“I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house and they will minister before my anointed one always.”
1 Samuel 2:35
They hadn’t even reached the town yet, but Hannah felt intimidated by the presence of her husband’s other wife. She tried to ignore it but the words the other wife had spoken were still lingering in her head. “Who knows what you have hidden in your past that God has punished you for, and this is why you cannot have children. Very soon my husband will realize what kind of woman you are and he will abandon you. Besides you are good for nothing.” When lunchtime approached, her husband very lovingly got close to her. However, he realized that she was very sad. He asked her what was wrong. Hannah could not stop crying. She refused to eat, and did not want to go out. Nothing could move her. Her husband was sure he knew the cause of sadness and grief. So, he released a word that he believed would encourage her. “Am I not better than ten children?” Instead of motivating her, this statement actually challenged her. Hannah thought about it. “How clever for him to say that he can replace a son when all his free time is invested with the children of the other woman. However, today is the day that I will seek an answer from God, because even though my husband loves me, there is nothing he can do to change the situation.”
The Tabernacle of God was very close to her house. She quickly went to it and upon arrival she prostrated herself and began to pour out her heart before God. She boldly made a promise to Him. “If you give me a son, I will dedicate him to you all the days of his life.” After she had finished her time of prayer she felt that her spirit was strong and encouraged in God. The faith of Hannah overcame the pride of her rival, she conquered the love of her husband and the son that God gave her grew up to be the greatest prophet of the nation of Israel.
Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel prayed continually for her son so that he would serve God faithfully in the house of the Lord. In the same way, my wife would pray for each one of our daughters. The spiritual maturity that they have obtained is due, for the most part, to the time of prayer that Claudia invested in them. Every word that she gave them, every verse that she would teach them, every prayer that she prayed for them was with love. She believed they would each fulfill their purpose to serve the Lord.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
“I went for some medical exams, and because of the combination of my morbid obesity and family medical history, the doctor told me that he couldn’t guarantee me more than another five years of life. Since I was a minor, a federal judge, through a legal procedure known as ‘Guardianship’ ordered a medical intervention. The treatment took place in one of the best clinics in Bogota, Colombia. However, while I was in there, I picked up a virulent hospital infection that the doctors weren’t able to diagnose. In prayer, we claimed the promise of healing and God saved me from what would have almost certainly resulted in my death. When they were finally able to operate on me to remove the excess fat, Satan again tried to take my life. The hospital-acquired infection returned while I was undergoing three operations in less than a week. Pastor Cesar Castellanos called me on my cell phone and asked me to put my hand on the affected area and pray. That same day the Lord raised me up in victory! Today I live happily in good health by claiming the promises of healing in Isaiah 53 and the power of the Blood of Christ.” (Juan David Lemus)
TODAY’S DECLARATION
“I am a faithful servant of God that pleases His heart. He will protect my descendants, and they will serve Him.”
Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Two.
TODAY’S BIBLE READING
- Old Testament: 1 Kings 2-3; Psalms 119:9-16
- New Testament: Luke 1:26-38; Ephesians 1:15-23
