Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 1 (day six)
“…and the Lord remembered her.” 1 Samuel 1:19
It can be hard to conceive of how God can hear the pleas of his people from all over the world. This verse gives us a clue. God is an active listener, not passive. This means we pray to a person. Infinite, eternal, bigger-than-the universe, beyond-comprehension, holy, yes, but nonetheless, personal and close. We don’t pray to an aloof supercomputer.
Why does this matter? Because it serves as a good reminder to never be indifferent to prayer, because God isn’t. We have a God who is there. A God who listens. A God who remembers.
God remembered Hannah. Her prayers to have a son were on God’s urgent response list. Her prayers were effective as they came from her intense feeling and enthusiasm for bearing a son. She was not to simply go through the motions of prayer. She was serious and dependent on God to provide and God answered.
Hannah’s prayer story definitely points to us that praying with all our hearts, passion and intensity for something is an important part of seeing our prayers answered. I totally agreed that God listens actively but I believe He is selective in what He can, cannot or will delay in His response. I am convinced that God does prioritize His Answers-To-Do list and will give a priority to a believer’s fervent prayer if what he or she asks is in His will.
Have you experienced a time when you feel your prayer was not answered? Are you selective in what you ask God for? Have you experienced a time when you feel God’s answer to your prayer was late and therefore, was not helpful? Have you ever wondered why God delayed in providing His answer to a prayer?
He could probably have to work all the knots out before giving His divine answer or probably our prayers are lack of passion and intensity.
In personal and professional life, how do you choose to answer or to respond to a request? Do you look at the nature of the request and the manner of the requester to make your decision (yes, no, pending) and to decide on the timing for your response? How do you evaluate a request? Do you consider the HOW (how a request is done) and the 5W (who, why, what, where, and when) in providing your answer? I think God established the pattern for providing His answer and we are to follow Him!
Do you give a priority to a request that meets the test of humility, personable, honesty, sincerity, passion and intensity and within your limited power and authority? Something for us to think about!