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Hannah's tears were like liquid words, 
and God could read them all.

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The Lord understands the language
of tears,

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sighs, groans and earnest heart desires.

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Grace and peace to you all in Jesus’ name.

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Well, hello, everybody. 
My name is Christina.

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And by the grace of God, 
I have the incredible privilege

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of sharing God's Word with you today.

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I am so excited to be in your midst today.

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And I have a wonderful opportunity
to remind us

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that the plan of God for 
our lives is beautiful.

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Amen! Do you believe that today?

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If you do, tell your neighbour
or if you don't have a neighbour,

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tell me and I will tell you,

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“The plan of God for your life is beautiful.”

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And just as we have natural seasons in the world, Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 reminds us that,

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“There is time for everything, a season for every activity under the heavens.”

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Ecclesiastes 3:11, “God has made everything beautiful in its time.

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He has also set eternity in the human heart.

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Yet no one can fathom what God has done
from beginning to the end.”

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What a beautiful picture it is to see people from all over the world joining us today.

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Some of you will be in the southern hemisphere where you've been

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experiencing your winter season.

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Some of you will be in those countries closer to the continent

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where the seasons are a little bit
more stable.

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Well, here in the United Kingdom,
we have very diverse natural seasons.

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Right now, we are coming to the end of our summer season

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where the temperature is a little bit warmer,

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fruit trees display their crops and the sun sets late into the evening.

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In the coming months, we’ll experience the autumn season, where the landscape turns

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gold and brown and children play in the falling leaves.

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But then, we experience 
the winter season -

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that cold, dark season where the temperature drops and daylight is limited.

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Just when we feel as if winter will never end, the spring season boldly announces

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its colourful character and we see daffodils blossom and all manner of flowers bloom.

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Now, I personally dislike the winter season most of all.

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But, of course, I have confidence in the laws of nature

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that ensure winter doesn’t last forever.

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And above all, we all understand that each season serves a purpose.

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After all, there must be seed time and summer time before the autumn reaping.

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But then I ask myself, ‘If we can have so much confidence

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in the laws of nature when it comes to natural seasons,

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how much more confidence should we have in God - the God of nature,

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the God of the heavens and the earth -

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when it comes to the various seasons in our lives?’

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I ask myself, ‘Can I apply 
even greater faith in God

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during those dark, harsh winter seasons of my life manifested in life's tests and trials?

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Do I trust God that they won’t last forever?

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And above all, do I recognise that each season in my life serves a purpose?’

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This will bring us to the title
of our message today,

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“Everything is beautiful in God's time.”

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The Bible says that for everything, 
there is time and season -

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a time to labour and a time to reap the products of grace.

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So, give God time. The results are working themselves out slowly but surely.

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Now, I have a packet of seeds with me here today, and according to this packet,

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this seed has the potential to become a sweet pea flower.

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But you know what?

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As long as I keep these seeds here, 
in the God's Heart TV Studio,

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in this beautiful and 
comfortable surrounding,

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this seed will never fulfil its potential because seeds are for sowing.

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And, no matter the picture of what
they've written about this seed becoming,

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seeds are powerless until they are planted.

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We also have a picture of an amazing apple tree on display with me right here.

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Wow! Beautiful fruit!

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But if this tree could talk, it would tell you that what you are seeing here did not just happen.

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No! It took time and patience.

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If this tree could talk, it would tell you that it was once a tiny seed that was pushed

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into a deep, dark hole in the ground.

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It will tell you, if that wasn't enough, 
soil much heavier than its own weight,

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was pushed on top of it.

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But this was necessary for that seed to germinate and discover its roots -

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roots that would go deep into the ground to absorb nutrients from the soil

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and absorb water, to give it strength.

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And that strength eventually empowered that seed to push its way through

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that heavy soil towards the light.

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And here it is today, a fruitful tree.

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Yes, everything is beautiful in its time.

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But like the changing seasons, 
that time is limited.

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Often, when we are young,
we think we can go it all alone

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without any reference to God, 
but little do we recognise

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that everything has its time and season,

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that man may toil and work hard,

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but it is the duty of God to determine the time and season of the harvest.

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What is your situation today? Do you feel as if you have been planting those seeds,

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as if you have been praying over those situations, but you are waiting, longing

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to eat the fruit of your labour?

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Do you feel like you are 
in a deep, dark place?

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Maybe you have been praying over a particular ailment, a problem or a crisis.

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Maybe you're not sure if there is any corresponding action

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or how to get your head above it all.

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Let me encourage you today.

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Maybe God allowed you, like that seed, 
to be in that deep, dark place

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that you could discover your roots in God to become that man or woman of faith.

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That by drawing on God's resources,
you too can push your way up

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through that sickness, through that trial,
through that oppression

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and begin to produce good fruits.

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Now, the way that God executes His plan in our lives differs.

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We may have been praying over a particular matter.

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I mean, even today, you may have been listening to testimonies

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or looking around at people who are sharing what God has done

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and saying, ‘God, when will it be my turn?’

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Instead of rejoicing, you find yourself asking God,

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‘Oh Lord, I need my own breakthrough! When is my own coming?’

