Topic: Principle of Prayer
Subtopic: Request Based on God’s Demand
Text: 1 Samuel 1:1-21
Study Introduction
Before we request, God always knows our need. Jesus said “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” He knows we need help, car, house, or a child. However, He made us to understand that there is a need of us bringing our request to His feet through prayers.
Therefore, prayer (as a medium of request) if is to be acceptable, it should be in accordance with the mind and character of God. That is, our request should be in harmony with God’s revealed will. This truth has made prayer some guiding principles. It is lack of understanding of these guiding principles that make some people to flee one mountain to the other, also committing err in their prayers. This is why the bible says “ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts”. These principles can also help to provoke answers to our requests.
Principle of Consistency and God’s Demand; Hannah as a case Study
Hannah used to visit Shiloh every year, and, until a she made use of one of these principles in one of her days of visiting, she kept coming and asking continually, on a thing. A day Hannah request was granted was not on the basis of her constancy alone (principle of consistency) but by unconsciously keying into a particular principle called “Based on God’s Demand.”
Hannah knew (by culture) that every first fruit (being a male) that open the womb belongs to God (Exodus 13: 1-2) so she keyed into this when she said in verse 11 “O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid A MAN CHILD, then I WILL GIVE HIM UNTO THE LORD ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE, and there shall no razor come upon his head. This is a called “a principle based on God’s demand” because she asked in accordance to the mind or character of God in which God himself could not deny. This is a principle every child of God needs to understand. God would not deny to give if it would be for His Glory.
Questions for Discussion
1. In your word define
(i) Principle of consistency
(ii) Principle based on God’s demand with practical examples
2. Mention other characters in the bible that key into same principles used by Hannah
3. Explain according to 1Jn 5:14-15 how principle based on God’ demand/will works for believers
Conclusion: The essence of this teaching is to make us to understand that as far as requesting from God is concerned, our knowledge (of some guiding principles) won’t make to pray amiss. Other guiding principles include time-based principle (Ecl. 3:2); this will guide us to be patience while sowing for a greater harvest, obedience-tied principle (Deut 28:1-15); this will make us to be overwhelmed by God’s blessing via obedience to his word, principle based on consistency (John 16:24); this will guide us while waiting upon God till our joy (request) is fulfilled, e.t.c
Memory Verse: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts”. James 4:3