Leave It At the Alter

I often call Hannah the gift that keeps on giving because there is so much that can be learned from this woman. She is a real woman that has struggled with faith and possibly depression. She is a woman that had to share her man because it was the social norm of her time and she is a woman that struggled with being unfulfilled. Hannah got what was supposed to be her prize. She had her husband’s affections, but that was not enough for her. She wanted something that only God could give her and that was a child.

As women, some of us make the mistake of thinking that marriage will fix all of our problems. We think that a man is supposed to save us and we wear his last name as a badge of honor that is supposed to make us complete in some way. Hannah found out over time that her husband could not complete her and she realized that her inner most desires were not in his hand.

Hannah became a wife, but she wanted to become a mom. she had what so many women pray for today. She had her “Boaz”, but he could not impregnate her with purpose. Hannah did not just want to be a mom, she needed to be one. It was a desire that was God given, but somewhere along the way, she became disconnected from the One that had placed that desire on the inside of her in the first place. Like Hannah, many of us allow our unanswered prayers to disconnect us from God instead of allowing our hearts and our will to line up with His. Hannah’s got so depressed that she allowed her desires to take over her life instead of allowing her situation to drive her closer to God. There was even an instance in which she could not eat.

Hannah was hungry for something that food could not fulfill. She was hungry for purpose. Hannah became discontent with the regular day to day activities of her life. The people around her felt her frustrations. I’m sure her husband become frustrated because she wanted something that he had no control over and her sister wife used this as an opportunity to taunt her. Both woman had their “Boaz”, but only one of the woman desired more from God.

God loved Hannah. He saw her condition, but He was waiting for her to give Him her heart and her trust. Hannah was a woman chosen to bear purpose, but desperation had to drive her to Jesus. This woman became so overwhelmed that she released her own personal desires so that she could carry the purposes of God. She no longer wanted to fit in. She no longer desired purpose so that she could be selfish with it. Hannah got to a place where she was ok with being used for the Father’s glory. It was in a state of brokenness, faithlessness, discontentment, and uncomfortableness that God answered this woman’s prayer. He was waiting for her to lay herself and her will down at the alter so that He could move through her.

We can all learn how to release our lives to Jesus from Hannah. Hannah went to the alter. She poured her heart out to God in brokenness and submission, and then she got up and ate. When Hannah gave her discontentment and unhappiness to God, she left it there with Him. When Hannah left God that day, she was a different woman. She was a free woman ready to bear and release her purpose to Jesus.

We are vessels that God desires to use, but we must know how to lay our lives at the alter in submission to Jesus Christ. God wants to move through us, but He will not allow our flesh or our will to get in the way of the things that He wants to release in the earth.

Will you be that broken vessel? Will you be like Hannah, a woman that cried her eyes out to God and received refreshment for her spirit?

Lord, I pray to be a woman that can release everything I am to you so that you can make me into who you want me to be for your glory. I pray to know how to sit and wait from you. I pray that my faith will be made complete in you and I pray to leave every burden on my heart at your feet. Lord I pray to get up and eat as Hannah did when she left your presence. She did not allow distractions or other people’s opinions of what they thougt she was doing to take way what you had given her. I pray to leave your presence with a face that is no longer sad as Hannah did and I pray to have joy in knowing that you hear me. Help me to submit to your timing and to your will. Help me to have your heart and your desires, in Jesus name, amen.

Recommended Reading: 1Samuel 1-18, Psalm 56:8, Mark 11:24

Comments

Devoted Life

God is calling leaders after his own heart. It is timeout for playing church and time in for living a life holy and devoted to Him. Stop thinking that you are protecting the church by hiding your dirt under the carpet. God’s bride is stained because of filthy living. You are abusing God’s bride and publicly embarrassing her. Your TV shows and your unanointed messages are not giving him glory. Stop staining God’s name with your mess! We are not to be ashamed on our wedding day when we walk down the aisle to Christ, but how can we not be when there are naysayers in the wedding party spilling all of our secrets. The bride should not have secrets church! We are called to be pure and holy. GOD IS COMING BACK FOR A CHURCH WITHOUT SPOT OR BLEMISH! Children should not be mesmerized by your gifts (talents) or your money but by your anointing. The world is mesmerized by the business of church. We talk about God but we are not showing him. True disciples will be recognized by the fruit tha...

You are Not Lost in the Crowd. God Sees You!

Someone asked the question Why do we sing? When we lift our hands to Jesus What do we really mean ~Kirk Franklin “Why we sing?” It’s very very easy to get lost in the realm of religion or to get caught up in the hype of “church”. God has blessed so many of his people with gifts and talents that range from writing and composing, to worshiping, preaching and dancing. At my church, it seems like every one has some sort of gift and I must admit that I feel lost in the shuffle, but that brings me to point of asking myself questions such as ,“who am I going to church for?” and “whose attention am I aiming for?” Everyone wants to be noticed. We want to be praised and we want to be the favorite child, but at what cost? What are we paying to be number one in the congregation’s eyes? and do we even care if God is pleased with us right where we are? I’m the queen of being offended and I often compare myself, my progression in Christ, and my life to others. This should not be so and...

