The Power of Prayer | Pr Gloria Paul

You're listening to a message to go from acts Church. We hope this message

will light up your day. I'm going to preach about, you know,

the power of prayer today, Yeah, the power of prayer. And we're

going to go into a book that is entitled First Samuel. Okay, if

you're not familiar with this book, First Samuel, chapter one and chapter two.

Okay, if you have your Bibles, you can turn with us.

How many of you are familiar with the story about Hannah. Have you heard

of this name? Yeah, Hannah. And we're going to just even draw

from this book about what or what it means to Hannah when it comes to

prayer, okay, And how did she even have that personal relationship, the

personal encounter with God? Yeah? Right, So the power of prayer.

Right. Remember we always talk about you know, communication, Communication is important.

We all know that. You know, be in relationship, family,

friends, you can only grow when your communication is strong. It's good,

right, And that and prayer is the language of communication with God. Okay.

If you want to grow deeper with God, you need to communicate with

him. Yeah, It's simple as that. And that is how practical our

walk is as a Christian, as a believer, right, it's to develop

a prayer life with God. Yeah. So we're gonna just even read from

First Samuel chapter one today and yeah, so let's just read this. Yeah,

I'm going to read from the n LT version. Okay, So it

says, Yeah, there was a man named al Kana who lived in Rama,

in the region of zuf in the hill country of Hefrim. He was

the son of Jeroham, son of Ilu Whu, son of Tohu, son

of Suf of Efrem who I'm pronouncing this correctly, okay. Al Kana had

two wives, Hannah and Pinana. Pinana had children, but Hannah did not

cheer. Alcanna would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice the Lord of Heaven's

armies at the tabernacle. The priests of the Lord at that time were the

two sons of el Hofni and Pinana's was fall. On the days Alcana presented

his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Pinana and each of

her children, and though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one

choice portion because the Lord had not given her children. So Pinana would taunt

Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children.

Year after year it was the same. Pinana would taunt Hannah as they

went to the tabernacle. Each time Hannah would be reduced to tears and would

not even eat. Was eight. Why are you crying Hannah? Alcana would

ask, why aren't you eating? Why be downhearted? Just because you have

no children? You have me? Isn't that better than having ten sons.

Let's just pause here just to understand a bit of a context here. Hannah

has a husband, yeah, and yes, of course two wives like not

no, which is the first and the second? Right, But we can

see that the scripture says here she was going through a lot because she did

not have a child. Again, as we know back in those days,

if you do not have a good child, then you're downcasts, right,

because being part of a culture is that, you know, you have to

be fruitful multiply. That is how you're seen as a woman, you know.

So she was going through that, that sorrow of not having a child.

And what made it worse was the other wife kept pulling her right and

saying nasty things to her just because she don't have a child. So she's

just showing off, right, just because I have kids and you do not.

And the scriptures mentioned that the husband showed a little bit more favor to

the wife who had kids and not to Hannah because Hannah did not was not

able to bear a child. Yea, So this kept repeating. The scriptures

mentioned every time they go to the tabernacle, she would go through this tormenting

okay, speaking about bullying, speaking about sorrow. This was all the emotions

that Anna had to go through. Yea. And if you notice it was

six it says, yeah, that the Lord had kept her from having children.

Okay, just taking note of that, we will go into that in

a bit, right. So this is how Anna is as a person.

Just want you to first understand the context because knowing who she is and what

she encountered pretty much explains the need for her of wanting an encounter with God.

That's how desperate she was. Right, And if you think about it,

there were there could be two ways that she could turn out to be.

Either she could grow bitter, you know, not having a child.

God is not answering my prayer. I'm being a tough time at home right

with the other wife should have gone through the other side okay. But as

we read on the scriptures, you will notice that Anna did not go bitter,

but she turned to God. Okay, and that is what made her

prayer life so powerful that we can learn something out of it today. Right,

So let's continue towards nine. Okay, it says. Yeah. Once,

after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray

Eli, the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the

tabernacle. Anna was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed the Lord,

and she made this vow, Oh, Lord of Heaven's armies, if

you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son,

then I will give him back to you. That's a prayer to God.

Yeah, she was sorrowful, she was an anguish, and she just

saying, God, this is how I'm feeling. Could you please give me

a child and I will give him back to you. Then she continues saying,

he will be yours for his entire lifetime. And as a sign that

he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair, his hair will never

be cut. As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her,

seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound. He thought she had been drinking.

