Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: Hannah says, "Lord, this is my situation, this is my problem, and the only one that can solve my problem is You." She was barren because it wasn't God's time. God had brought her to that place not having children so that when she came to the Lord, she was open to whatever God wanted to do through her life. And God saw her heart.

Male Announcer: Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Well, as we continue our study of Christian Mothers, Raul Ries will challenge you to persevere in faith-filled prayer for your children.

Whether you're waiting on God's timing for a child or you're trusting the Lord with the specific needs of your young people, you can be confident that each prayer is heard. Stay with us for assurance that God will answer in His perfect timing and way. Let's join Raul Ries in 1st Samuel, chapter 1.

Raul Ries: And here we have a story about a woman by the name of Hannah in the Old Testament. Let me begin by reading beginning with verse 1 what he says: "And now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, and the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, and the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. And he had two wives," that's already a problem, two wives. You can only take one, but he had two wives in that culture. "And the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other was Peninnah. And Peninnah had children but Hannah had no children."

Now, can you imagine the first wife has children but the second wife has no children? The husband loves Hannah tremendously, but then his wife, the first wife, is making fun of Hannah every day because she has no children. But here Hannah, imagine had no children, watching Peninnah's kids and then having her mock her and harass her. He goes on to say verse 3: "And this man went up to the city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh."

Shiloh was destroyed by the Philistines, but this was a place where they would go and worship the Lord. "And this man went up to the city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. Also, the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priest of the Lord were there." Now, you have to understand that Eli was the priest at that time. His sons were laying with women and they were stealing money from the temple and they were priests.

Later on in the story you get to see that not in this but you've got to continue in the chapters that God takes time and He wipes out his sons. And when they come and tell Eli that his sons have been wiped out, because he was a heavy man, he leaned back and he went back and he broke his neck and he died too. God had brought judgment upon Eli's house because of what they did.

And you look at the scripture here verse 3, the importance of worship. That's why when we come here and we worship the Lord before we teach the word of God, we want to prepare your hearts to receive God's word. We want to prepare also not only to let you worship the Lord, but we want you to look back at your life this week or the rest of the month, how have you treated other people, what have you done that is not right before the Lord.

We want you to prepare your hearts so that when the word of God is given, the word of God will convict you and change your life. So when you leave here you didn't just come to church, you came here because you wanted to hear God's word and God's word was transforming your life. The worship of God in the temple. He goes on again in verse 4, and this is incredible, he says: "And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters."

So he would sacrifice for his sons, for his first wife, and here is Hannah verse 5: "But to Hannah, he would give a double portion for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb." She couldn't have babies. Maybe you're here today and you're not able to have babies, children. Many times people get bitter toward God because they feel, "Well, I don't have children because God is cursing me or God is punishing me," but not so. That's not true.

Because we see here in verse 5 that even though Hannah had no children and her husband loved her, he gave her a double portion. Verse 6 says: "And her rival also provoked her severely to make her miserable because the Lord had closed her womb." She was making fun of her every day. It's like God gave me children but too bad you don't have any children.

There are people like this that are constantly harassing, provoking, and putting people down and making fun of people. You have to be careful with that because the Lord not only loves each one of us individually, but He wants us to understand that if we're in His perfect will, then it was God's perfect will for her to not have children, for the other to have children.

He said: "And it was year by year when she went up to the house of the Lord that she provoked her, therefore Hannah wept and did not eat." She went into fasting. It broke her heart that she was being made fun of. And then it says: "And Elkanah her husband said to her, 'Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?'" He had compassion on her. He saw what was going on and he's asking her why do you weep, why do you not eat, and why is your heart grieved. Of course, we know the problem: no children. No children.

So Hannah got up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. "And now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord." So they were in the tabernacle, they were worshipping the Lord, which once a year they would go to worship the Lord. And Eli is sitting there and here's Hannah, watch what happens, verse 10: "And so she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish."

Her heart was sorrowful. She couldn't believe that she didn't have a baby. She prayed, no answer. She wept in anguish, no answer. Verse 11: "And then she made a vow and said, 'O Lord of Hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your servant and remember me and not forget Your maidservant, but You will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life and no razor shall come upon his head.'"

"Lord, if You give me a child I'll give him right back to You." You see that would be something that a lot of women wouldn't do. They've been praying for a child for a long time and now they have the child and they become kind of covetous with that child, "I'm not going to give him to anyone, I'm going to take him and I'm going to keep him for myself."

But she would not do that. She spoke with God and said, "Lord, You haven't given me a child but I'll tell You what, God, if You give me a child I'll give him right back to You." He goes on because he would take the vow of a Nazirite, which means they couldn't cut their hair and they wouldn't drink any wine or any fermented thing because they were Nazirites.

