“…look on the affliction (suffering) of Your maidservant…give Your maidservant a son…”
1st Samuel 1:11 (AMP)
I grew up hearing my mother often say, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
Life’s various circumstances can drive us to God’s feet and cause us to cry out to Him in desperation, like in the case of our sister Hannah. Hannah was no stranger to pain and derision at the hands of Penninah, her husband’s other wife. Hannah’s bitterness of soul and anguish pushed her into a place of prayer.
When we are faced with challenges, whether it is health, family, job, or childlessness, our situations are nothing new for God to work. As we seek God desperately, it allows us to seek Him as the only source of deliverance and refuge, and provides an invitation for Him to act. In our desperation, the layers of self-reliance are stripped away, and it forces us to a place of total dependence on God, where we become broken before Him. In this state, our heart is laid bare before the Lord, and we speak honestly to Him. This is what He requires of us.
Hannah’s deep longing for a child was so great that not even her husband’s love and devotion could fill the void created by her childlessness. Her pain showed her vulnerability and need for God alone. This is where the Holy Spirit leads us to pray God’s will, as Hannah did when she vowed to dedicate her son to God and stated no razor would touch his head.
Brethren, when we seek God desperately, we tell Him, “I’m not accepting this situation as normal. Something has to change, and only You, Abba Father, can fix it.” Like Jacob said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” (Genesis 32:26 NKJV).
God heard Hannah’s prayer, remembered her, and fulfilled her request. How desperate is your situation today? Are you willing to let go and let God?
Prayer
Father, I lift everyone who is reading this before You. I pray that they will desperately seek You and pray Your will in their varying situations. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read: Psalm 86:1; Romans 15:4Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 105:12-22; 2 Corinthians 6:3-18; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Isaiah 3; Isaiah 4; Isaiah 5:1-7