PASSIONATE PRAYER

There was once a wife who wanted to have a baby. Her name was Hannah.

This woman was in an interesting situation.

The man she was married to had a wife besides her.

The second wife in this relationship created and maintained a climate of hostility in the home.

THE TEXT THAT DESCRIBES THIS SITUATION IS 1 SAM. 1:9-16, AND THIS PASSAGE WILL BE READ IN A FEW MINUTES.

a) According to 1 Sam. 1 Hannah was a woman who prayed.

b) When we think of prayer or see people pray it may not seem to be anything special.

c) In public people bow their heads, say some words, and then stop.

d) Many private prayers are surely somewhat similar.

e) People spend a few moments or minutes in prayer and then its over.

f) The information in 1 Sam. 1 reveals to us another dimension or type of prayer.

g) There is a kind of prayer that might be classified as a struggle.

h) There is a kind of prayer where our requests are so urgent and passionate our whole being is involved.

i) Perhaps this type of prayer may be compared to visiting a hospital.

ii) There are times when we spend 5-10 minutes in a hospital room visiting someone.

iii) In a similar way some prayers are this long.

iv) Other visits to a hospital may be longer—an hour or more.

v) Prayer can last this long.

vi) There are also times when people drop everything they are doing to be at a hospital.

vii) Being at someone’s side is the priority.

viii) Being at the hospital for an extended period is where our attention & energy are focused.

ix) There is a type of prayer that is similar to staying at someone's side in the hospital.

i) Remember Jesus when He was in the garden?

j) He prayed. What kind of prayer did He send to heaven?

k) The Bible tells us. Jesus was “sorrowful and sore troubled” (Mt. 26:37).

l) Mark says he was “greatly amazed and sore troubled” (14:33).

m) The verb “sore troubled” is derived from a word that can express the idea of being homesick.

i) This suggests Jesus felt a strong desire to return to heaven.

ii) He was surrounded by unbelief, ingratitude, and sin and He knew what He was missing.

iii) He was mindful of what was before Him, He wanted to return to heaven, and He prayed.

n) He prayed so intensely it was if drops of blood came from His body.

o) The prayer that Jesus sent to heaven was one that involved His entire being.

p) It was as if every ounce of effort and strength were used to pray to the Father.

q) We may combine the Lord’s prayer with Hannah’s to draw a conclusion.

r) There is a kind of prayer where it is like we are wrestling.

s) There is a type of prayer that is so intense it can only be compared to a struggle.

t) This type of prayer is apparently what Hannah engaged in.

u) She “poured out her soul” (verses 15-16).

v) Someone (Eli the priest) happened to see this woman while she was praying.

w) This man accused her of being intoxicated (verses 13-14).

x) Hannah said, “No. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink.”

y) This prayer was so intense it made Hannah look odd to someone who saw her.

z) Surely the same was true of Jesus if we could have watched Him as He prayed.

aa) There is a type of prayer which is so fervent and strenuous it involves every fiber of our being.

bb) If you have prayed like this or you ever do, you’re tired when you stop.

cc) This type of prayer seems to be reserved for special situations.

i) Jesus was facing the cross. He was away from heaven and among sinful men.

ii) He was about to experience a death we cannot comprehend.

iii) Hannah was in a situation where she could not have a baby.

iv) The Lord had “shut up her womb” (1 Sam. 1:5).

v) Her “adversary” (the second wife) “provoked her sore” (verse 6).

vi) This problem existed year after year – verses 7-8.

vii) Surely Hannah had previously prayed for a baby for a long time.

viii) In 1 Sam. 1 we find that a day came when she took a different approach to prayer.

ix) She “prayed to God and wept sore” (verse 10).

x) Hannah “vowed a vow” (11a).

xi) Verse 12 says, “She continued praying.”

xii) She “poured out her soul to the Lord” (15b).

xiii) This woman perhaps prayed as she had never prayed before.

