The greatest prayer recorded
in God's Word, the greatest prayer ever prayed, was the prayer of
the Lord Jesus Christ in John 17. That is the Lord's prayer,
His high priestly prayer in which He prayed for the salvation and
the safekeeping of His people, which God answered for all of
His people from time past to time eternity. There have been
other great prayers recorded in God's Word, prayers of men
like Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, David. There are so many prayers
by David throughout the Psalms. And yet there's no prayer by
a human being that is greater than a prayer by a woman. In
1 Samuel chapter 2 is Hannah's prayer. How fitting, because
those that are weak are truly strong, and blessed are the poor,
they are rich in faith. Hannah's prayer here in 1 Samuel
chapter 2 is the prayer of every true believer who worships God
in spirit, rejoices in Christ Jesus, and has no confidence
in the flesh. The Lord's Prayer in John 17,
He said, This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. Well, Hannah
gives great evidence of knowing the true God, as she defines
Him, and Christ, whom He sent. She makes mention of the Lord
Jesus Christ at the end of her prayer. Is this your prayer? I hope it is. In verse 1, Hannah
prayed and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord. She rejoiced in
the Lord, the Lord God of heaven, the Lord who is Lord. She rejoiced
in His sovereignty that He reigns and rules. among the armies of
heaven and the inhabitants of the earth, that all things are
done according to His will." He's the Lord. That's what that
means. That His purpose is done. She rejoiced in His person, the
Lord, His wisdom, His righteousness, His beauty, His love, His mercy,
His grace, His providence. With the heart man believeth.
She said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord. He said, My horn
is exalted in the Lord. Back in those days, they would
use the horn of a ram or a unicorn as a symbol of strength or even
as a trumpet to sound victory and mobilize the army for a battle. She said, My horn, I shall exalt
the Lord in praise. And my mouth is enlarged over
mine enemy. She had enemies. who exalted
themselves over her and mocked her in her trial. But she says,
now my mouth is enlarged over mine enemy because, she said,
I rejoice in thy salvation. Oh, this is what David wrote,
and this is what all of God's people rejoice in more than anything
or anyone else. David said, let all those that
seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee. He said, Let such as
love thy salvation, say continually, Let God be magnified. Yes, those
that truly know the Lord know that salvation is of the Lord. And they love His salvation,
that it is all His, all His will, His choice, His Son, His blood,
His righteousness. She goes on to say in verse 2,
There is none holy as the Lord. We know that she knew the Lord
because this is how she describes Him. He's holy. When Isaiah saw
the Lord in Isaiah chapter 6, he says, the cherubim, the angels,
the seraphs cried, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts.
That's His chief attribute. That's His chief characteristic. Holy. None holy as our God. There's none, she said, beside
Thee. Neither is there any rock like
our God. Hannah knows the Lord Jesus Christ
because Paul said that rock is Christ Jesus, the eternal rock,
the rock of ages, the foundation, the chief cornerstone with whom
God hath laid, the refuge of His people, a smitten rock from
whom water flows, the cleft of the rock, The unmovable, unshakable
rock which is the foundation that standeth sure Christ Jesus
the Lord. He is our God and our rock. Yes, she knew the Lord Jesus
Christ. She goes on to say in verse 3 in her prayer, Talk no
more so exceeding proudly. Let not arrogance come out of
thy mouth. What does that say about all
the talk today? This is the most talkative generation,
perhaps, in the history of mankind. Everyone has something to say
about everything. Everyone is a self-proclaimed
expert, wise in their own conceits. When the Scripture said, Be not
rash with thy mouth, let not thine heart be hasty to utter
anything before God. For God is in heaven, and thou
upon the earth. Therefore let thy words be few.
