“In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.” – 1 Samuel 1:10 (NIV)
A central theme of the life of Jesus is that “He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). Some choose to read the Scripture with a focus on the abundance and miss the act of sowing.
In the same way, if you could reflect on one good thing that happened this week, you are likely to have a smile on your face or joy in your heart. Say it out loud and praise God. Thank Him for breath, for family, for a business idea, for grace today.
Now consider something or someone troubling you. Name it before God. Acknowledge the pain and don’t pretend. This may be your sowing season, and we can learn from Hannah.
1 Samuel 1:6 (NKJV) says, “And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable; because the Lord had closed her womb.” Peninnah taunted. Year after year. At Shiloh!
Peninnah, however, was not the problem. She was the pressure!
Can you name your “Peninnah”? That voice, that person, that situation that mocks your waiting? It feels like satan’s modern-day agent, reminding you of what you don’t have.
But here’s the truth: Peninnah did not close Hannah’s womb. God did. God allowed the brokenness to build a breakthrough.
Hannah’s challenge was this: She was going to Shiloh, but she had not been to the Temple. She was present in the place but did not surrender there. As the late Reverend Taithe would have said, “Come full.” That is: Full of honesty. Full of surrender. Full of worship, not just routine.
So Hannah did. Moved from Shiloh to the Lord’s House in Shiloh. From the periphery to His presence.
She wept. She vowed. She poured her soul out before the Lord. And God remembered her.
As you devote this time of day to God, remember that the Peninnah in your life is not sent to stop you. The challenge is sent to push you to your purpose. What is trying to provoke you is actually positioning you for prayer. God rebuilds what He allows to be broken. Hallelujah!
Read: Jeremiah 32:17; Romans 5:3-4
Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 15:31-33; Proverbs 16:1-7; Acts 19:14-41; 1 Kings 22