And she said, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD. For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.” —1 Samuel 1:26-27 (NKJV)
We do not deny the fact that we can be faced with circumstances that bring us to tears. Nor do we deny that crying can sometimes help our healing process. But there is a place after tears, a place of prayer. It is a place where we choose to handle the situation rather than allow the situation to handle us.
For a long time, Hannah suffered shame at the hands of Peninnah, her husband’s second wife, because she was childless. For years, all she did was cry about her inability to have children and about the other wife teasing her. The Bible records that “So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat” (1 Samuel 1:7, NKJV). But one day, she decided that the tears would stop.
She went to the temple and prayed to the Lord. After she prayed, she received the answer to her prayers and, in due time, was given a son whom she dedicated back to God. Hannah had a choice: continue in tears and lament her situation, or do something to bring about a permanent change. She chose to pray, and it changed her life forever.
So, what have you been crying about? For how long will you remain in that state of sorrow? Will your tears or your worrying change anything? When will you fight for a change in prayer and take advantage of God’s promises in Christ Jesus?
This is a choice you have to make; no one can make it for you. The decision to stop being weak and to stand up in prayer can only be made by you. If you can make that decision today, nothing will stop you from effecting a change in your situation. Praise God!
Today’s Rhema
Stand up and pray, stop the tears!
Confession for the Day
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for all You have done for me and for giving me the ability to pray and receive answers. Thank you for helping me understand that the power for change is in my prayers. I, therefore, declare today that prayer is my key and my weapon of warfare. Amen!
