Would you join me tonight in the book of 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel chapter 1. We're going to continue our study of the gospel according to 1 Samuel, often called the first book of the kings. It won't be long, we'll have a king and then one in the wings. But leading up to that, we get here into the book of 1 Samuel, chapter one, we have some very important and very interesting passages of scripture with regard to prayer. And we have a lady here that the Lord has shut her womb. She is not able to have children and it has been a burden to her. And the other wife makes sure that it is a burden to her and keeps after her about her inability

But here it says, reading, starting with the verse nine of the book of 1 Samuel, so Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh. Now they're in Shiloh, which is the place where the tabernacle had been raised up, and it's there on a more permanent basis. It will not be moved again until the temple is finished. And that's going to be sometime in the future. Now we're going to find out here in the book of First Samuel that they're going to go in, some of those soldiers are going to go inside of that tabernacle and bring the mercy seat out and take it into battle. It's not a good thing. Having a lucky rabbit's foot is not a positive thing. But we'll get to that point. So they're in Shiloh. They're there. They're for services. It doesn't tell us that there are other people there that are practicing these services. We don't know. But they're there. Hannah's husband, the other wife, and her children are there. And it tells us that Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat at the seat by the post of the tabernacle, is what it should be, of the Lord.

And she was in bitterness. Hannah was in bitterness. It tells us that Hannah, when she prayed, she had a bitter soul about her. And that word bitterness or bitter means to be chafed or discontented. Heavy. She was very heavy with a burden. She was discontented with a burden. She was chafed by this burden. And you know, I just think how blessed it is that God does not punish his people for this kind of attitude. He did not punish Hannah. for being bitter about not having children. He brought her to prayer, that's true, but she was, as it goes on and tells us here, she was in bitterness and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore.

Now, In 2 Timothy chapter 2, if you turn there with me to 2 Timothy chapter 2, there is a blessed verse of scripture that I'm just going to, if I was ever going to have a tattoo, I'm not. it'd be this verse, because sometimes I just need to be reminded about this verse. And over here in the book of 2 Timothy 2, we find this wonderful verse about the faithfulness of our God, even in our unfaithfulness.

Now, there's not a nickel's worth of difference between Peter and Judas from the outward appearance. There's a lot of difference from the inward appearance, but the outward appearance, they do almost exactly the same thing. Judas betrays the Lord Jesus. Peter betrays the Lord Jesus. The rest of the disciples betray the Lord Jesus. They all leave him hanging. They deny him. They swear they don't know him. And on and on it goes. And we'd say, well, that's just not right. You're right. That's not right.

But I'm so thankful that in those situations, even as we find Hannah, a sweet lady as she is, saint of God as she is, chosen of God, a child of the King, one who rests upon all that God has done. This lady comes into this place and there she is bitter about what God has provided for her or not provided. And we find here in the book of 2 Timothy chapter 2, these verses beginning with verse 10. 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 10.

Now just listen to these verses as we read them together. Therefore, I endure, Paul is saying, I endure all things for the elect's sake. If we find out about his rough life and the way he'd been treated, we find out he can conclude that everything that happened to him was for the elect's sake. There's a place in, what is it, Thessalonians or Corinthians about, there's a place there that shares with us a long list of Paul going over how he has been treated, and yet he is able to say, all things fell out for the furtherance of the gospel, and we find out, I endure all things for the elect's sake. God has put it in my heart to preach the gospel.

And, you know, we follow their Philip traveled a great many miles, probably by foot, to get from where he was to the backside of the desert in Gaza to take the gospel to a man. And people say, well, he was imposed upon. Hallelujah. God imposed upon him for glory, his glory. and just like people are imposed upon to preach the gospel. Here it says, I endure all things for the luck's sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. If they don't hear the gospel, they will not be saved. But we also know the other side of the coin, God said, they will hear the gospel. I will make sure of that and they will be saved.

It is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. Now, we have the separation between two different groups in this one verse of scripture. There's only one group of people that can deny him with this result, and that's the non-elect. That's those without Christ. Those who are His faithful and were only faithful because of His faithfulness goes on to tell us here in verse 13, if we believe not. Yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself.

