God Hears & God Speaks

Posted On April 24, 2023

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God:
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

1 John 5:14 NIV

A woman who longed for a child struggled with infertility. Although she was dearly loved by her husband, her life still felt incomplete. Year after year she hoped and prayed that she would be blessed with a baby, but it seemed like her longing would never be fulfilled. To make matters worse, her rival had several children and seemed to find great joy in tormenting her about her childlessness, causing her to become so distraught that she couldn’t even eat. It was on a day like this that she went to the Lord again, weeping bitterly and praying that He would hear her. The woman’s name was Hannah, and this week we’ll focus on her story…

Our plan for 2023 is to journey through The NeverEnding Story of the Bible and discover how we fit into it along the way. Our plan for this year is loosely based on The Story, an abridged chronological version of the Bible, and the accompanying study guide The Heart of the Story by Randy Frazee.

Here is where we are in The Story:

MOVEMENT TWO: The Story of Israel (Genesis 12-Malachi)

Chapter 10 – Standing Tall, Falling Hard

This chapter in The Story includes 1 Samuel 1-4, 8-13, 15. These verses introduce us to the prophet Samuel and tell the story of Saul, the first king of Israel. But the first chapter begins with the story of Hannah, the woman I described above. Hannah was the wife of a man named Elkanah. And it was Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, who mercilessly taunted Hannah about her infertility. On one of the family’s annual trips to worship the Lord at Shiloh, Hannah cried out to the Lord again:

“In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, ‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.'”

1 Samuel 1:10-11 NIV

As Hannah poured out her soul to God, she was overheard by the priest Eli. Because Hannah’s prayer was so heartfelt and intense, she appeared to Eli to be a drunk woman muttering to herself, so he scolded her and told her to put away her wine. But Hannah quickly explained that she was not drunk, just distraught, and she was praying to the Lord in great anguish. Then Eli answered:

“Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

1 Samuel 1:17 NIV

“Being on your knees before God isn’t just a physical stance. It’s an attitude of the heart in which you are seeking God and are willing to submit to His plan for your future. As you spend time with Him in prayer, your relationship with God becomes deeper and more intimate. You feel His power in your life and begin to trust His hand in every situation.”

Charles F. Stanley, 30 Life Principles

I’ve read Hannah’s story before, but the part that really stood out to me this time was Hannah’s response to Eli’s words: “She said, ‘May your servant find favor in your eyes.’ Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast” (1 Samuel 1:18 NIV). Her face was no longer downcast. She felt better. Her situation hadn’t changed, at least not yet, but Hannah’s brief exchange with Eli gave her new hope. Why this time? After all, this had been going on for years (see 1 Samuel 1:7). So, what changed this year?

I can only speculate, but I think something new or different must have happened. Notice that Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 1:10-11 also included a vow to dedicate her future son to the Lord. The reference to not ever cutting his hair meant that she was talking about a Nazirite vow (see Numbers 6:1-21). If blessed with a son, Hannah would, in essence, give him back to the Lord for His purposes. I’m wondering if this vow is what was different this time. God has plans for us that often we ourselves cannot imagine. I wonder if, after years of prayers for herself and her desire for a baby, she finally reached the point where she prayed for God’s will instead of her own to be done in her life.

“Hannah takes her problem to the one who can solve it, and she knows He can be trusted to care for her heart, regardless of the outcome.”

Tara-Leigh Cobble, The Bible Recap

Again, I’m only speculating, but I think the years of pain and heartache finally broke Hannah down. This can happen to all of us. We struggle and despair and reach the end of our rope. We hope and pray with no results, and we begin to wonder if God is even listening. I’ve been there. I’m willing to bet you have, too. If so, here’s a lesson we can learn from Hannah: God often calls to us through our brokenness, and it’s our response to Him that determines whether or not we stay broken. We can choose to give up, shut down, and assume God doesn’t care. Or we can choose to fight through the hopelessness and take our pain to God.