Must you come here drunk? He demanded, True away your wine or

no, sir, She replied, I haven't been drinking wine or anything stronger.

But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to

the Lord. Don't think I'm a wicked woman, for I have been praying

out of great anguish and sorrow. And it was seventeen Eli said, go

in peace. May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of

him, and was eighteen Or thank you, sir, she exclaimed. Then

she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer said

man, So we can notice something about the scripture here, what took place

before she prayed, How she was feeling with all the emotion during the prayer,

how she came to God. She's just being very vulnerable. I mean,

for the fact that the priest thought she was drunk, you can imagine

what kind of a state she was. Not a very pretty looking state,

right, she was just a troubled, sorrowful crying. Yeah, so she

was not at the right place. And after prayer, how she turned up

to be okay, But the scripture says that she went back and she began

to eat. Let's say something, you know, because on your trouble,

you don't want to eat, you don't want to respond to whatever's going on.

But she just was able to go back to the normal routine, right,

she was able to just feel a liberty within her. Yeah. And

as we read on the remaining scriptures, we see that God answers a prayer.

He blesses her with a son. Okay. The son is named Samuel,

and then he grows there and then we will see what we can catch

from here. So a couple of questions that are just like you all to

think about here is what does prayer actually mean to you? Yeah? Is

it just a ritual? Sometimes you can get so caught up with that.

Yeah, just okay, I start the day with the Lord's prayer? Well,

nothing wrong with that. It's a very powerful prayer. Yeah, But

how do we say it? You know? In what kind of a poisture?

Do we come before God the condition of our hearts? Do we just

put up a nice show to say God, okay this and and try to

use big words, yeah, or do we come to him just being vulnerable,

right, because emotions are real, you know, when we go through

things in life. So what is prayer to us? Because the thing that

we can learn from Hannah year is that she prayed, and her prayer influence

not just herself, meaning it's not just for her to have a child,

but it impacted an entire generation. Right. It was because of Samuel it

led on, and that is when we have the lineage of Jesus. Did

you know that? Yeah? And the New Testament you'll see that it is

this Samuel's lineage. We have David coming and then from their Jesus. And

that was how powerful her prayer was. Okay, And if you notice a

prayer, it was not a very big long word youth. It was a

simple prayer being vulnerable, and most importantly, the condition of her heart saying

God, I know you can answer my prayer. A faith, her trust,

a belief in God. He man. I'm going to share with you

three points today, right, three points to help you remember what prayer is.

The next time you communicate with God or the next time you go through

things, how do you turn to God? Right? Because how you pray

is influenced by how you see God. Right, we think about it,

how you praise your influence? How do you see God? The same thing

like how when you go to a friend is because you know, Okay,

this friend is someone I can trust, and so you share your heart.

Maybe not all friends, you will do that, right, And so how

you see God is how you pray. If you see him as an as

your abba father, you'll speak to him as that, right, a god

who listens, who doesn't judge his promises remains. If you see him as

your healer, you'll go to him when you're feeling unwell. Right, If

you see him as your provider, you'll go to him no matter what your

need is. So prayer speaks a lot about how we see God. Let's

have a heart check. How do we see God? Are there things that

are holding us back? Because sometimes the waiting, if you're waiting for so

long, things are not going on, prayers are not answered, you can

go further from God and you're saying, Okay, God, I just don't

know what to pray, right, And it can just go on as that.

But would you be able to still trust God as how Anna trusted yeah,

as how and not trust it? So the first point I'd like to

share with all of us. Is the first P is priority? Right,

Priority Hannah knew where to take her problems too when she went through that whole

emotion sorrow. I mean, the scriptures doesn't see how long she went through

it. But I mean to think about it, it could have not been

an overnight thing, right, It's been some time she's been praying and crying

and desiring for a child. But yet she did not choose to grow bitter.

Right, she's not just you know, think about even In fact,

even a husband told at one point of the chapter, why do you bother

of not having a child? Because I love you? Right, you have

me, so why are you concerned? So she had that as well,

so she could have you know, went another way, you know, trusting

and leaning on the people around her. But yet she went on her knees

and prayed. Right, Priority Hannah was set apart to be a model of

what it means to pray fervently. Yeah, she stood alone, and as

we saw on the temple, she was all there by herself. Remember we're

talking about a time and age where it's not normal for just a woman to

be there all by themselves in the temple. You know, praying and interceding.

It's usually with the covering of her husband or a man, right,

because that was how leadership was like in those days. But yes, she

is all by herself, down on her knees and saying God, this is

my need, this is my cry. Yeah. That speaks a lot about

her faith and how she sees God her priority, right, a priority.

