Hannah Ministry

1 Samuel 1:10-18: And she was bitter in soul and prayed to Jehovah and wept much. And she made a vow and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if You will indeed look upon the affliction of Your female servant and remember me and not forget Your female servant, but give to Your female servant a male child, then I will give him to Jehovah for all the days of his life, and no razor will come upon his head. And while she continued praying a long time before Jehovah, Eli watched her mouth. And Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought that she was drunk. And Eli said to her, How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine from you. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord. I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before Jehovah. Do not take your female servant for a worthless woman; for out of the greatness of my anxiety and provocation I have been speaking all this time. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have requested from Him. And she said, Let your servant find favor in your sight. And the woman went her way; and she ate, and her countenance was sad no more.

God needs an overcomer to accomplish His heart's desire. To gain His heart's desire He needs those who would cooperate with Him. Hannah and her husband were the ones who cooperated with God and lived on the line of life despite the degradation they were in. Hannah, out of her much desperation for being barren, prayed, poured out her soul, and asked for a male child. The Lord answered her prayer and gave her Samuel whom she lent to God all the days of his life. Even before she bore a son, she believed in the prophet's consoling words and trusted in Jehovah. She sure is a pattern for us to follow today, in the matter of her prayer life.

The best way to cooperate with God is by our prayers. In the present state of degradation where even the service to God has become stale and waning, there is a need to turn the age. For this, God is working behind the scene. He uses the circumstances and the people around to force us to pray. In the case of Hannah, the Lord shut up her womb and her co-sister provoked her too. That was what made Hannah desperate to pray to God. In like manner, the Lord would allow certain "things" to happen beyond our human understanding to make us desperate and absolute so that we can do nothing but pray. In fact, when He moves to burden us to pray, we might as well lose our appetite and sleep and taste for anything other than to go before the Lord and pray, even with weeping and fasting. In such a way, the Lord can gain our cooperation so that we can bring forth "Samuels" to turn the age.

This Hannah ministry is not merely to save a lot of souls or beget a lot of children, but to bring forth a king with His kingdom. Peninnah brought forth many children but none of them were produced as king for the kingdom of God. Hannah bore just one son, Samuel, who became an age turn, a priest, a prophet, a judge, a Nazarite, and a man of prayer. This is Hannah ministry; the ministry of the New Testament, of the Spirit, of life, and of producing overcomers. To produce an overcomer, there is a price that need to be paid; the price of testing and suffering, persecution and provoking, fasting and weeping, and trusting and waiting.

Gems from Hannah Ministry

Bitterness in soul can be healed by the crucified and resurrected Christ: Bitter in soul in 1 Samuel  1:10, "she was bitter in soul and prayed to Jehovah and wept much" can be linked to Exodus 15:23, "the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore its name was called Marah." In such a bitter situation Moses cried out to Jehovah and was shown a tree, a type of the New Testament Christ.

Exodus 15:25 And he cried out to Jehovah, and Jehovah showed him a tree; and he cast it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them.

1 Peter 2:24 Who Himself bore up our sins in His body on the tree, in order that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose bruise you were healed.

When we are in such bitter situation, we simply must turn to the resurrected and crucified Christ, who can turn our bitter water into sweet water.

Psalms 62:8 Trust in Him at all times, O people;  Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge to us. Selah

Male child and the man child: The male child in 1 Samuel 1:11, "give to Your female servant a male child" can be linked with the man-child in Revelation 12:5, "she brought forth a son, a man-child," who brings in the kingdom, "Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ."

The reality of the male child is the man child for God to move to turn the age and bring in God's kingdom. For this, there is an urgent need for Hannah ministry of prayer.

Last Wednesday, the burden the Lord gave me was just this; to minister on Hannah ministry. This was in line with God's economy and also in line with the burden the Lord gave me to release among the seekers in Madhya Pradesh. In minsitering so, I did not minister as a one who indeed have this ministry already, but as a learner, ministering to others as I would to myself.

Lord, grace me to be Your man-child to bring forth Your kingdom in and under Hannah ministry.