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Maybe you are looking around at people in your life and saying,

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‘Oh, everybody seems to be getting a job these days but I can't even get an interview!

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Wow. All my friends are getting married.

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They're on their second and third child already. Am I left behind?’

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Or maybe you're saying, ‘Oh, everybody around me seems to be

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on the housing ladder, buying homes.

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But here am I, unable to even 
rent my own apartment.’

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You think they're further ahead of you.

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But I want to tell you that 
God is still saying something.

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God has not abandoned you.

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He has not neglected you.

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He has not decided that you are not good enough, not smart enough,

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not beautiful or handsome enough. 
No! He has not.

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But the way and manner God executes His plan in our lives differs.

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Today, I want us to draw strength from the life of Hannah.

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And we will understand that everything is beautiful in God's time.

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So, let us open our Bibles at 
the book of 1 Samuel 1:2.

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Now it says, “Elkana had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah.

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Peninnah had children, 
but Hannah had none.”

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1 Samuel 1:6 - “Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb,

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her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.

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This went on year after year.”

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Hannah was a barren woman
in a polygamous marriage

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where Peninnah, the provoking rival,

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not only received what Hannah had been praying for year after year

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but at the same time, 
she was provoking her!

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Peninnah had children year after year but Hannah did not.

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Instead, Hannah remained barren year after year.

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Clearly, Hannah could have fallen into that lethal trap of comparing herself

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with Peninnah, the provoking rival.

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Because Hannah would come before the Lord and pray

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but she would just see Peninnah having children time and time again.

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When you compare yourself with others,

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you choose to take your focus off God and His perfect will for your life.

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Instead, you end up nurturing unhealthy patterns of thinking,

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which in turn develop into full blown bitterness, jealousy, depression.

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But God's Word is the remedy 
for every malady.

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So if you are struggling to conquer comparison and find yourself feeling,

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‘Lord, when is it my turn?’ -

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instead of rejoicing at people's testimonies, you feel left out -

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then let this Word of God encourage you right now.

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Allow this Word of God in the midst of your heart and something inside of you,

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a powerful force called faith, will allow you to fix your focus again on God

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and His will for your life, and not on that of those around you.

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Let us continue to read. 
So it says in 1 Samuel 1:7,

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“This went on year after year.

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Whenever Hannah went up to 
the house of the Lord,

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her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.

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Her husband Elkanah would say to her, ‘Hannah, why are you weeping?

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Why don’t you eat? 
Why are you downhearted?

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Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

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Take note of what happened to Hannah

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Whenever she went up to 
the house of the Lord,

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when she had made that decision to come before God with her situation,

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that was the time the provocation was at its most intense.

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You see right now, as you have made that decision to come before God,

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to join us for today’s Interactive Prayer Service, there will be distractions.

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There will be things poking you, maybe disappointing you or trying to derail you,

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to take your eyes off what God is doing, 
to get you out of faith.

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Think about it.

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What distractions right now are screaming for your attention?

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What seeming conflicting priorities are trying to pull you away

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from this moment right now - 
your Divine appointment with Jesus Christ!

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As a Christian, it is your duty to divorce yourself from those distractions

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so that you can come and fix your attention on the Word of God.

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Focus is your personal decision.

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So right now, make that decision
to put every distraction aside.

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Let’s continue to read in 1 Samuel 1:9.

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“Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up.

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Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost in the Lord’s house.”

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Hannah made the wisest choice to come before God with her situation.

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She stood up, separated herself from provoking Peninnah

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and came before God as she was.

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Like Hannah, maybe you too need to distance yourself from those who love

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to provoke your weakness or from that which distracts.

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The Bible says Hannah had finished eating and drinking,

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knowing that only Someone much greater could satisfy.

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Like Hannah, maybe you too need to stand up from that table of distraction

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where you consume the pointless pleasures of this world,

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and look to the One who makes food, drink or whatever it is you’re relying on, insufficient.

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What do I mean by those pointless
pleasures of this world?

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I mean, those things that 
prop you up temporarily -

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those things that seem to pacify
your inner needs,

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but they leave you hungry 
and wanting more.

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It could be the dopamine hit you receive while scrolling through social media.

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It could be the escapism of watching that romantic movie.

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It could be lust.

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It could be pornography.

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It could be masturbation.

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You know, what we have downloaded 
from this world

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can infiltrate our mind and infect our heart.

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Just like an electronic device
that has downloaded a virus

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and needs to be reset back to its factory default settings, we too need to be reset.

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We need to be refocused.

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We need a Divine detox.

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We need a righteous revival through Scriptural solution.

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So Hannah chose to put those things aside

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and seek the One who made food
and drink insufficient.

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Let us continue to read in 1 Samuel 1:10.

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“In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.

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And she made a vow, saying, ‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look

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on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant

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but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,

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and no razor will ever be used on his head.’

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As she kept on praying to the Lord, 
Eli observed her mouth.

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Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving

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but her voice was not heard.”

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You see, when Hannah came 
before the Lord,

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she was not known for her fancy prayer points or eloquent speech.

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She did not employ any special 
prayer techniques.

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No! She came before the Lord and cried because that was where she was at.

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00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:26,200
But Hannah's tears were like liquid words, and God could read them all.

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00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:32,440
As it says in Psalm 38:9,

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‘All my longings lie open before You, Lord. My sighing is not hidden from You.’

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This goes to show that the Lord understands the language of tears,

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sighs, groans and earnest heart desires.

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He understands because He sees your heart, not your outward posture,

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not your eloquent speech or the tone of your voice.

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You see, many people go to church today
and pray loud prayers,

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but only the Lord knows the heart.

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Or whether they're just there to connect with people after the service for selfish gain.

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Remember, there is no special formula for receiving answer to prayer.

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Only faith pleases God.

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So whether you cry aloud
like Blind Bartimaeus

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or you cry silently like Hannah in Shiloh,

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or whether you sit quietly before your mountain like the man at the pool of Bethesda,

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one thing is clear - if your action is genuine, the Holy Spirit will affect it.

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So come as you are. God see your heart.

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He sees your faith.

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Let us read what happened 
next in 1 Samuel 1:17.

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“Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, 
and may the God of Israel

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grant you what you have asked of Him.’

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She said, ‘May your servant find favour in your eyes.’

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Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.”

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Why? Because she took that Word of God from Eli, the priest, to heart

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and trusted in God's promises, knowing that God would make it good.

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1 Samuel 1:19 - “Early the next morning they arose and worshipped before the Lord

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and then went back to 
their home at Ramah.

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Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, 
and the Lord remembered her.

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So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.

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She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him.’

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Wow! You know, the Bible here does not tell us how long that ‘course of time’ was.

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But Hannah was strengthened 
by God's Word.

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She had a look of faith to God's Word.

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She took that Word to heart,
and that gave her the strength

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to endure that course of time,
knowing that God was in the process

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of changing that barrenness
to fruitfulness.

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This goes to show that there's 
two types of waiting -

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waiting in faith and waiting by sight.

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Those who wait by sight say, ‘I will not believe it until I feel or see it.’

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But those who wait in faith say, 
‘If God has said it, I will believe it,

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even if I don't feel or see it - because I am not ruled by my senses but I act on God’s Word.’

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Those who wait by sight wait in doubt.

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They are overwhelmed
by their circumstances.

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They are easily disturbed
at the slightest provocation

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because they are ruled by their senses and what their situation has to say.

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If Hannah had waited by sight,

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she would have become overwhelmed
by her situation.

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She would have left the house of God
in anger and frustration.

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But instead she took hold of God's Word,

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believing that everything would be beautiful in God's time.

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And when Samuel finally came, she was ready to give him up to the Lord.

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Because that process of waiting was to mature her.

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It was to increase her prayer life.

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It was to shift her relationship
with God to another level.

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Let us see what happened when Samuel finally came in 1 Samuel 1:27.

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“She said, ‘I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him.

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So now I give him to the Lord.

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For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.’ And he worshipped the Lord there.”

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She had no problem giving Samuel up to the Lord.

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In fact, it was her delight, knowing that what comes from God goes to Him.

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All she was doing was giving back

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what had been borrowed to her from God's generous hand.

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What an example of faith.

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What an example of responsible 
use of blessing.

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What are you praying for today?

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When you receive that answer to prayer,

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have you thought about how you will glorify God with that?

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I mean, when you finally have that thing you have been praying for -

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that good health, that breakthrough, 
that blessing, that marriage, that child -

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will use those blessings to honour God?

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Will you testify to God's goodness like Hannah did?

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Finally, do not misinterpret 
God's silence as rejection.

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Sometimes God allows us to pass
through hard times

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in order to reveal His purpose
in our lives.

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You see, when God is executing His plan in our lives, He designs and arranges events

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that continue to unfold until 
His purpose is revealed.

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Delay is not ‘denied’.

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What could be the purpose of the seeming
delay in your own life today?

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Perhaps it is to prepare you.

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Perhaps it is to equip you.

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Perhaps it is to mature you, to make you that man or woman of faith.

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You see, if Hannah had had a child sooner,

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she may not have had 
the great prophet Samuel.

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She was not going to be the mother
of any ordinary child,

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but the mother of a prophet.

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Therefore, that delay empowered her, equipped her and drew her closer to God.

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God wants you to come before Him 
with the situation,

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but He wants to use your situation.

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He wants to use your challenge, your sickness, whatever your barrenness looks like today,

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to shift your relationship with God to another level.

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Hannah's seeming failure in the natural was her set up for success.

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It was the build up to her breakthrough.

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It was the positioning that was to propel her towards her future success.

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Prophet T.B. Joshua said, “When we accept adversity, enduring every pain,

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then we will learn what we should know; our grief will turn to gain.”

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So let me leave you with this question now.

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Are you ready to receive your own Samuel in God's way and in God's time?

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Well, if you are, don’t base your faith on your immediate improvement after prayer.

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Value the process, draw on God’s resources and like Hannah, you too will see

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that everything is beautiful in God's time.