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When Hannah couldn’t conceive in the natural, she became a lightning rod for Heaven’s Dream. 

“…But to Hannah, he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb. Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her and taunt her severely. And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat.…” (1 Samuel 1:5-7)

When you are called to birth something that can only glorify God, you will endure evident barrenness and provocation from your adversary. You will suffer accusations from friends, family, and religious leaders in your life. The torment of seeming fruitlessness can cause you abandon desire for earthly blessing. Hannah’s husband could not comfort her with carnal love or even a double-portion blessing.   

Let the barrenness stretch you.

Friend, yield to the season. The plans of the Lord are going to blow your mind!

That’s Easier said than done, right?

We must understand as we walk through this valley that our adversary is not flesh and blood, but “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9, ESV)

We are in a war, but not against people. (Ephesians 6:12) 

Be careful to not attack the attackers. Cry out for a humble and pure heart. The humble will be exalted.

Lord is stretching out your tent pegs dear burning one! His plans for you are to mature not harm. The stretching increases your capacity to handle more.

Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth into song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD. Enlarge the site of your tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, do not hold back. Lengthen your ropes and drive your stakes deep For you will spread out to the right and left; your descendants will dispossess the nations and inhabit the desolate cities.…” Isaiah 54:1-3

Let the barren season refine you.

  • God had closed Hannah’s womb. Not the enemy.
  • God was the One she had to pursue, the throne  was where her appeal was made.
  • Rebuking and binding, warring, and fighting the rival would not work in this circumstance.
  • He was calling Her higher.  
  • He was preparing her to birth, something that would change the nation.
  • He was delivering her from needing the approval of man.
  • He was purifying her desires.

The Hannah Cry is an Ugly Cry

9-10 One time, after they had finished their meal in the house of the Lord at Shiloh, Hannah got up. She was deeply distressed, and she cried bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. Meanwhile, Eli, the priest, was sitting in his place by the door. 11 Hannah made a solemn promise: “Lord Almighty, look at me, your servant! See my trouble and remember me! Don’t forget me! If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut.”

Her prayers were not pretty or peaceful. They were not religious but neither were they impure. She was not drunk with wine but intoxicated with longing. The priest thought she was drunk. Her cries were for the gaze of the eyes of the Lord, not her husband, not the priest, and not her rival! Her cries were for His leadership, His defense, and a gift that she could consecrate and dedicate to Him-alone!  (See 1 Samuel 1:12-16) 

Have you ever groaned and cried out in intercession and been misunderstood? It’s a glorious experience to be misunderstood because of  longing for Heaven’s vision to be manifest in the earth.

Right?! ( I can hear you shaking your head, NO!) 

Well, it will be later! Hold on just a little longer.

These groanings impregnate us for the will of God! 

…25But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently. 26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.…” Romans 8:2

 

Hannah’s barrenness produced a wreckless groan that caused Heaven to stop and respond. In her weakness He was made strong. The Spirit of the Lord knew her heart and mind and He moved from within her.  Eli, the priest rebuked her. But,  he took notice and eventually came into agreement with her prayers! 

 

When Hannah couldn’t conceive in the natural, she became a lightning rod for Heaven’s dream.

 

The Lord struck Hannah with His dream through the stretching, groaning, and purification process of prayer and fasting. He was forming within her more than she could ever ask, think or imagine.  Soon her mourning would be turned to joy.

Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”

Beloved, do you have a Goan like Hannah’s? You are not alone!  You have been marked by God to birth something greater that yourself.  Allow the season of bareness to have it’s work in you! Allow the groan to prepare your character and press you into the place of deep intimacy. Place your gaze on the Bridegroom God! Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning!( Psalm 30:5b) Keep groaning! 

 

 

 

 

 

DESPERATE

deperate in prayer

 

Often when we are desperate and weak, we call on someone whom we consider a prayer warrior to say ” I need you to pray for me!” Then we pour out our frustration and aching hearts before them.

 

Desperation is beautiful to the Lord and He loves when we are vulnerable enough to ask for prayer. He loves when we bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2) He loves when we acknowledge our weakness, for in doing so He can be our strength! But, often in our weakness, we run to other people before we go “Boldly to the Throne of Grace” for ourselves. (See Hebrews 4:16) We often feel too weak, weary, ashamed, or just don’t know how to pray about certain situations. He loves when we come to Him and to others  bold, broken and admittedly not having eloquent words. It is a beautiful thing when someone lifts that burden before the Lord for us! But, there is One who will pray not just for us, but with us and through us!  He will also work deep inner healing in us as He prays, but we must let Him!

“But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:25-27

The Power of His Intercession

Did you see that? Did you catch the power of HIS intercession! He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God! He is God and of course He knows the very mind of God!  The Spirit of God  knows exactly how to pray His perfect will in our lives! Those deep groanings can be embarrassing to our dignity, but they are powerful, perfect, and mightly productive.

I mean really, what’s more vulnerable than spilling your deepest weaknesses out before a friend? Why not go first boldly to The Friend who sticks closer than a brother (Prov.18:24b); to The Friend who has  laid down His life that we might be able to run to Him in times like these? (see John 15:19)

He is welcoming us to bring all of our broken desperation to Him first- and in private!  You may  hear groanings coming out of the depths of your being. That is good! You are hearing HIM praying for you, with you, and through you the very heart and will of The Heavenly Father! The greatest religious tragedy of our day is that we don’t know how to pray. We have heard it taught that tongues of intercession have ceased! This is a lie from the pit of Hell! Satan is terrified of you groaning with Jesus in intercession for your life and the lives of others! If you do pray Satan wants you to try to make it eloquent, dignified and  therefore powerless. He wants you to leave your prayer time feeling as though God didn’t listen or that you don’t know how to pray anyway.  He knows that Jesus, The Great Intercessor, is releasing heaven and earth shaking groanings for us before the Throne of God and we are invited to join in! That enemy of God doesn’t want us to know that we can come boldly before the Throne of Grace  by the blood of Jesus to make intercession with Him!  In doing this we are pulling God’s perfect will in heaven into the earth (Matt. 6:10)! We are taking our rightful inherited place of dominion!  Satan knows that once the sons and daughters of God grasp this key the kingdom of darkness is done!

Let your Guts Groan

I challenge you today to make a ‘war room’ in an ‘inner room’ of your house; where you can go and just let your guts groan with the Lord daily. You will find less and less desperation to need others to pray for you and more and more the longing to pray with The Spirit of God Himself! Your strength will rise and you will soar with Him in heavenly places! (See Ephesians 2:6)  You will know more and more your identity as HIS child,  because you are communing with God before His very Thone daily! This will be your ‘daily bread’ or substance for life!  You will be desperate, hungry, and longing for Him!

Give it at least 20 minutes a day to begin with. Eventually,  you will find yourself wanting for more time in that secret place.  Resist every thought of  distraction. Turn off your phone and rebuke feelings of embarrassment or doubt. These feelings and thoughts often come  in these first 15-20 minutes, they are just the enemy’s lies and his attempt to try to get you to give up or get distracted. Don’t listen to a liar.  Listen to the voice of Truth, His voice,  break in!

 

Pray this, Father, I am desperate fill me to overflow from the inside out! Baptize me with more that just  water, but with Holy Spirit and Fire according to Matthew 3:11; pray for me and though me according to Romans 8:26! I am desperate for You!

Now, let Him be God! Be a doer of the Word not a hearer only!

Let me know how you are growing in intimacy with God! Share this post to help others!

Blessings

Tammie!