W H E N G O D S H U T S A W O M B

Habakkuk 1:2
O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!

1. Heaven’s silence have caused many to question God.


1 Sam. 1:1-2 Elkanah had 2 wives:

a. Peninnah, who had children

b. Hannah, who had no children

2. If you had no children, you were considered cursed by God.

1 Sam. 1:3 - Elkanah was a believer

a. he / family went to church

1 Sam. 1:4 - This man required his whole family to go to church.

1 Sam. 1:5
But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.

3. Notice that “ the Lord had shut up her womb “.

4. She was blessed, but barren.

5. Did she do something wrong ?

6. It does not say that she was a barren woman from birth.

a. He did it on purpose....but why

7. When God shuts up the womb it is never for punishment.


1 Sam. 1:6 - And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.

8. satan will take advantage of our times of barrenness.

a. provoked her

b. made her fret (worry / anxious)

9. You can not get pregnant when you fret.

1 Sam. 1:7
And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

10. This went on for a long time.

11.Notice when satan attacked her:

a. “ went to the house of the Lord “

b. right before she went to church

12. In torment, kept going to church.
a. even though she was there

b. no worship was inside her

13. She spent her time in church:

a. focused on what she didn’t have

b. rehearsing all the torments

c. that Peninnah brought on before church services

d. it was to stop God’s Word from getting inside her

1 Sam. 1:8 - Elkanah comforts her .

a. to count her blessings

14. God was waiting on Hannah to get her attitude in order.

1 Sam. 1:9 - So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh...

15. She started conducting herself in a different manner.

a. sooner of later, your going to have to choose to rise up

1 Sam. 1:10
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

16. For years she went to church a very bitter woman:

a. everyone else had been blessed with children but not her

17.Finally, after all these years she decides to pray.

1 Sam. 1:11 And she vowed a vow,

18. She gets serious with God.

19.What is she doing?

20.She is beginning to birth in prayer before her natural birth takes place.

a. you conceive it prayer before it is birthed in the physical

21. She vowed a vow, shows us that she was serious.

22. Many believers are still barren because they have made God all these promises but never owned up to them.

23. Sometimes, God will shut up a womb to see how bad we want it and how serious we will get in order to obtain it.

1 Sam. 1:12-13 - “ she spake in her
heart; only her lips moved “

24. Her heart was changing before her vocabulary changed.

25. She had to put the matter back into God’s hand

a. she had to get the bitterness, resentment and envy out

b. she had to forgive Peninnah

c.even though she couldn’t
verbalize it

1 Samuel 1:14-15 - shows that she was pouring out her bitterness

26. She complained a lot.

a. 1 Cor. 10:10 - complaining
invites the destroyer

1 Sam. 1:16 - ...for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

27. She went through the motions but she was empty inside.

1 Sam. 1:17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

28.Her pastor gets into agreement with her.

a. because they communicated

b. most believers get offended because they assume the pastor should know

1 Samuel 1:18 -“ she went her way “

29. She was finally able to go on with her life

“did eat“ - physically and spiritually

“ her countenance was no more sad “ -
30. She allowed herself to be changed on the inside.

1 Sam. 1:19 - she went to church
and she was finally able to worship again.

31. When she opened to God, He opened her womb.

1 Samuel 1:20 - she bares a son,
the Prophet Samuel.

32.God had shut up her womb on purpose.

33.When God shuts a womb :

a. it is never for punishment

b. it’s always for a greater purpose

c. it’s for an appointed time

d. and it’s for a specific reason

1 Samuel 2:18 - Hannah gave birth to Samuel.
34. He wasn’t just another child.

“ he ministered before the Lord “

35.Hannah was barren for a season

a. so in God’s timing He would open up her womb

b. and give birth to a generation changer.

36.Delay does not mean denial

37.Your barrenness will be turned to bountifulness!

38.God is saving that womb for a greater purpose!


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