2) THERE IS A KIND OF PRAYER THAT IS A WHOLEHEARTED AND PASSIONATE PLEADING WITH GOD.

a) If you have never prayed this way this is a hard thing to explain.

b) We do, however, have some illustrations of this type of prayer in scripture.

c) In addition to Jesus and Hannah there is an example from the life of Moses.

d) When things went wrong in the Hebrew nation many of the Israelites grumbled and complained.

e) Moses prayed.

f) One of the times when Moses prayed was during the giving of the law.

g) Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving information from God.

h) The people who were at the foot at the mountain became restless.

i) They made an idol. They became involved with sensuality.

j) God told Moses what was taking place and Moses prayed.

k) His prayer is recorded in Ex. 32:11-13.

l) When we read this prayer or hear about it we may think, “Moses prayed.”

m) “Just as we pray in the public worship so Moses prayed.”

n) Perhaps it was a 5-minute prayer; maybe 10 minutes and God responded favorably to His servant.

i) This is not the right interpretation of Moses’ prayer.

ii) Paul Harvey often tells “the rest of the story.”

iii) The rest of the story relating to this incident is found in Deut. 9:25.

iv) If you like marginal references put Deut. 9:25 next to Ex. 32:11-13.

v) READ Deut. 9:25-26.

vi) Moses was told about the things happening at the foot of the mountain.

vii) When this man heard what was going on he prostrated himself before God.

viii) This man got down on the ground.

ix) For 40 days and 40 nights this man of God pleaded for the Hebrew people.

x) This information further demonstrates the type of prayer I am describing.

xi) There is a kind of prayer that is so engaging it is like dedicating yourself to a hospital patient.

xii) The Hebrew writer spoke of coming to God’s throne with boldness, Heb. 4:16.

xiii) When I think about the type of prayer being described in this lesson,

xiv) I think of someone who comes to God saying, “God, I must be heard.”

xv) “There is a matter so important and so urgent my pleadings are burning and fervent.”

3) There are times when we need to say prayers in the way they are led in our public assemblies.

a) There are also times when a different approach to prayer is useful and authorized.

b) There is a kind of prayer that is so passionate we use all of our strength to engage in it.

c) I hesitate to say we wrestle with God in prayer, but maybe this word illustrates the thought.

d) Great people of God are presented as praying in this way during times of extreme distress.

4) Most of us know that David became involved with Bathsheba and fathered a child.

a) The prophet who came to see David said the child would die (2 Sam. 12:14).

b) After this prediction the child became very sick (2 Sam. 12:15) David decided to pray.

c) Notice how his prayer is described 2 Sam. 12:16.

i) David “fasted.”

ii) He “lay all night upon the earth.”

iii) “He besought God” about the child’s health.

iv) The 17^th verse further shows the intensity of David’s prayer. READ.

v) How many days did David spend in intense prayer?

vi) Verses 18.

vii) Seven days were spent in passionate prayer.

d) When we compare all of the references I have given thus far a significant point emerges.

i) We have several examples of very intense prayer.

ii) Moses prayed for 40 days. David prayed for 7 days.

iii) Jesus’ prayed this way for less than a day.

iv) Different levels of time were involved, but all prayed with great intensity.

v) There are times when this same type of prayer should be used by us.

e) When we use this type of prayer we should be mindful about the outcome in advance.

f) That is, this form prayer will not always give us what we would like.

i) Though Jesus prayed with great intensity He still went to the cross.

ii) David prayed for 7 days but the child still died.

iii) On the other hand, Moses prayed for 40 days and the people were delivered.

iv) Hannah prayed with great intensity and she became a mother.

5) I do not want to leave the impression that if we pray in this way we will get what we want.

a) I have heard people say, “I prayed so hard and so long.”

b) These statements are surely true.

c) We can pray in this way and not receive what we want or think is best.

d) Yet, we still receive an answer that is the best answer.

6) Someone may be thinking, “When should this type of prayer be used”?

a) In looking at the examples given we must say this type of prayer is for the worst of times.

b) When we are facing the most serious type of crisis this is the type of prayer to send to God.

c) If we live long enough most of us will come to a time when we need to pray in this way.

d) If we pray in this way we surely want to be heard and helped.

e) The Bible teaches that to have all the benefits of prayer we must be a faithful Christian.

f) Are we?