Proverbs speaks much of those who speak much, that the fool
is known by a multitude of words, that a fool's foolishness is
presently known, that is, he is quick to speak, when a wise
man studieth to answer. And those who fear the Lord are
afraid to utter anything before God, especially in arrogance
and pride, for the Lord hates pride and arrogance. She said, let not arrogance come
out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge. Oh, His
eyes behold, His eyelids try. He knows. He knows. He hears. He sees. And by Him,
she said, actions are weighed. The old saying, actions speak
louder than words. Well, so much talk. Well, verse 4, she says, the
bows of the mighty men are broken, the weapons of the enemies of
God, the weapons of man, the strength in which he takes great
security in, modern technology and defense and so forth, shall
come to naught, shall be broken. But they that have stumbled are
girded with strength." Paul said, when I'm weak, then I'm strong
because the Lord was his strength. The Lord was his defense and
his refuge, his safety, his security. She goes on to say, "...they
that were full have hired out themselves for bread. Oh, they that think they have
much, know much, can do much, will be brought to nothing, will
be a beggar before the Lord some day. It will all be brought to
naught. But she goes on to say the hungry
have ceased. Blessed are they that hunger,
our Lord said, in his Sermon on the Mount, they
shall be filled. Hungry for righteousness. Thirsty
for righteousness. Hunger and thirst after Christ,
the bread, the water of life. They will be filled. She goes
on to say, The barren hath born seven, and they that hath many
children are wax feeble. There's a story. The story of
Hannah is a story of a woman who was barren and another woman
named Peninnah had many. And that's a story of false religion
with all of its many, many attendants and professors, while the truth
seems to be few people. Well, she says here in prophecy
that the barren had born seven, a perfect people in Christ Jesus. Few in number according to mankind,
but A perfected people. And she hath many who wax feeble,
and all come to naught. Many will say unto Christ in
that day, Lord, Lord, He'll say, I never knew you. Now these chosen
people shall be brought into His presence forever. Verse 6,
she says, The Lord killeth and maketh alive. He bringeth down
to the grave and bringeth up. The Lord killeth. All souls are
mine, he said. He does with his own what he
will, and he killeth and he maketh alive. Though various things
are the means which kill us, yet it is the Lord who purposes
it, no matter what it is, no matter who it is. He said the
Lord killeth and maketh alive. And the first thing he must do
in giving us spiritual life is to kill us and kill our God. Paul said, When the commandment
came, I died. But then he was made alive, born
again to see the Lord Jesus Christ. She said, He bringeth down to
the grave, and bringeth up. Jonah cried from the belly of
the whale. He said, I am in the grave. I
am undone, but salvation is of the Lord. He brought him up out
of that horrible pit, and set his feet on the rock, Christ
Jesus. Verse 7, she prayed, The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich. Blessed are the poor. Theirs
is the kingdom of God. And He maketh rich. Oh, the Lord
maketh rich in faith, rich in peace, rich in love, mercy, and
grace that is in Christ Jesus. He bringeth low and lifteth up. Our Lord Jesus Christ as a man
said, I am meek and lowly of heart. Take my yoke upon you
and learn of me, and you will find rest in your soul. Blessed
are the meek, blessed are the poor, the lowly, the meek and
lowly. He lifteth them up, but the proud
He bringeth down. She goes on to say, He raiseth
up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the
dunghill to set them among princes. Oh, God's people. beggars for
mercy, and yet he hath set them in heavenly places in his church
among princes, the children of God, the sons of God. And she
goes on to say, He makes them inherit the throne of glory.
Christ prayed in His prayer, Father, I will that they be with
Me where I am that they may behold My glory. A Lamb on the throne,
the throne of glory. He is the great heir of all things
and they are joint heirs with Him. He makes them to inherit
the throne of glory. Glory is not by merit, but glory
is by inheritance. For the pillars of the earth
are the Lord's, she said. He has set the world upon them.
David wrote in Psalm 11, If the foundation be destroyed, what
shall the righteous do? Well, they'll never be destroyed
because that foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The
church is the pillar and ground of the truth, and that foundation
upon which she stands is Christ Jesus the Lord. It is the Lord's,
His church. She goes on to say, verse 9,
He will keep the feet of His saints. And the wicked shall
be silent in darkness, for by strength shall no man prevail.
He will keep the feet of his saint set on the rock. Christ
Jesus shall never be moved, but the wicked shall be cast into
outer darkness. By human strength or wisdom or
power no man shall prevail, but they, all of God's people, shall
prevail by His mercy, by His grace, by His sovereign power,
by the Lord Jesus Christ. She ends this prayer speaking
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The adversaries of the Lord,
she says, shall be broken to pieces. Out of heaven shall he
thunder upon them. The Lord shall judge the ends
of the earth, and he shall give strength unto his king and exalt
the horn of his anointed. David read this prayer, for he
prayed in Psalm 2 of Christ who was to come. He said, Thou shalt
break thine enemies with a rod of iron, Thou shalt dash them
in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now, therefore, O ye
kings. Be instructed, ye judges of the
earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and
rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,
and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put
their trust in him, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.