Prayer in the Bible – Hannah

The book of 1 Samuel begins with the story surrounding the birth of Samuel himself. Hannah, the wife of Elkanah the Ephraimite, is childless. She has reached a point of despair, and earnestly seeks God’s mercy in prayer while at “the Lord’s house”. This is in the town of Shiloh, where the tabernacle was kept during the days of the judges.

Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 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.”

As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

1 Samuel 1: 9-16

Most of us have uttered silent prayers, but this is the first record in the bible of someone uttering such a prayer. As we will read, the Lord hears Hannah’s prayer and opens her womb, blessing her with a son. In chapter 2, we read that Hannah responds with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high.

My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.

There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you;

there is no Rock like our God.

Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance,

for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.

The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more.

She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.

The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.

The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.

For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world.

He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the Lord will be broken.

The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

1 Samuel 2: 1-10

Prayer in the Bible – Samson

The period of Israel’s history following the conquest of Canaan was characterized by a repeating cycle where the people would do evil by following false idols, the Lord would deliver them into the hands of their enemies, they would repent and cry out for mercy, and the Lord would raise up a judge to deliver them from their oppression. One of the most memorable of the judges was the man Samson, and it is the story of Samson where we again see godly men seek out the Lord in prayer.

The story of Samson begins with the circumstances of his birth. Manoah and his wife, members of the tribe of Dan, are childless. The Israelites are in the midst of forty years of suffering at the hands of the Philistines, when God visits Manoah’s wife.

The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

Judges 13:3-5

When Manoah’s wife recounts this encounter, Manoah’s reaction is significant, especially in light of the general lack of faithfulness of the nation.

Then Manoah prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”

Judges 13:8

Consider the faith and humility of Manoah! He receives the news from his wife about her supernatural visit, and his first response is to seek God to ask for guidance on how to raise up this promised son. This is a gift from God, and Manoah’s actions reflect his realization of what Jeremiah would later write, “It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps”. (Jeremiah 10:23)

With respect to Samson himself, it is noteworthy that his life story begins with the prayer of his father Manoah, and ends with his own prayer. Samson’s tale is full of deeds of great strength, riddles and challenges, and never-ending frustration to the Philistines. But at the end, Samson has been deceived, captured, and robbed of his strength and eyesight. He has nothing left to him but his faith in God. So in the midst of this lowest point in his life, Samson turns to prayer.

Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.

Judges 16:28-30

Prayer in the Bible – Moses

There are few men in Bible history of more significance than Moses. Deliverer of Israel, giver of the law, a man whose face had to be veiled because he physically reflected God’s glory after being in his presence (Exodus 34:29-35, 2 Corinthians 3:7-18). And though we read that “the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11), there were many times Moses would pray to the Lord. During the time of the ten plagues, Pharaoh pled with Moses to pray to Lord to remove the plagues, and he would do so. Moses also prayed to the Lord on behalf of Israel (Numbers 11:1-3, 21:6-8) and his brother Aaron (Deuteronomy 9:19-21) for God to show his mercy.

But the only prayer we have recorded in the scriptures by Moses is his supplication to God after the sin of the people and Aaron with the golden calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the stone tablets with the words of the covenant. Remember that Moses had been on the mountain for forty days and nights, neither eating nor drinking. And when he had received the tablets, he was told by God about the idol that the people had made for themselves.

What is perhaps not as well known is that after Moses broke the tablets, he fasted for another forty days and nights before praying to God on behalf of Israel and Aaron!

Then once again I fell prostrate before the Lord for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all the sin you had committed, doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight and so arousing his anger.  I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the Lord listened to me. And the Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I prayed for Aaron too.

I lay prostrate before the Lord those forty days and forty nights because the Lord had said he would destroy you. I prayed to the Lord and said, “Sovereign Lord, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin. Otherwise, the country from which you brought us will say, ‘Because the Lord was not able to take them into the land he had promised them, and because he hated them, he brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.’ But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm.”

