Before you begin a list of challenges for today, let’s focus on the power of the Everlasting God to change all circumstances into blessings. Declare out loud – “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24
Hannah was a woman living in a culture that looked down on barren women. Taunted daily, she allowed what others said about her to put her into a deep depression. So bad was this that “she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. (1 Sam 1:10) Can you relate? I can. Circumstances sometimes are overwhelming and all I can do is weep before the Lord. But something happened on this day as Hannah knelt at the altar of God and released her pain and will to the Lord. He heard her cry and answered. The child of Hannah became the Prophet Samuel (Yes, as in 1 and 2 Samuel in the Scriptures.).
What did she learn through this? That the WAIT is not a denial; it is a delay according to the timing of God. “So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked for him from the Lord.’” 1 Samuel 1:20
Hannah’s prayer was penned for us by her son. What an amazing legacy to pass on. Oh, that my children, your children, and those of this generation will meet women who can share the legacy of the power of prayer. That is worth fighting for!
Look what happened as she prayed. Joy overflowed into her through praise and surrender, changing every part of her heart. “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you. There is no Rock like our God.’” (1 Samuel 2:1-2 NLT)
All because she released the pain of criticism and the slavery of depression. Hannah came to understand:
- Waiting does not mean denial.
- What others say or think about you does not in any way change who you are or how God feels about your future.
- In releasing your will to Him, you will receive more than you asked for.
“And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord.” 1 Samuel 2:21
WIN THE EMOTIONAL BATTLE THROUGH PRAYER:
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- Release the pain and doubt
- Surrender your will to the possibilities of His
- Delight in the wait, believing He has a plan for you
- Declare out loud, “This is the day the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
- Run into the battle armed by the power and glory of the Eternal God and never give in.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Isaiah 40:28-29
Always Expect Amazing,
Diane Strack, Founder and President of She Loves Out Loud Global