Things were out of her control, but she went to God. Okay,

And just a just an encouragement to all of us today. You know,

when we go through tough times, who is it that we usually go to

first? Yeah? Who's the first person that we go to? How do

we deal with our emotions? Do we post it in social media, you

know, wanting assurance and comments from people? Right? Or do we just

go and talk to people about it? I mean it's okay to get counsel

encouragement. Yeah, but could God be your first person then you go to

when you go through emotions, when you go through hardships? Right? Would

you turn to God first? Right? Would you turn to God first?

Because it met you eleven twenty eight It reminds us come to me, all

you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest take

my yoke upon you and learn from from me, for I'm gentle and lowly

in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. If you're finding

rests today, can I encourage you to go to God, go down on

your knee, just be vulnerable with him, and he meets you where you

are. Amen. Right, So we see that because she did that,

because prayer was a priority, she walked out feeling the peace. Right,

that's what the scripture tells us. That she could eat again, she could

go back to a normal routine, you know. And as you read on,

encourage you to read chapter two as well. When you at the time

the whole of chapter one, you will notice that God did not just give

her one child, give her five other children, boys and girls, you

know. And so she was blessed beyond what she could even imagine. She

asked for one child, and in fact, that one child, she was

willing to say, God, I'm going to give this child to you.

And that is what God sees. He sees your heart, right, it

sees what you would do when you pray for that need that's in your heart.

Yeah. So going back to that question for us to reflect when we

speak about priority, who is that first person that you bring your concerns to

And what do you do when you're feeling troubled? Yeah, what do you

do when you're feeling trouble? Because I believe it's I mean, God wouldn't

want us to just push away our emotions. Right, that's a time and

place for that. But could you instead bring that emotions to God and say,

God, this is how I'm feeling. Could you come and meet me?

Could you come and take over? Right? Take over? The Book

of John, it reminds us that he overcame the world. It says in

the world you will go through tribulation in John's sixteen. Yeah, in the

world you'll go through tribulation. But I have overcame the world. So as

believe us, we can be rest assured that no matter what comes our way,

with all the things that may be seeing around us, being in the

country, around the world, in our personal lives, we can be rest

assured that He has overcome the world. Amen. And because of that,

he has given us the peace. So every time you go through something tough,

just remember the scripture because He has overcame. He has done it all

for us. Amen. Right. The second pe that we can learn from

Hannah is patience. How many of you like the wit patience? Yeah?

In fact, if you if you look out, another meaning for wait is

patience, right, patience In every situation, God's timing is perfect. And

do you notice that waiting has always been part of our lives no matter what

season of a life you're in. Okay, be a child, Okay,

be and adult. We just don't like waiting, right, But if it's

part of our lives, don't you think God is sometimes teaching us something out

of it? It made me wonder, right because in that waiting is when

it didn't I mean, what our actions are? We den't meine how we

are responding, how we trusting God? You know? Are we turning away

from are we choosing to just you know, persevere and keep going? How

what do we speak and declare in that waiting? Right? Do we say

negativity? You know? Do we just speak the words of lies? Or

do we go back to the word of God? You know? Do we

still choose to praise Him? Right? It isn't that waiting because Anna had

the period of waiting, because the scripture says God closed the womb, so

meaning that it was intentional God was trying to teach us something because you know

what, she was not just giving a birth to one son, but it

was a son that was going to lead the entire generation. He was one

of the judges, you know, anointed David. And then, like I

said, Jesus came out of that lineage. So sometimes we could be in

that waiting. But God is preparing us for something bigger, and only he

knows whether we are prepared for it. Right. And because what we see

as humans is only just this. I only see what's in front of me

life, right, that's it, But I can't see the few, teacher,

or sometimes even once we look at the past, we hold on to

the past too much. But we serve a God who can see the future.

