[1 Sam 1:9-13] When the sacrifice had been offered, and they had eaten the meal, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli was sitting in his chair near the door to the place of worship. Hannah was brokenhearted and was crying as she prayed, “LORD All-Powerful, I am your servant, but I am so miserable! Please let me have a son. I will give him to you for as long as he lives, and his hair will never be cut.” Hannah prayed silently to the LORD for a long time. But her lips were moving, and Eli thought she was drunk.
Our words change history.
If you study the Bible, you will see how a few frail people stood before God, uttered a humble cry of need and God’s response changed the world. When Moses pleaded with God, the Lord chose not to destroy the nation of idolatrous Israelites. As David decreed God’s goodness, he then slew Goliath before the terrified Israelite army. Daniel faithfully interceded throughout his term of office and Cyrus released the Israelite slaves after seventy years of Babylonian captivity.
Our words are critical.
Perhaps we may say something wicked and then confess, “I didn’t mean that!”. That is not entirely true. Our words are a reflection of our heart. They confess the evil in our heart. For Jesus said, “The words that come out of your mouth are from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God.” (Mat 15:18)
God is paying very close attention to our words. What we speak, matters. [tweet this]
An entire generation of Israelites perished in the desert because they couldn’t control their mouths. All they did was grumble, “We like Egypt better than this wilderness!” They simply demanded, “Where are the cucumbers. We want onions! Where’s the beef?” God was so fed up with their short-sighted moaning and constant complaining, He did not allow them to enter the Promised Land.
God is waiting to lift people up who are desperate for Him and leaning on Him. What are we going to do to touch the heart of God?
Keys to move the heart of God:
- We must consider before Whom we speak.
We need to rein in our mouths as we stand before the King of Kings. We must acknowledge the greatness of the One to Whom we speak. The Lord, He is God!
- We must refuse to question God.
A devoted heart turns trouble into the place of deepest prayer. In that still place of prayer, God is not looking at the eloquence of our words, He is looking at the depth of our cry.
Declare to the Lord as David did, “Your way is perfect, LORD, and your word is correct. You are a shield for those who run to you for help.” (2 Sam 22:31)
- We must flee all distraction and find the deep place of prayer before God.
We cannot move God if we refuse to linger before Him. Elijah, mighty prophet to the nation of Israel, after a long day’s trial by fire to eradicate Baal witchcraft from Israel, finished his day contending for God’s blessing of rain upon Israel. This mighty man put his head between his legs and prayed seven times on Mount Carmel. Each time, his servant went up the mountain to check the horizon and returned, before the report of a cloud, the size of a small fist was given. From that deep place of prayer before Almighty God, the rain came….
Our words matter daily.
When we seek the Lord daily in prayer, we build an altar of prayer and worship, a throne for King Jesus in our hearts. Whether in need or in fellowship, we may approach the seat of mercy easily when it is a daily journey. If we know God listens when we pray, we are sure that our prayers have already been answered.(1 John 5: 14-15).
History has been changed by the humble words of a few people bold enough to stand before God in prayer. What words might we pray today to change history?