"The origin of Samuel was especially his God seeking mother with her prayer (vv. 9-18). Her prayer was an echo of the heart's desire of God. Her prayer was a human cooperation with the divine move for the carrying out of God's eternal economy....Such a prayer is the speaking out of God's heart. Hannah's prayer was like this. God wanted a Samuel, yet He needed Hannah's cooperation to pray to Him, saying, 'Lord, I need a son.' ...After such a prayer as Hannah prayed, it was easy for God to do something, because man's cooperation had become a base on which He could move....God's move with His answer to Hannah's prayer was to produce a Nazarite who was absolute for the fulfilling of His desire...Samuel was consecrated to be such a person. This is a great thing, for it was Samuel who brought in a new age" (Lee. Witness. Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1994, Print).
God answered Hannah's prayer, and she gave birth to Samuel whose name means asked of Jehovah. I never thought before that my prayer could actually be an echo of God's heart. That fills my heart with awe that God would entrust us with this kind of responsibility. When I read Watchman Nee's book The Prayer Ministry of the Church, I learned many things touching things about prayer. One thing I've never forgotten is Watchman Nee saying God is like a giant train with a lot of power, but He allows Himself in many ways to be limited by the prayer of His people. When God's people gather together to pray, they are laying the tracks for the train to run on. This is exactly what Hannah's prayer did.
I would like to share with you a song from the New York Young People's CD entitled Overcome--it's called In This Godless Age.
You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking on the books of Samuel on the Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.
Other Related Posts on Prayer:
From the Life-Study of Matthew:
What is the Crucial Significance of Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13?
Have You Seen the Battle Between the Two Kingdoms in Matthew 12:26-28?
From the Life-Study of Luke:
Why is Persistent Prayer Important in Luke 18:1-8?
From the Life-Study of Acts:
How is Acts a Book on God's Move & Prayer?
Seeing God's Move & Satan's Frustration in Acts 14
From the Life-Study of Galatians:
How Do We Practically Enjoy Grace in Galatians 5:18?
From the Life-Study of Ephesians:
How Do We Apply the Armor of God in Ephesians 6?
From the Life-Study of Philippians:
Why Does Paul Put Anxiety and Prayer Together in Philippians 4:6?
From the Life-Study of Colossians:
From the Life-Study of Colossians - What Happens When We Pray?
What is Christ Doing at the RIght Hand of God in Colossians 3:2?
From the Life-Study of 1 Timothy:
What is Paul's First Exhortation in 1 Timothy 2:1?
From the Life-Study of James:
What James 5:17-18 Teaches Us About Elijah's Prayer
From the Life-Study of Revelation:
What are the Golden Bowls of Incense in Revelation 5:8?
From the Life-Study of Exodus:
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus: The Incense Altar
From the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel:
What We Can Learn from Hannah's Prayer in 1 Samuel 1
Other Posts on Prayer:
Why Prayer Matters
Calling on the Lord Makes a Difference!
Hearing God (From Collected Works of Watchman Nee, Vol. 18 - Tell Him)
Other Posts on 1 & 2 Samuel:
You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking on the books of Samuel on the Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.
What We Can Learn From Hannah in Her Prayer in 1 Samuel 1
How God Used Samuel at a Degraded Time in Israel's History
Taking a Closer Look at David in 1 & 2 Samuel
What is God's Building in 2 Samuel 7:5?
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