Amen. Right. He sees what's going to happen many years down the

road. Right. And that is why you're saying hold on, because there's

a long way ahead of you. I'm going to take you to places where

you have not even imagine. I'm gonna, you know, allow you to

fulfill those dreams are placed in your heart. So why don't you just stay

put and trust me? Amen? Stay put and trust me? Because when

she did that, we see how Samuel grew. Okay, it's gonna give

you some portion of scriptures here. In First Samuel two twenty one, it

says Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord. In Samuel two twenty six,

again it says Samuel grew in favor with the Lord and man. So

she gave her to a son who did not just you know, go on

normal the normal routine of life. But he went on getting favor from men,

from leaders, kings. And in First Samuel three nineteen it says the

Lord was with him, revealed himself, spoke to him, and as we

know in those days, visions and you know, getting prophecies when we're not

very common. It happened, but not as common, and Samuel was one

of those who actually received those voices. He could hear even as a young

boy in the temple when he was the priest, he started hearing God calling

him, you know. And that was the kind of son that God blessed

Hannah. And now you understand why the waiting was important, because she it's

a important person that she's bringing to the world. Right, so her faith

was tested. But when her faith was tested, God gathered the strength to

go through it. So in your waiting, don't be discouraged because God gives

you the ability to trust, to wait, to be strengthened. You're not

all by yourself. Yeah. That that is why we see how Hannah was

not downcast. She could wake up, go and eat, go back to

a normal routine. And then God opened a womb and gave her the prayer

that she's praying for amen. Yeah. In Second Peter three eight to nine,

it says, but beloved, do not forget this one thing that with

the Lord, one day is as thousand years and a thousand years as one

day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise. Remember, God has

not forgotten you, as some counts slackness. But it's long suffering toward us,

not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

In fact, in the New Living Translation, it says, he's being

patient for your sake. Yeah, God is being patient for your sake.

Is waiting When is this boy gonna listen to me? When is this girl

going to listen to me? Right? And that is why he's just meeting

that you will answer that call, or you're saying, okay, honest,

let go honest surrender, then he will answer that prayer. Yeah. So

he has not forgotten any of us. In fact, if you're here in

this world, he has a plan. Yeah, he has a plan.

You're not forgotten. In Pro sixty nine, it says a man's heart plans

his way, but the law directs his steps. So go on planning,

right, having those dreams, having those desires. But what's important is to

allow God to direct those steps. Yeah. The word of God says that

his word is a lamb unto our feet. So if you're looking for a

direction, they'll just rely on your gps and ways because even that can fail

you at times. But God never fails. Yeah, he never feels,

he never forsakes, He has never forgotten you. Amen. Yeah, so

wait patience. Yeah. So the question I have for all of us today

is do you trust in God's perfect timing? If you're going to ask you

that question, would you be able to say yes or maybe or no?

If it's no, then why bring it to God? Because there can be

concerns, There could be disappointments in the past that you're saying I still can't

trust. But guess what if you bring that emotion to God? He ministers

to you. He builds that trust and faith right, and what steps can

you take to trust God's timing? Remember, the word of God is not

rocket science. It is not being over spiritual. It's just what you do

on a daily basis. Yeah, what do you read every day? Who

do you speak to? Are you speaking with people who have the same faith

or people who have confidence? You know, who can stir your fit and

say, hey, come on, it's okay. Yes, you have your

time when you're feeling down, you're going you're going through a tough time,

but let's rise up. Let's trust. God is able. Yeah, in

a while, you're going to hear a testimony. Yeah, it's gonna be

good. Powerful, and testimonies are something that keeps us going. You know,

when we hear people's stories, we know that God is alife, he

is moving. And if you have those stories, don't keep it to yourselves

because you never know how that story is going to impact someone. To you,

it may be always just another story, but no, to someone it

could be I'm waiting for this briacture And because I heard your story, I

know that God is able to do that same thing in my life as well.

Yeah, so steps that you could take. Okay, who do you

speak to? Are you communicating with God? Like I said, you can

only build that relationship when you communicate with him, you know, when you

have that personal encounter. Okay, you must have your own altar that you

build with God. Amen. Yeah, So let's desire that you could be

in this waiting. You could be saying, I'm losing my patience, but

do not give up because God has not given up on us. So why

should be right? Why should we man? Yeah, so you got it,

priority, patience, and the third pea that we have is praise,

right, praise. Now, God works in the timing. God works in

the waiting. And if you notice Hannah's prayer, she said, God,

if you give me a child, I'm going to give him back to you.

I know what she did. She did that, you know, she

gave that child back to the temple and he grew up, you know,

becoming a prophet and did great things for God. So Anna was, you

know, like I said, set apart to be the mother of Samuel,

you know, and he played a vital role in Israel's transition from the time

of Judges to the time of King of Israel. Until New Testament. And

the thing about Hannah's prayer is that not just happened right away, but it

was in the course of a time. Right, It took time. But

in that period of waiting, she chose to praise God, right, she

chose to just say, God, you take over, let your will to

be done. And I think sometimes it's just good to take note of how

we see our praise. You know, we can get a little bit adamant,

like I want it this way, I want it now. Right.