Hannah chose the latter. She trusted God with her despair. Holding on to hope that He would answer her, she never gave up seeking Him and asking for what she wanted. I’ve learned that as we connect to God in prayer, we allow Him to transform our desires to match His own, and I believe this is exactly what happened to Hannah. Year after year, she poured out her soul to the Lord. She allowed Him to work in her heart until she finally began to discern His plan in her own desires. And the result was a prayer in perfect alignment with God’s will. I think this is what Hannah sensed, and then Eli confirmed. I think this is why her face was no longer downcast and she was able to eat again. I believe Hannah realized she finally prayed the kind of prayer that gets answered.

And soon afterward it was:

“Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.
She named him Samuel [God Hears], because she said, ‘I asked the Lord for him.'”

1 Samuel 1:20 GW

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

1 Samuel 3:9 NIV

Hannah named her son Samuel, which means “God hears.” A perfect name for him considering the circumstances of his birth. And this would be a perfect ending to our story, but I can’t stop just yet. Because there’s another verse that jumped out at me in this week’s reading as well. It’s the verse above, and it’s what Samuel said to God when God first called to him.

You see, Hannah made good on her vow to God. As soon as Samuel was weaned, she presented Him to Eli, the priest, to live with him at Shiloh. And Samuel ministered there in service of the Lord. While still a young boy, God called to Samuel. And the boy whose name was “God hears” experienced in a remarkable way that God also speaks. Samuel grew up to be a great prophet. And it was his mother’s faithfulness to God that paved the way.

God had a plan for Samuel before he was ever conceived. And the plan involved his mother — a woman who waited years for a child of her own — to willingly give him up. God knew this would be hard. He knew Hannah had to be ready. He waited until she was. And then He blessed her beyond measure!

“And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters.
Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.”

1 Samuel 2:21 NIV

We never know what God has in store for us. That is, we never know unless we ask. When we do, we may be astounded by what we discover. I bet even Hannah was surprised by her own prayer for God to give her a son that she could then give back to Him. But that’s exactly what she did. As Hannah faithfully went to Him in prayer, God not only heard her, but God also spoke to her heart. And she listened. That’s what prayer is all about: God hears and God speaks. If we’re willing to listen, He can bless us, and use us to bless others, in remarkable ways!

“Would you be willing to pray a bold prayer…?

It’s an ancient prayer that can change the trajectory of your life, just as it did for a prophet named Samuel. Before you pray it, let me issue one warning. If you aren’t willing to listen to everything God has to say, you eventually won’t hear anything He has to say. If you want to hear His comforting voice, you have to listen to His convicting voice. And it’s often what we want to hear least that we need to hear most. Trust me, though, you want to hear what He has to say.

Are you ready? Here’s the seven-word prayer that can change your life:
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.“

Mark Batterson, Whisper

This week’s Scripture passages focus on speaking to God and listening for His voice. As we continue to seek God in prayer, He continues to transform our hearts. And we may soon become surprised by our own unselfish, God-centered prayers.

But that’s the exciting part! Because that means we are learning to hear His voice. We are beginning to grow in faith. And we are starting to align our prayers with God’s will. When that happens, brace yourself! Because those are the kinds of prayers that get answered…

“Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.”

Jeremiah 33:3 NLT

References:

• Batterson, Mark. Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God. Multnomah, 2017.
• Cobble, Tara-Leigh. The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible. Bethany House, 2020.
• Frazee, Randy.  The Heart of the Story: Discover Your Life Within the Grand Epic of God’s Story. Zondervan, 2017.
• Stanley, Charles F. 30 Life Principles Study Guide: A Study for Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God. Thomas Nelson, 2008.
• The Story: Read the Bible as One Seamless Story from Beginning to End. Rev. ed., Zondervan, 2008.

Images:

• Arms Wide featured image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay with Space Background by Yuri from Pixabay
• Woman Praying image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay (edited)
• Person Praying image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay with Multicolored Background image by JL G from Pixabay
• Man Praying with Sun Rays image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
• Man Praying with White Light image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay