Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them; let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared. —Psalms 76:11 (NKJV)
There are several secrets in the Scriptures that can change our lives and situations for good. One of those secrets is the making of vows. It can make a huge difference in your life if you know how to use it effectively. Sadly, I have discovered that many believers today do not know much about the transforming power of vows. Because of ignorance regarding the potency of this secret, many do not make vows to God when they are supposed to.
Even those who do make vows often do so absent-mindedly and, in most cases, end up not fulfilling them. This happens because they do not truly understand what a vow can accomplish in their lives. Beloved, if you want to change certain things in your life, you must learn to make vows to the Lord consciously and remember to fulfill them, because that is where the real blessings lie.
The Bible tells us the story of Hannah, who was barren for many years and could not have children. Her rival provoked her severely to make her miserable because the Lord had closed her womb. This continued year after year whenever she went up to the house of the Lord. She wept and did not eat because of her anguish. Then, Hannah decided to do something different.
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” —1 Samuel 1:10-11 (NKJV)
After she had made the vow, the Scripture records that in the process of time, Hannah conceived and bore a son. She called his name Samuel, signifying that she had asked for him from the Lord. It is important to note that she did not just give birth to a child, but specifically a male child, showing that God indeed heard her prayer when it was accompanied by a vow.
According to the vow she made, she brought the young man back to God to fulfill her promise. She declared that for this child she had prayed, and because the Lord granted her petition, she was lending him to the Lord for as long as he lived. One might expect the story to end there, but the reward for her faithfulness was even greater.
And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord. —1 Samuel 2:21 (NKJV)
From that one vow she made and fulfilled, God remembered her and gave her five more children. That is how life-changing a vow can be. It can shift your story, but you must be serious about it. The issue today is that many make promises and fail to pay them. However, the Word of God is clear on this matter.
When you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not put off doing what you promised; the Lord will hold you to your vow, and it is a sin not to keep it. It is no sin not to make a vow to the Lord, but if you make one voluntarily, be sure that you keep it. —Deuteronomy 23:21-23 (GNT)
Today’s Rhema
Vows can change your life, if you know how to make one and fulfill it!
Prayer
Father, I am grateful for opening my eyes to this wonderful truth in the Scriptures. I choose therefore to not only make vows but to fulfill them. As I do, I am walking in the blessings that vows bring in Jesus’ name. Amen!