Deuteronomy 9:18-20, 25-29

In Moses’ plea to God, we see his recognition that we do not deserve the forgiveness we seek. His plea with God was to “overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin”. And his primary reason for the request was ultimately for the glory of God! His fear was that the nation of Egypt would somehow look upon God as a failure, if he were to destroy the people that he had performed such mighty works to deliver.

Similarly, our supplications to God should reflect the same attitudes. We should recognize that we are not deserving of the rich blessings we receive from God, nor of the mercy he shows to us. And our requests should always be those that would give glory to God, because that is why we are here!

Prayer in the Bible – the search for Rebekah

Prayer in the Bible – the search for Rebekah

Abraham is one of the key figures in the Bible, having been mentioned 235 times! And as we read in Galatians chapter 3, even the law of Moses does not nullify the promise God made to Abraham, through which all the nations of the earth would be blessed, and which was fulfilled by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As we read in the book of Genesis about the story of Abraham and his relationship with God, we come to understand how serious Abraham regarded this covenant God had made with him. He began by taking all his possessions and people and moving to a land he didn’t know, led only by God’s direction. Later, he showed his faith in God by being willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac, even though God had already told him that through Isaac his promise would be fulfilled.

In Chapter 24 Isaac is now fully grown, about 40 years old, and Abraham is addressing the matter of finding a wife for Isaac. There are a couple of reasons why Abraham would not want Isaac to marry a woman from the local area: it was customary in that time to choose a wife from one’s own “tribe”, but more importantly, Abraham must have recognized the importance of choosing a wife who would not bring pagan beliefs into the marriage and pull Isaac away from his relationship with God.

Abraham entrusts the matter to his senior servant, but he treats the matter so seriously as to place his servant under an oath. Although not named in this chapter, Abraham had referred to his servant as Eliezer of Damascus (Genesis 15:2), so these two may be one and the same.

There are two notable conditions of this oath: (1) if the woman was unwilling to be Isaac’s wife, the servant was released from the oath, and (2) Isaac must not travel back to their home country. We can see how seriously Abraham regarded his covenant with God. Since he was directed to come to this “promised land”, not even Isaac should return from it, lest the covenant be broken.

When the servant of Abraham reaches his destination and arrives at the well outside of town, he demonstrates both his faith in God, and his devotion to Abraham as he prays to God:

Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

Genesis 24:12-14

We learn that the servant’s prayer was answered “before he had finished praying”, and Rebekah appears with the other women of the town. She offers the servant water, and also offers to water his camels. When the servant learns that she is also the daughter of Abraham’s relatives, he realizes his prayers have been answered, and he immediately worships God:

Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”

Genesis 24: 26-27

Easter Bunnies and Christmas Trees

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus and Easter commemorates the season of his death, burial, and resurrection, but are they based on fact? No serious scholar doubts Jesus of Nazareth had a birthday and a day on which he died but how certain are we of those exact dates?

Frankly, Christmas Day was chosen based on convenience. Of course, there is no doubt Jesus was born, but the exact date is wholly lost in antiquity. In fact, the Bible says Jesus was born while Herod the Great reigned, but Herod died in 4 B.C.! It’s more than likely that Jesus was born around 6 B.C. but, as for the day or the month, that’s anyone’s guess. The earliest Christians didn’t celebrate Christmas and, much later, when some of them wanted to create a holiday to celebrate his birth, they chose an existing pagan holiday and “sanctified” it with new meaning. 

On the other hand, while “Easter” with its bunnies and eggs was also a pagan holiday, the timing is pure coincidence. The events surrounding the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus were linked to the Jewish feast, Passover, and have been celebrated every Sunday from the very beginning of Christianity.

Passover celebrates the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery (Exodus chapter 12). On the night of the 10th plague, the Israelites sacrificed a lamb and painted its blood on the doorposts of their houses. The “death angel” passed-over their homes when he saw the blood sparing those within. Blood represents life, and it took the sacrifice of innocent life to set them free. Likewise, the historical Jesus died on the eve of a historical Passover giving his life to set us free.