I am so thankful that those words are written for our benefit and for our blessing. Because there are times that every believer doesn't feel very faithful. And when we brag about our faithfulness, we've just stepped into a pit. You know, I grew up in a church that the more faithful ones would be with the Lord during the thousand year reign. Ah, my goodness. All of his children will be with him ruling and reigning. Let's just get that. It is a faithful saying. And it goes, it tells us there in verse 13, if we believe not, what a statement is made here.

As we find Hannah coming down to the tabernacle to pray and pour out her soul before the Lord, she has been chafed by God's will in her life. And she is bringing that up. Now, God did not have to record that. But he did have it recorded for our benefit that even though things seem to go awry for all of God's children, he is the one that is faithful. He's the one. Now, when we think about this, we find out that there's a big difference, a chasm, miles between the difference between the elect of God and God's provision for them and the non-elect. His provision for them is always. His faith for them is always. His gift to them is always. He never leaves us in a lurch.

Now to the non-elect, there is no faith given. There is no grace given. There's nothing given. You remember the words that the Lord spoke about Judas Iscariot? It tells us there in the book of Mark chapter 14, that it would have been better if he had never been born. Now that's the savior of his people speaking about Judas Iscariot. The man who's going to betray him, the man he chose to be one of the apostles. Now this man didn't have a faithful thought in his heart because God never gave it to him. The only reason we have a faithful thought in our heart is because he gives us faith. It is His gift to give His people faith.

Now when it doesn't look like we're being faithful, God takes over. He makes it. He's going to carry us through. He's going to carry us on His shoulders like He always did. And then we find out with regard to Peter, the Lord spoke to him when he asked him, who do you say that the Son of Man is? And Peter responded by saying, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And the Lord Jesus said, flesh and blood did not reveal this unto you. There is a very special blessing that God has provided in Christ Jesus for us to know the gospel. and to know Christ. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. How can that be? Flesh and blood did not reveal that unto us, but our Father, which is in heaven."

So we have here that the Lord's words to Peter were so different than the words about Judas. It had been better if he had not been born. And to Peter, what a blessing. God has given him. Now, when it comes down to it, the crimes that they committed were almost identical. Always say, well, Peter wasn't quite as bad. Peter would have told you he was. Peter would have said, that was a very unfaithful thing I did. You know who protected him, guarded him, guided him, ruled over him, kept him? It was the grace of God in the covenant of grace.

Now turn with me to the book of John chapter 20. As we read about Peter and the Lord's response to him, he never came to Judas. Jesus never spoke to him after that betrayal. But he is going to be very careful to speak to any and all of his disciples that were in the same dilemma. Every one of his disciples denied him. And Peter is just an illustration of what the rest of them did. But here in the book of John chapter 20, we read this, John chapter 20, the words of the Lord, and he could say this to Hannah, He could say this to David, he could say this to Solomon, he could say this to all of his elect throughout the Old Testament, all of his elect in the New Testament, and all of them today. This is how God deals with that unfaithfulness. He does not take us out and break our arms. You know, I was told one time that's why Jesus carried the lamb on his shoulder. You know, he went out and found the the sheep on the hillside and carried it home. He broke its legs so it would remember that it went awry. Well, you know, there's just no truth in that. He carried him because he loved him. And that's what he does with his sheep today. Even when we're unlovable, he still loves us and carries us.

So here in the book of John chapter 20, there we read in John chapter 20, And verse 19, John chapter 20, verse 19, we have this single phrase that God spoke, the Lord Jesus spoke to his disciples, and Peter in particular, peace be unto you. Well, you know, Peter could say, how can that be? What do you mean? You know, I should be taken out in, whipped, peace be unto you. The same day at evening, being the first day of the week when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst of them and said unto them, peace be unto you. Not a word of chastisement. Now we do find that in the book of Hebrews it says, if we're not chastened, We're not elect. That's just all there is to it, if we're not chasing. But chasing doesn't mean beating. It means being trained, being nurtured, having that carrying that the Lord does for his people.