I'm sure parents have heard this many times. I want it now. But

as parents, I'm sure there's a reason why you'll say wait in due time.

Right, you're gonna get it, but just wait, you know.

And the same thing is with our our father as well, because as a

parent, I'm sure you are to wait because honestly, this kid is gonna

just not throw their tandrum, okay, but to be patient and listen.

Yeah. And the same thing is with God. In that waiting. Can

you choose to praise God? Can you choose to turn to him? Yeah?

So the question that we have today is are we ready to give unto

God what he has blessed us with? So you're gonna pray for a new

promotion. Would you when you get that promotion, would you be able to

still serve God? Would you still be able to give your time to him?

Right? If you're going to be prayed for a break true for healing,

would you still then go on and pray for others and share the testimony

to others because nothing good should be kept, you should be sharing it.

Yeah, So just trust and take strength in this that God's timing is always

perfect and God never makes any mistakes. Amen. Yeah, So the bit

of a rush today, but I hope you caught something here. Yeah,

it's to make prayer. Your priority is to wait, have patience, and

in that patience, if you feel that you're losing patience, then talk to

God, right, talk to leaders, talk to those who care for you

to journey and to cheer you on. Right, and in that waiting,

choose to praise God. Amen. Yeah. And I'm just going to close

with this. This invite extreme as well. But if you're seated here today

and you're saying, well, the prayers, I mean, the message sounds

good. Prayer. Yes, I know, priority patience, but what if

I've been praying for many years now and prayers are not answered yet, What

am I going to do? Yeah? I just want to encourage us that,

you know, we can hold our disappointments. Yeah, we can hold

that that that emotion, you know that whatever that we're making us feel down

and continue to pray. You know, you can do it at the same

time. Yeah, like I said, there's no need for us to suppress

or push our emotions because we are humans. There's a reason why God made

us to cry, to laugh, you know, to go through all these

things. Yeah, Jesus himself went through that. But do you know that

you can be waiting and seeking the lot. You can be skeptical, like,

Okay, what's going to happen with my future? But I can be

confident with the word of God. I can be trembling, right, I

can be worried, but I can be trusting. I can still choose to

trust God. So it's like in your right hand, I have all my

feelings, I have my emotions. I'm saying, oh this is how I'm

feeling. I'm troubled, I'm worried. But in my right hand, I'm

lifting praises to God and I'm saying, God, I can go through all

this because that's how limited our human minds are. But you are big,

you are great a man, and I just want you too if you're if

you're going through that, you know, if you're waiting and you know,

just figuring out emotions. Go back and read the book of Lamentation. Yeah,

Lamentation is a book from the Old Testament. And in fact, Lamentation

is it looks like a journal. You know, it's a journal. But

if you read chapter one, chapter two, you'll be wondering, Okay,

where is this guy heading too? Because it's by Jeremiah, who is sharing

his heart out, is saying, God, why have you forsaken? You

know, why is this all happening to me? Why are we struggling?

And this and that? But as you read on, you will notice in

chapter tree, yeah, chapter Tree, Worse twenty one, I'm just going

to read this year, it says yet, okay, he says all these

feelings of emotions, right, But in Worse twenty one it says, yet

I still dare to hope when I remember this. The faithful love of the

Lord never ends, His mercies never sees amen. Yeah, great is his

faithfulness. His mercies begin afresh each morning, and I say to myself,

the Lord is my inheritance. Therefore I will hope in Him. Amen.

So the Bible is an example to us that we can hold on to that

emotion. But let's not let go of God, because He is not letting

go of us. He is our portion, He is our everything man.

Our hope is not just on an answered prayer, but Jesus himself. So

if you're waiting and praying for something, maybe God is just trying to draw

you closer to Him. In that waiting, would you open your hearts?

Would you say, Lord, just come take over all that I'm feeling.

I mean, yes, I want this desire to be met, but may

it be in your timing, or maybe you even have something better. Right,

just have that conversations with him and he will meet you where you are.

Men will meet you where you are. Nothing is a coincidence. Yeah,

nothing is a coincidence. The very reason you are here sitting listening to

this message is part of his Splen's, part of his splen. He knows

the depths of your hearts. In fact, he knows the times when you're

all by yourself, crying and sobbing and say God, no one understands me.

But he says he understands you. He knows you. Even from the

time you in your mother's womb, God already knew you. Hey man,

we hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information on our church,

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I hit for you. God bless