Praise the Giver

She prayed for a son and God granted her petition. In her next recorded prayer, Hannah “takes little notice of the particular mercy she was now rejoicing in. She overlooks the gift and praises the giver.”*

Here’s some of what Hannah prayed:
There is none holy like the Lord:
There is no rock like our God.
The Lord is a God of knowledge,
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth (from 1 Samuel 2:2-10).

Next time God answers your prayer, praise Him like Hannah did.

*Matthew Henry, The Matthew Henry Commentary, p.283.

 

How to Gain Relief From Grief

In deep anguish, crying bitterly, Hannah poured out her heart to the Lord.

After this time of prayer “She was no longer sad (1 Samuel 1:18).”

Next time you’re in anguish, try praying like Hannah did.

Jesus Visits Every Morning

“What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, visit him every morning (Job 7:17-18 bold mine).”

When you open your eyes at the beginning of your day, Jesus is there. Take time to notice Him. Treat Him like an honored guest. Listen to what He says in His Word. Thank Him for coming.

That’s what prayer is all about.

 

My Friend Jesus

Don’t face trouble or sorrow alone.

Take it to the Lord in prayer;
in his arms he’ll take and shield you,
you will find a solace there.*

Jesus has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4).
The Lord is my steadfast love . . . my shield (Psalm 144:2).

*adapted from What a Friend We Have in Jesus by Joseph Scriven.

Pray According to God’s Riches

In her Bible Study On Bended Knee, Crickett Keeth asks what it means to pray “according to the riches of his glory (Ephesians 3:16)?”*

It means we pray expecting God “to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think (Ephesians 3:21).”

Here’s why: “The greater a person’s wealth, the greater his gift must be to qualify for giving according to his wealth. For God to give according to the riches of His glory is absolutely staggering, because His riches are limitless, completely without bounds.”**

*adapted from Crickett Keeth, On Bended Knee, p. 43.

**John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Ephesians, p.102.

Every Knee Shall Bow

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God (Romans 14:11).”

Ponder that as you pray.

Greta’s Answer to Prayer

When we “tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders he has done” then they “put their trust in God (Psalm 78:4-7).”

Greta* recently told me, “My stomach hurt so I prayed and my stomach stopped hurting.”

*Greta, our very much loved granddaughter, turns six years old today.