You know, in verse 21, it also says, then Jesus said, Jesus unto them again, peace be unto you. As my father has sent me, even so send I you. Well, we have one disciple didn't go to church on time. He's gonna get the, What is that, the investigatory casserole? He's not in church. Thomas is not in church. Boy, down the road he gets. Well, look at this. Isn't it something? In the book, verse 26, And after eight days again, his disciples were within and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said, peace be unto you.

Now that's the words of the Lord Jesus to a group of sinner men. that have been saved by His grace. It's no wonder we find in the example of Hannah. I believe she was a dear saint. I mean, we could sit down and enjoy visiting with her. She was just a dear, she didn't have, you know, she wouldn't, she just was a kind person. that shares with us her heart when she did not have children." It chafed her. Well, we just read about that. In the book of 1 Samuel, there it says, she was in bitterness of soul. Who was this prayer to? She prayed unto the Lord and she wept sore. Her prayer was with strong crying.

You know, what we read about Hannah in the book of 1 Samuel, we can read about the Lord in the book of Hebrews chapter five. Would you turn there with me, Hebrews chapter five? Here in the book of Hebrews chapter five, we find that these words are used with regard to the Lord and his great prayer, his prayer on his own behalf and his prayer on the elect's behalf. In the book of Hebrews chapter five, you'll turn there with me. Book of Hebrews chapter five, we read this about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, I don't understand all I read here, because it tells us that he learned obedience through suffering. And yet we read that he is the most, he is the most obedient. but he learned obedience through suffering. But notice here with me, it tells us in the book of Hebrews chapter five, beginning with verse five, so also Christ glorified not himself to be made in high priest, but he that said unto him, thou art my son, today have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared. Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience, for through the things he suffered."

Now, I don't understand all I read in those verses of Scripture. But I understand here a little more when I read this about what Jesus Christ went through when our sin was imputed to him. It was strong crying. Oh, the agony that began in the Garden of Gethsemane. The agony that began at his birth, that he was going to go through serious agony on the behalf of the church.

So her prayer was to Jehovah, Christ's prayer was to Jehovah, to God. How does God always answer prayers of the saints? You ever wondered about that? How does he always answer the prayer of the saints? Well, 1 John chapter 5. Turn there with me if you would. This is how God always answers prayer. 1 John chapter 5, verse 14.

Now that's the goal of every believer. We also know that sometimes as James brings out, we pray amiss. We pray for things that we had no business praying for, or they were, well, here we have the converse. This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will.

Now there's another verse of scripture that says that if we ask anything in His name, He will answer it. And you know, people have just rode that to death. Oh my, let's get together and have a prayer meeting because we need something done. Well, it's not going to get done unless it is the will of God. And the church will pray that His will be done.

All right, it goes on here. If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. And this is His sovereign will. This is not just His perfect will or His permissive will. You know, He has only one will and that's the sovereign will. And He's carried that out from eternity. There's no variation with God, no variable, it's neither shadow of turning. Everything is going to be carried out exactly as he has purposed from the very eternity.

Now, that's a comprehension I can't grasp yet. Someday I may have a little better comprehension of that. But right now, I can just say from eternity, old eternity, he's had a purpose and he's going to carry it out. And when we pray according to His will, He heareth us. And if we know that He heareth, and if we know that He heareth, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

So when we pray according to His will, He heareth us. It's, he has knowledge of what we have need of before we ask. And truly it is the spirit of God that moves in the church in every person in the body to pray according to his will. We're not coming up with prayer on our own. We can't even talk to God on our own. We need help. What the Holy Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. They're just between God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. They know exactly what they're doing.

So we pray, and we pray, hopefully, according to His will. And when we pray according to His will, He said, I hear you. Now, if we pray contrary to it, we ask amiss. We're asking for foolish things. We're asking for selfish things. But when we pray according to his will, and I believe that as we follow this out with Hannah, she's there on purpose because God moved her to be there and pray this prayer.

