Hannah Prayed (2010)

Hannah Prayed

I Samuel 1:1-20

May 9, 2010

NOTE: THE ME/WE/GOD/YOU/WE FORMAT IS FROM ANDY STANLEY'S BOOK, "COMMUNICATING FOR A CHANGE."

Me/We:

In the last few years I’ve shied away from preaching about mothers and motherhood, because I’ve never felt real comfortable celebrating what I call a “Hallmark Holiday.”

Also, when celebrating things like Mother’s Day, you run the risk of making certain people feel left out or pushed aside.

Women who have not been able to bear children because of physical issues, women who have never married and had children, women who have lost their children due to premature death, women who have see their children walk away from God, women who are separated from their children geographically or emotionally.

Or maybe your mother was abusive or neglectful so celebrating her isn’t something you can do.

I think it’s so easy for us to forget that there are ladies who hurt on Mother’s Day.

But in my desire to not offend, I think I may have done a disservice to those of you who are mothers, as well as those ladies who play big roles in the lives of children around you, and I don’t want you to think that I don’t appreciate you or the place God has for godly moms and mom-figures.

So anyway, today I’m going to preach a message about a particular mother that I think can actually say something to all of us today.

My hope is that Moms will especially be encouraged today to be ladies whom God can use to shape the lives of your young charges, and to give you courage when faced with the challenges that come with that.

I’m actually revisiting a message I gave 8 years ago based on this passage, and using most of the same outline.

Two reasons for that:

- I always struggle with Mother’s Day messages, and this one seemed to communicate some good things.

- Statistics say most people forget the message in the next 24 hours, so it’s safe to figure you won’t remember what I said that long ago anyway, right!

Besides, I’ve added some stuff, taken some other stuff out, and so it’ll basically be a new message, okay?

Before we get started into the Bible passage we’re using for our text today, I want to share with you “Mother’s Ten Commandments of Eating.”

1. Of all the beasts of the field, and of the fish of the sea shalt thou eat. But of the leaves of the tree, thou shalt not eat thereof. For in the day that thou eatest, thou shalt surely get a stomachache.

2. Thou shalt drink of all the good liquids I have given unto thee. Only let not thy liquids be spilled onto thy clothing nor onto they neighbor’s clothing.

3. When thou sittest in thy chair, thou shalt not place thy feet on the table nor over thine head. For that is an abomination to me.

4. Thou shalt not pour Kool-Aid over thy mashed potatoes, nor use it as a dip for thy celery, nor spill it over the floor of the place of eating.

5. When thou hast drunk of thy cup, it shall not be held to thy face as a mask, nor used to strike thy brother or thy sister upon their head.

The real danger of reading these is that it might just give some kids some bad ideas, amen? Don’t do it, kids.

6. Thou shalt not eat thy macaroni with thine hands. Neither shalt thou distribute it widely over the place where thou livest.

7. Thy brussel sprouts shalt not be made into any graven image in the place where thou eatest. That is an abomination to me.

8. When thou sittest in thine chair, thou shalt not slideth down therein.

9. Remember thy mealtime to arrive when I calleth thee. Three meals thou hast been given to cause thy borders to increase.

10. If thou keepest all these commandments I have given unto thee, thou shalt be perfect in my sight, and perfect in my neighbor’s sight. (Sermon Central)

God: 1 Samuel 1:1-20 (p. 190-191) –

Note: due to length of the passage, it won’t be on the screens)

There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.