Verse 12: "And it happened as she continued praying," notice her consistency in prayer before the Lord, "that Eli watched her mouth." So she was outside praying and all he could see was her mouth actually moving, but there was no voice speaking out of her mouth in the prayer. "And now Hannah spoke in her heart" as she's praying. "Only her lips was moving but her voice was not heard, therefore Eli thought that she was drunk."

Notice that misjudging her. How many times you and I misjudge people. Maybe somebody's misjudged you. And it was hard because here she's opening her heart before the Lord and Eli the priest thinks that she's been drinking because she was moving her lips. And then it says this, verse 14: "So Eli said to her, 'How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you.'"

Again misjudging Hannah fully, completely. If you've been drinking then put it away if you come to the temple. "But Hannah answered and said, 'No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink.'" Now notice what it says here, there was a wine that was not intoxicating that they would drink but then there was a wine that would be intoxicating and they could get drunk. That's why in the Proverbs in chapter 20 verse 1 he says wine is a mocker and those that drink it are stupid. That's what he said in the Proverbs.

Wine, intoxicated, will bring you to do things you never thought you could do. Anything that is alcohol. She says: "But Hannah answered and said, 'No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.'" Notice I'm crying before the Lord, she responds.

Verse 16: "Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken even until now." What is she doing? She shares her heart with the priest Eli. I think it's important for us to share our hearts with Jesus. Nobody can understand it only Jesus. Maybe you're going through some difficult times in your life today.

Maybe something's happened drastically in your life and maybe you don't want to really talk to people, but you can talk to the Lord anytime you want to. All you have to do is come to Him. Just like Hannah. Hannah says, "Lord, this is my situation, this is my problem, and the only one that can solve my problem is You. You, Lord." That's why I poured out my soul before the Lord. That's the real reason that she did that.

Male Announcer: You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. It's our joy to come alongside you as you follow the Lord's leading for your life. Visit somebodylovesyou.com to browse through our full array of Bible-based resources, including Raul's six-lesson series for moms, available on CD or USB. Now back to more with Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: Verse 16: "Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken even until now." Notice she shares her heart again before the Lord. "For out of the abundance of my complaint," she was complaining about the other woman, "and grief I have spoken even until now." And then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace and the God of Israel will grant your petition which you have asked of Him." God listening to our prayers. God answers her prayer.

What seems to be your prayer that you don't feel that God has answered it? There's a lot of prayers. The Bible even says in the Book of Revelation that we have all these prayers as parents, grandparents, we pray for our children and grandchildren. That a lot of times you'll pass away and people say, "Well, He never answered their prayer."

But it says in Revelation that the prayer of the saints are actually surrounding the throne of God, they're in the presence of the Lord. And sometimes those prayers are answered when you and I are in heaven. Maybe not now, but they will be answered according to the will of God. I don't know what you're going through, I don't know what your prayer is, but I surely learned from her as she prayed, "But I poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken even until now."

Notice complaint and grief. She was speaking to the Lord. Verse 17 he says, and then Eli answered and said to her, "Go in peace and the God of Israel shall grant your petition which you have asked of the Lord." Go home, you will have a baby. Now Eli went before the Lord because Eli had those two sons that were wicked.

But Eli understood that she was praying, she was simple, she wanted to have a baby and probably Eli received this petition was answered by Eli and let her know, "God spoke to me, you're going to have a baby next year." Can you imagine going home by faith listening to what Eli the priest said and sitting and waiting what God would do in my life in one year?

Verse 18 he says: "And she said, 'Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.'" So the woman went her way, she ate and her face was transformed, no longer sad. A different woman now. A woman that had heard from the Lord. A woman that loved God. A woman that by faith believed God that God will do this as He said He would do it and will complete it not in my time but in His time.

We got to understand that in His time, not our time. Many times people get bitter toward God because He hasn't done what they say. I don't know what you're praying for. What I did when I came to Christ, and I've said the story before, that I had all these friends and my family that I wanted to see them saved.

So I got a piece of paper, I got a pen, I wrote their name and the date that I wrote, and then to watch and see how long it would take for that person to be saved. And in that sheet there were different dates. As God began to save my family, as God began to save my friends, and at the present time God continues to do so many things in our lives. God works.

God is true. Can you imagine how she felt when she was released, that God would answer her prayer and that she would be rejoicing before the presence of the Lord and now she could go home and have peace in her life because God spoke to her. She was a woman that believed in God and God spoke to her heart. Verse 19: "And then they got up early in the morning." And what did they do? "They worship before the Lord." That's the first thing we should do in the morning, worship the Lord.

The first thing when we get on our knees or we stand or we sit, whatever, we should worship the Lord thanking Him for giving me another day, another night, another week, another year. In the Book of Hebrews 9:27 it says there's a time for a man to die and then the judgment comes. A man will die and then the judgment will come.