Now it's interesting when we go back over there that her prayer is 20 seconds long. That's how long it takes to read it. Now, it might've been 19, but by the time I shut the timer off, you take it. 19 seconds. There was not much of a prayer. I mean, from a word standpoint. Let's just go back over there, if you would. If we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. If we ask and receive not because we ask amiss, that we may consume it upon our lusts.

In the book of 1 Samuel 1, verse 11, let's go over there. 1 Samuel 1, verse 11, we read this. And she vowed a vow and said, here's her prayer. Where does it start? Lord of hosts, oh, to have a view of God. before we even pray. We're gonna get to a passage, I'm just gonna jump in a little early, where it says, the disciples of the Lord Jesus asked Jesus to teach them to pray as John taught his disciples to pray. And I've wrangled with that for a long time, and it struck me, how long does it take us to teach our child to say mama, and they always say dada. How long is it? We are taught to learn to talk. And we find out that there's just some things that we don't know. And through the scriptures and through the teaching of the scriptures, we are taught by the Lord Jesus, by his Holy Spirit on how to pray.

Teach us to pray. Maybe I shouldn't say how to pray, but to pray. And we'll look at that in just a moment. But notice here, O Lord of hosts, if thou will indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and she is admitting that she's nothing but a servant, if you'll look upon the affliction of your handmaid, thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but will give unto thy handmaid Three times she mentions, I'm nothing but a servant. I am nothing without Christ. I'm nothing without God. I'm nothing without the gospel. I'm nothing.