Gut Check of the Heart

“But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service]” (1 Corinthians 9:27 AMP). If you need to be told that you did a good job, “You did a good job. You gave, and you submitted to man. You showed up and did what they asked. Good job.” “But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me]” (Revelation 2:4 AMP). Gut Check: Don’t love the applause of men more than you love God. Why do you show up? What do you gain from that, and what happens when the way that they applaud you does not meet your need of this kind of fulfillment? Beat your body into submission to God. Serve Him well. Become an early riser and seek the Father to release the strategy for the day to you. Sit in His presence and bask in His love. Thank Him for what He has a...

It Is Well: Faith Through Trigeminal Neuralgia

“ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘ My grace is all you need . My power works best in weakness ’ . ‘ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong ’ ” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). I can’t tell you how many times I spoke through tears. The tears where not because of emotions, but because of the searing shocks caused by Trigeminal Neuralgia. Trigeminal Neuralgia is a condition that causes intense pain, usually affecting one side of the face. It is a rare disorder that affects less than 1 percent of the population. I happen to be in that 1 percent. The pain from this disorder feels like shocks that are auditioning for a lightning storm show. Th...

Keep Your Lamp Filled

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept” (Matthew 25:1–5). Everyone had the same mindset to go to the same place for the same reason. Everyone was on their way, but partial action was taken by five of the virgins. The bridegroom had the capacity to care for all ten. Everyone had a lamp, but everyone did not have oil to see Who they were waiting for. The oil was available, but five virgins did not take the initiative to get more oil. What they had was not enough for the journey they were on. Five of the virgins were wise; they did what was needed to obtain more oil. The other five virgins were foolish, thinking that what they had was enough and that getting...

Pray for your Leaders!!!!!

“So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset” (Exodus 17:10-12). Can you imagined being called to be a leader? Moses went through a lot just so that he could be used to lead Israel out of bondage. Moses was talked about by his family, he was misunderstood because of his relationship with God, and the people he was called to lead always wanted to choose a new leader because they didn’t respect the direction that he was called to take them in. When you reject your leader, you reject God. The people were rejecting God when they disrespected the leadership of Moses because he was God led. ...

The Process of Faithing It: Trusting Jesus with Your Faith

“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction” (Mark 5:34 NKJV). Can you imagine Jesus in a crowd? Everyone has a need, but His target in that moment is to go and build the faith of a little girl’s family at the request of her father because they think that she will die. The father is scared, but Jesus was on the way until He felt something. This feeling was different, but powerful. Jesus turns around looking, asking questions, but finds his answer in the form of a woman, standing and looking amazed at what just happened to her. After 13 years of anemia, tiredness, dizzy spells, soiled clothing, and impacted relationships, she is healed. This woman with an issue of blood had spent all of her money, but decided to trust Jesus with her faith, which was all that she had left. Jesus was not too busy to stop and ask, “Who touched me?”. The disciples reminded Jesus of all the people that were around them, but this touch was different. Some...

Fear Can Not Exist Where Healing is Needed: The Authority of Jesus within Mental Health

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” ( John 10:10 KJV). The people of Gadarenes gave the enemy access to their region, not just a man at a tomb. As a bystander within Mark 5, I’ve seen many parts of this scenario played out in real time. I know the broken heart that Jesus had at seeing this man, and I also know the love and compassion that He had for him as well. The people may have feared the man because of his strength, but Jesus understood and displayed that fear could not exist where healing is needed . Working within the mental health field, I’ve seen what was depicted by the man at the tomb. It’s not easy, but Jesus removed the cover of what was happening. The Legion of demons (composed of thousands of demons) thought that they could continue to reign and rule, but the King stepped onto the ground and caused atmospheric shift to happen. “T...

Answer The Call

I think that we all know what it’s like to miss an important call, right? We move our schedules around and we keep our phones glued to us; but unfortunately, there are still times when we end up missing that call that means so much to us. How about times when we miss a call that was important, and we were not expecting it? We may recognize the number on the caller id, but the person on the other end has already hung up or they do not answer their phone by time we are able to call them back. To make a long story short, it’s not good to miss an important call. When we do, we become inconvenienced and have to wait for that phone call to come again. We all know what it’s like to miss an important call from a person, but what about the times that we have missed a call from the Lord? We all have so much to do and think about that we miss a special call from Jesus daily. We get so caught up in tradition and prayer times, that we miss the call to be the church at all times. Church is not...

Stand Firm: Rooted and Grounded in God’s Word

It is easy to condemn Moses. How could he, out of all people be insecure? I mean, He talked to God in a burning bush that was not consumed by fire! God even protected him in a snake and alligator infested river! Wouldn’t you trust God if He continuously showed up on your behalf? Wouldn’t your war cry be Jehovah Nissi? God was always with Moses. Moses was never allowed to be a normal Hebrew baby because he was called out to be used for the glory of the Lord. He wasn’t allowed to be murdered. He wasn’t even allowed to be a slave. What has God shielded you from because of your calling? What had God allowed you to endure because of your calling? Do you realize that what you’re going through is because of your calling? No, Moses may not have endured what his brothers and sisters endured, but that does not mean that his life was peaches and cream. He may have been in the palace, but that does not mean that people treated him like a prince. If you look at the life of Moses, no one was...

JaNina B.

Search This Blog