need to know. We give thanks for Your wisdom and all things You have given to us that pertain to life and godliness. Thank You in advance of any warnings we may need. Thank You for the good plan You have for us today. As we keep step with You, we know You will continue to show us all the wonderful information You have coming to us today in Jesus' name. Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV)