God Remembered… (Insert Your Name Here)!Sýnishorn

Beauty in the Broken 

Key Verse: 1 Samuel 1:20

In the Japanese art of kintsugi, broken pottery is repaired using precious metals resulting in incredible works of art. The pottery goes through a long, delicate process to make the necessary repairs that can take several months to complete. The end result is that the pottery is not only made whole again but is now more highly valued than when it was originally created. 

Like that shattered pottery, Hannah was in a place of brokenness as she came before the LORD and laid her soul bare. Today’s reading focuses on how God hears your prayers and heals (Psalm 34:18). What can we learn from Hannah’s prayer?

Hannah honored God first. The first words of Hannah’s prayer are ‘O LORD of hosts’. Just as Jesus teaches us how we ought to pray (Matthew 6:9-13), we should always come to God acknowledging the power and majesty of just who we are petitioning. 

Hannah acknowledged her limitations. When we humble ourselves (James 4:10) and are honest with God about our situation, we are admitting our own limitations and allowing God’s power to be fully known. 

Hannah was specific in her request. Hannah not only came to God asking for a child, but she also came to God asking for a male child.  Her son grows up to become one of the most influential ministers of the faith. Sometimes God’s delays serve a bigger purpose than even we can see with our limited view of time.

Hannah prayed by herself, for herself. While it is wonderful to be surrounded by a praying group of people all petitioning God on your behalf, God still wants to hear from you Himself. He wants to have a personal relationship with you that can only happen when you actively put the time and effort into seeking Him through prayer, Bible and quiet time.

Hannah knew who to entrust her prayer request to. It’s noted that the sons of Eli were priests in the temple that Hannah’s family was worshipping at (vs 3) yet it wasn’t either son that approached Hannah but Eli. 1 Samuel 2:12 tells how Eli’s sons were evil and knew not God. Seek guidance from the Holy Spirit on whom to share your struggles with because all words of wisdom aren’t wise.

Hannah left her worry at the throne. Upon receiving the blessing words from Eli, Hannah immediately got up, ate, and lost her sadness. How is this possible? Because through her prayer and quiet time with God, even though there was no guarantee when or how God was going to bless her, she knew with assurance that God had heard her. 

Just like God remembered Hannah, he will remember you also. Remember that God’s desire is for us not to stay broken but to be made whole through the use of His precious metal… love.