Everybody has a day they will die. We don't know that day, only God knows that day. Then he rose up early verse 19, they rose up early in the morning and worshipped the Lord before the Lord and returned and came to the house at Ramah. And Elkanah notice knew Hannah his wife sexually and she got pregnant. Look at: "And the Lord remembered her."

God keeps His word. Remember that. God keeps His word. He doesn't retract His word. He stands on His word. She got pregnant. Nine months later she had a baby. Verse 20: "And so it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son," nine months later, "and called his name Samuel." You know what that means? Asked of God.

I prayed and I asked God and He gave me a baby boy. God answers prayer. And she named him Samuel, asked of God, and God gave me a little male child. Again in verse 20: "Saying because I have asked for him from the Lord." Again recognizing, knowing, this happened because I prayed and God answered my prayer. God answered my prayer. And the reason because He loves me and He cares for me.

I don't know how many prayers God has answered in your life, but I would never give up. One thing that I have to be careful in my life is that I make sure that I have repented and I'm living a holy life before the Lord. That He hears me when I pray, that He knows me when I come to Him, and that He blesses me with my family and He blesses me with the word of God and everything that He wants to bless me with, He will do that in His time.

Not in my time. He goes on verse 21: "And now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice in his vow." So they all came up again to offer their sacrifices. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned, then I will take him that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever."

This is what she says: "As soon as the child becomes a little old enough, I'm going to take him to the temple and I'm going to present him to the Lord." We don't baptize children, we present them to the Lord. This is where we get our doctrine here. We present them to the Lord. We don't baptize infants because there's nothing in the Bible of baptizing infants.

We present them unto God and God can take care of them, God can do whatever He wants to do with them. Look what it says verse 23: "And so Elkanah her husband said to her, 'Do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him and only let the Lord establish His word.'" Notice establish His word. "Then the woman stayed and nursed her baby son until she had weaned him."

Until he was able to be away from his mother to take him where, to the temple. "And now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her and with three bulls and an ephah of flour and the skin of wine and brought him to the house of the Lord and look at, Lord in Shiloh and the child was young." She presented him to the Lord.

It's so awesome when a child is being presented to the Lord. You present them to the Lord so that God can keep them, God can watch over them and as you teach them the word of God as they're developing and growing, that one day they're going to serve the Lord. But also this can happen, your son can go, your daughter away from the Lord.

But because they've been brought up in the ways of the Lord, there's always that possibility and there's always that assurance that your son, your daughter will come back to the Lord. It happened to my life, Ryan, Raul Jr., all these people that were praying for them and God did it. And all three of my boys walking with God.

My grandkids walking with God. But you see I start praying for my grandchildren even before they were born because I wanted God to protect them, I wanted God for them to serve the Lord. God has to be the one to touch, God has to be the one that baptizes your children with the Holy Spirit. And as you present them to the Lord and God can see your heart as He says here.

"And then they slaughtered a bull and brought the child to Eli." And she said, "Oh my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am a woman who stood by you here praying to the Lord." Starts in prayer, concludes in prayer. Prayer is so important. Fellowship with God. Coming to the Lord in petitions of our lives standing there and asking God, "Lord, Your will be done."

And then He says verse 27: "And this child I prayed for and the Lord granted me petition which I asked of Him." God answers prayer again in His time. She was barren because it wasn't God's time. God had brought her to that place not having children so that when she came to the Lord, she was open to whatever God wanted to do through her life.

And God saw her heart. And what happened? She became pregnant. And she had a son by the name of Samuel. "And therefore I also have lent him to the Lord," dedicated him. He says: "As long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord." "Lord, I gave him to You and You can keep him." Notice she's not worshipping her son.

She says, "Lord, You gave it to me and now I'm going to give it back to You." Can you imagine how hard that was? She prayed all her life for a baby boy and now she has him and presents him to the Lord and took him to the temple. And what happened to Samuel? He became a prophet.

Male Announcer: We hope the account of God's faithfulness in Hannah's life will encourage you to keep bringing your family before His throne. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today's study was titled "A Praying Mother." We've made an unedited version available to you for a donation of $5 or more. To get your copy, simply call us at 800-634-9165.

We'd also like to tell you about Raul's six-message series for mothers, featuring today's lesson as well as five others. This resource is available on CD and thumb drive. Underscoring the importance of a strong personal faith walk, this study will inspire you to spend daily time with the Lord, allowing Him to direct you in the spiritual nurture of your children. You'll also learn how the many practical ways you serve your family can add up to a testimony that points your children to God.

To order Raul's six-part series for mothers, visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165. We'll send you the CD set for $20 or if you prefer the flash drive for just $12. That's 800-634-9165. Or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, PO Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765.

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We hope you'll join us again next time as we continue this series with a charge to model trust and obedience for your kids. You can guide them into their own relationship with God as you put His love on display with an authentic, fully committed faith. This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.