Since Passover is a lunar holiday, the date on our calendar varies from year to year. Likewise, Christians have been divided about whether to celebrate the anniversary on the actual date of the event (which would fall on different days of the week every year) or to always link it to the actual day, Sunday. Here, in the West, it is traditionally celebrated on “Resurrection Sunday,” and while we honor the death, burial and -resurrection of Jesus every week (as Christians have from the beginning) it is especially heart-warming to celebrate Resurrection Sunday knowing it is firmly based in historical fact.

The Great Easter Controversy

It seems the date of the resurrection of Jesus Christ has been a source of controversy almost from the beginning. There is no doubt that Jesus was crucified during the procuratorship of Pontius Pilate on Friday, the eve of the Passover, nearly 2,000 years ago. However, the exact date of that Friday is a matter of controversy.

We know that Passover fell on the 15th day of Nisan, but because the Jewish people followed a lunar calendar based on cycles of the new moon, the exact date is difficult to determine. Pontius Pilate ruled from 26-36 A.D. so that narrows the date down to a decade. People have also used a chronology based on the life of the Apostle Paul to narrow the date down a bit more while others have appealed to astronomical models to determine when Jesus died. Since Matthew tells us there was an earthquake during the crucifixion, scientists are even analyzing the geologic record to find the date (although I have yet to find an earthquake fault with the day of the week inscribed on it). The two best dates based on all these facts are April 7th, 30 A.D. or April 3rd, 33 A.D. (I personally lean toward the earlier date, but certainty is nearly impossible to achieve.)

So when is Easter? Jesus was crucified on Friday and resurrected on Sunday, so rather than celebrate Easter on a fixed date, most Christians celebrate Easter on a fixed day: Sunday.

Even here there is division. The Council of Nicea (325 A.D.) decreed Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon (the Jewish Passover moon) following the March equinox. Once again, there is controversy because on most years the actual equinox falls on March 20th, but for church purposes it was decreed the equinox is on March 21st. Wait! It gets more complicated because we have to ask, “Which calendar do we use: the Julian calendar or the Gregorian calendar?” (The Gregorian calendar was adopted by Catholic countries in 1582 to ensure that Easter would fall in the right season.) Right now the two calendars are about 13 days apart. Generally speaking the Eastern Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar while the western churches follow the Gregorian calendar, hence two different dates for the celebration of Easter.

Let’s add one more controversy: “What shall we call this holiday: Easter or Resurrection Sunday?” While most people connect Easter with the resurrection of Christ, the historical background of the name “Easter” seems rooted in an English pagan holiday for Eostre – a fertility goddess or perhaps the Babylonian goddess, Ishtar (thus bunnies and Easter eggs). On the other hand, if you invite your friends to “Resurrection Sunday,” they probably won’t know what you are talking about. In common English, Easter is the holiday that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For the sake of clarity, it’s probably easier to simply talk about Easter.

Confused? Don’t be. The one thing we know for certain is: Jesus really lived and really died and Christians celebrate his resurrection every Sunday not just one day a year. We have a great opportunity on April  21st. Our friends and neighbors would like to come to church for Easter. Why not invite them to join us?

Someone is on Duty

One of my favorite motivational writers is Tim Hansel and in his book on loneliness, Dancin’ Toward the Dawn, he quotes an essay on God by eight-year-old, Danny Dunton:

“One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes these to put in place of the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things here on earth. He doesn’t make grown-ups. Just kids. I think it’s because they are smaller and easier to make. That way He doesn’t have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that up to moms and dads. I think it works out pretty good.

“God’s second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, as some people like preachers pray other times besides bedtime…. God sees everything, and is everywhere, which keeps Him pretty busy….

“Jesus is God’s Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and doing miracles and trying to teach people about God who didn’t want to learn. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind like His Father, and He told His Father that they didn’t know what they were doing and to forgive them, and God said OK. His Father appreciated everything He had done and all His hard work on earth, so He told Him He didn’t have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So He did. And now He helps His Father out by listening to prayers and seeing which things are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to hear you because they’ve got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time….”

Hansel notes: “Today remember that God is listening to the deepest yearnings in your heart. Remember that He is ‘on duty’ all the time. Remember that He sees everything, and is everywhere. Remember that He loves us…immensely. With a childlike simplicity, offer your prayers to God and really experience Him hearing you.”

Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese? Yuk! “Mom, I hate cottage cheese! It’s all white and lumpy and oozes that white stuff all over my green beans.”

Mom wouldn’t stand for that, and I ate my white, lumpy, oozy cottage cheese — not because I enjoyed it, but because I had a deep, abiding respect for mom’s wooden spoon. “Three courtesy bites, Johnny.”

The Apostle John wrote, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love,” (1 John 4:18).

Christianity is a lot like eating cottage cheese. Many people are motivated to become Christians out of fear — the fear of going to Hell. However, as we grow and learn to know Christ and our Father, our fear of hell is cast out and replaced by the love of and for God. Our fears and guilt over sin are no longer our motivation. Our mature, perfected love has elevated us above the fear of punishment.

Of course I still hate greens, but that’s another story for another day.

Reprinted from one of John’s first bulletin articles, February 10, 1980, Tyler, Texas.

The Dove

Birds fill me with wonder. There seems to be an almost infinite variety of them from the little ruby throated hummingbirds we attract with our feeders to the owls who add a spooky commentary to the night.

I love the endless variety of sea birds and I have passed many hours at the helm watching them play among the waves. The pelicans in close formation follow each other skimming just over the tops of the waves. Solitary terns soar effortlessly. Cormorants, with their tiny wings, struggle as much as to stay in the air as they glide effortlessly beneath the waves.

In the Bible we read, “The Spirit descended upon him as a dove.”

This image fascinates me. The Spirit didn’t descend as an eagle or a bird of prey. It didn’t flit around like a sparrow or hover like a hummingbird. It wasn’t looking for crumbs to steal like a pigeon or a sea gull. The Spirit isn’t arrogant or gawky like a raven. The Spirit is gentle like a dove. 

Doves strike me as patient birds. They will sit for hours just watching their world. So, the Holy Spirit is patient with me. He doesn’t give up on me. Instead the Spirit patiently waits for me to come to my senses again.

Likewise, nothing is as harmless as a dove. Unlike the demon spirits of old who tried to throw a child into the fire or into the sea (Matthew 17:15). The Spirit of God is not violent, but gently does His work leading me into a life of holiness.

The Holy Spirit isn’t a showy peacock, a proud eagle, or a pesky pigeon. The Spirit is a quiet dove.

Shine the Light


How do you deal with darkness? That’s a silly question – turn on the light! When it comes to dealing with the evil around us, some Christians waste time studying the darkness. I regularly receive questions about Satan, exorcism, the spiritual forces of darkness, and the schemes of the devil. I think, rather than spending hours analyzing Satan and spiritual warfare; the simple solution is to turn on the light! Focus on Jesus, and the darkness will flee.

Still, the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “we are not unaware of [Satan’s] schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11). I wonder if we can say the same thing? What are some of the tricks of the devil?

First, Satan is a liar. Jesus said, “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies,” (John 8:44). We can partially gauge Satan’s success by the way truth has degenerated from absolute truth into shades of truth. Have you heard someone say, “Well, that may be true for you…”? Black and white have become shades of grey.

Second, Satan plants doubts. Do you remember his conversation with Eve in the garden? “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1). Two of his favorite phrases begin with “If only” and “What if.” Guard against doubt!

Third, Satan provides excuses. “It’s not my fault.” Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. When we fail to take responsibility for our actions, Satan is lurking in the shadows!

The list can go on and on and on. C.S. Lewis wrote a wonderful book on this topic called, The Screwtape Letters, that I highly recommend, but the best way to overcome the Prince of Darkness is to focus on the Prince of Light. Shine the light Christian! 

News & Notes

New Bible Study Begins This Morning

Troy Hollingsworth’s popular study of Philippians continues today in the Fellowship Hall and John McKeel will begin a new adult class in the library on the Prophets.

Wednesday Nights

Don’t forget: dinner is served every Wednesday night at 6:15 followed by song, prayer and Bible study at 7:00. 

Church Potluck Next Sunday

Our monthly potluck and fellowship will follow worship next Sunday, March 24th.