If thou will give unto thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head, or he will be a Nazarite. I don't know if you, did you time that? Takes about 20 seconds. And this is a most powerful prayer because the will of God is done. It came to pass, verse 12, she continued praying before the Lord that Eli marked her mouth. Now she is speaking without moving. She's moving her lips, but not saying a word. So often that is true prayer. It is, well, we'll get to, we'll get over there in just a moment. It came to pass as she continued praying before the Lord that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart. That's the organ of prayer. Vocal cords are not. Vocal cords are not the organ of prayer. The heart is the organ of prayer. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she had been drunk." You know, a verse of scripture came to my mind when I read that, a soft word, turneth away wrath. She could have come unglued. And probably we have seen that happen. People come unglued over something and she didn't, she just said, She spake in her heart only. And Eli said unto her, how long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thine wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, no, my Lord, I'm a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. I poured out my soul. Now she has been taught how to pray. Or she's been taught to pray, I should say. Turn with me if you would. to the book of Matthew chapter six. In the book of Matthew chapter six, the Lord gives us some very plain instructions about prayer. And there were plenty of examples during his time, just like there are today, of what prayer is not. He is going to bring up what prayer is not. Her prayer was a prayer that was. In the book of Matthew chapter six, Matthew chapter six, verse five, we read this. And when thou prayest, now, he is already sharing with us, I'm assuming you're gonna pray. That's what the church does. We're gonna be taught to pray by the Holy Spirit, and we're gonna pray, but when you pray, Thou shall not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. This is what prayer is not. This is only show going on. Verily I say unto them, they have their reward. Now, but thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet. When thou hast shut the door, pray to thy father which is in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Well, we're not heard for the much speaking. In fact, it's the contrary wise. We'll read that verse of scripture just a moment about that. Now, in Luke chapter 18, we have an illustration of this. We've used this passage of scripture many times because it just shows the difference between God's people and the world, religion and Christianity. Here in the book of Luke chapter 18, Verse nine, and he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves, that they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray. Same thing said about both of them, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. And the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. And we read his prayer. Lord, I'm thankful I'm not like other men, and I do all the things that you asked me to do. And the other man said in verse 13, the publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes into heaven, but spoke upon his breast saying, now time this prayer. God be merciful to me, a sinner. And that was his prayer. It was from his heart. It was what God laid upon him. And it was an honest prayer. The other prayer was not honest. He was a liar from the beginning. Every word he said was a blatant lie. He was self-righteous. He only did things that he might get credit for, might get glory for, and that's what we read about. All right, back up in this book of Luke, Luke chapter 11, verse one. Luke chapter 11, verse one, we find out it is the Lord that teaches his people to pray. It's the Holy Spirit that teaches his people to pray. He teaches them to pray, not for show, not for quantity of words, but for quality, for heart. As Hannah, she poured out her soul to the Lord. It came to pass, verse one, Luke chapter 11, came to pass that as he was praying a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. Teach us to pray. We are taught to talk. And there is some relationship between that and us being taught to pray. And he goes on to say, okay, here's the qualities your prayer should have. Who is it to? Is it to man? Is it to your fellow man? Or is it to God? Is it for their hearing or is it for God? Is it for them? Is it for me or is it to God? When you pray, say, our Father which art in heaven. There has to be a relationship between the person praying and the person in heaven, the Father, before there can ever be prayer. Hallowed be thy name. You are holy, holy, holy. You're unapproachable except through the grace of God. Thy kingdom come. You rule and reign. Through all things, thy will be done in heaven as it is in earth. You know, if we learn to pray, we'll find out we're not asking for things that are contrary to the will of God. We're asking for things that will complement our relationship with God. And then it says there, thy will be done in heaven as in earth, the only real partition. For anything else but glory to God is found in this verse. Give us this day our daily bread. And what does that mean? Lord, I'm a sorrowful person and I don't have a baby and I'd like one. Lord, I'm hungry. I would like some. Lord, I have a daughter. I have a son. I have a granddaughter. I have a grandson that needs help. I pray for that. This is that. It's the shortest part of this prayer. And forgive us our sins, as we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And that's the model prayer. Now he never intended for us to pray that every time. That's not his intent. He said, you know, you cover these. I'm teaching you to pray. Cover this. Father, He's holy. Remember these things when you pray to God, that He's just not someone else. Going back to the book of 1 Samuel, if you would, chapter one, 1 Samuel chapter one, verse 12, we have this recorded. 1 Samuel chapter one, verse 12. It came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. Now, Hannah, she spake in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. She prayed in her heart. Therefore, Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, and we have the accusation, and verse 15, Hannah answered and said, no, my Lord, I am. before the Lord. Now, keep your finger there and turn with me over to the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes chapter 5. Here is some more said about teach me to pray. Ecclesiastes chapter 5. Ecclesiastes chapter 5 verse 2. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth. Therefore, let thy words be few. And when we get over to Hannah, that one section is about 20 seconds long, and then there's a part there that we find that we don't have the actual words, she just continues praying. Be not rash with thy mouth. How long was she praying? I said about 20 seconds. Hannah, she spake in her heart, only her lips moved. This is the true attitude of prayer. It's in the heart. And there's where it is with her. Verse 17, going back to the book of 1 Samuel 1, 1 Samuel 1, we find that Levi, excuse me, Levi, that Samuel was given some information by God to give to her. 1 Samuel 1, verse 17. Now, God's spoken to him. He's thought she's drunk and he's not very pleased with that. But when she pours out her heart and shares with him her prayer or the attitude that she had, here is his answer. Now he had to have been given this by the God. This is just not something that was going through his mind. God gave it to him as a prophet. Then Eli answered and said, go in peace. And the God of Israel, grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way and did eat and her countenance was no more sad. What did she know? What did she understand? God's gonna answer that prayer. Now he's gonna answer every prayer. He's gonna answer her prayer as she prayed it because it was in the will of God. We have Samuel coming on the scene. So as she leaves, she's walking away. So in hallelujah, the Lord's gonna give me that baby. Did you hear what she promised to do with that baby?

Now, I don't think he was an infant when she took him back to Eli. I think he was teenager or above. And then we're gonna find out that Hannah was given more children. So she went to the rest of her life with the children that she had been missing up to this point.

So at this point, it goes on to tell us that in verse 19, they rose up in the morning early and worshiped before the Lord and returned and came to their house to Ramah. And Elkinah knew Hannah and his wife and the Lord remembered her and she is gonna have a baby. And His name is going to be given as Samuel, and there we'll read about Him the rest of the story, or some more of the story, next time.

Prayer. How do we know? To be taught of God. It's absolutely essential. We must be taught of God. He's going to let us know that. And then, what prayer is He going to answer? Every prayer according to His will. We'll stop here for tonight.