1 Samuel opens by telling us about Elkanah, Hannah's husband. He had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. The Bible sums the situation up in just one sentence, "Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children." (1 Sam. 1:2) Oh! If it were only that simple.
Children were a blessing to a family; a woman's very worth was tied to her womb. Hannah not only had to live with the fact that she could not have children, she had to share a home with a woman who could! It is one thing to know I can't have something. It's another thing altogether to have someone who does have what I long for so desperately wave it in my face 24/7. The Bible says that Peninnah provoked Hannah. She taunted her and made her life miserable.
Hannah's response to her situation was one that I could say I made more often--she prayed. She did not try to fix the situation on her own. The Bible does not say she tried to get Elkanah to have sex with her more often to increase the chances of her getting pregnant, or that she tried to take revenge on Peninnah, but rather, Scripture says that she went to God about her problem.
She prayed and wept over her situation before the Lord--so much so, until the priest, Eli, thought she was drunk. In verse 14, Eli accuses Hannah of being drunk, an accusation that Hannah denies and shares that it was "out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.” (vs.17) Have you ever been so full of grief that you prayed like a drunk woman? Has your heart every been so heavy that your soul would not allow sound to escape from your lips, only groans of agony and utterances of grief? I have been there.
Hannah promised God that if He would grant her a son, she would give that son back to Him. The key to Hannah's prayer was her partnership with God's purpose and promise to give back to God whatever He gave through her womb. Hannah understood that whatever God blessed her with belonged to Him. Hers was not a selfish prayer for status or position; hers was a prayer of birthing. She asked God to birth something through her that would be used for His glory.
What are we asking God to birth in us today? More importantly WHY are we asking God for it? What are the motives of our hearts?
My husband and I recently began our own company, and one of the first questions we asked ourselves was, "Why do we want to do this?" Was this just to make a lot of money? Was it to have status or position or have others to look at us? If those were our motives, we could never have began this journey. Our goal has always been to glorify God and serve His people. We want to establish an inheritance for our children and to develop a foundation for our families, but at the end of the day, we want to honor Him in all that we do. So our prayer for Dent Enterprises, Inc. was a birthing prayer. We asked God to bring to bear all of the gifts and talents that He deposited deep within us to help us launch a business that would change our communities and impact our city for His Kingdom.
What is your birthing prayer? Is it to start your own business? Publish a book? Get that promotion?
Whatever your request, make sure that your motives are aligned with God's.
Because Hannah prayed, no one could deny her request but God. She did not worry herself with her enemy, Peninnah. She didn't even nag or bother her husband, Elkanah. She prayed. She partnered with God and the purpose He had for her life. And she made God a promise to give whatever He gave to her back to Him.
After Hannah explains herself to the priest, Eli pronounces a blessing over her request and Hannah goes away. The Bible says that her face was no longer sad and she ate. She was able to move forward with her life because she truly gave her concerns over to the Lord. How many times have we put it all on the altar, only to pack it back up and take it with us when we leave? God requires us to give it over to Him and allow Him to work things out His way, in His time.
Hannah found favor in the sight of God. He opens her womb, and by the time we get to the end of the chapter we find her nursing her promise, preparing to return him to the God who gave him to her. In real life, things don't go that quickly. In reality Hannah's promise did not come that quickly.
The Bible says in verses 19-20 that God remembered her and that in the process of time, she conceived and bore a son. Know that our requests begins a process in heaven, and that it is the process that brings about the promise. We don't know how long it took God for Hannah's prayer to be answered, but we know that God remembered and that there was a process.
Whatever you're facing today, whatever birthing prayer you are praying, know that God remembers you and that in the process of time, He will bring it to pass.
Until the Divas meet again, may your birthing pains be minimal, but know that birth is a process. Go through the process to receive your promise!
Pastor J-
The Divine Diva
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