Far or near to God – Preaching
Preaching Outline on I Samuel 1:9-10 – “Then Hannah arose after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, and Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by a pillar in the temple of the LORD. And she prayed to the LORD in bitterness of soul, and wept abundantly.”
Introduction to I Samuel 1:9-10
We see 2 attitudes: one praying, the other sitting. These 2 attitudes lead those 2 people to different destinations. One close to God, the other far away. Anna’s story will always be a reference for us on the value of prayer.
Development
A position of comfort doesn’t always lead us closer to God. Don’t think that a life without struggles and trials will lead you to intimacy with God and a life of experiences. Never!
The bitterness of the soul
For many, the bitterness of the soul leads to despair and madness. But not for Ana. Ana knew where to find help. The bitterness of her soul was no obstacle to her approaching God. She chose to pray. While Eli was overcome by ageing, Anna was not overcome by bitterness. Notice that the Word says: “…she THEREFORE…”, in other words, even with bitterness, she had an attitude CONTRARY to that of Eli. She chose to draw near to God.
While Anna, even in her bitterness, chose to rely on prayer, Eli remained seated on the pillar of the temple. We choose to go up to the temple, like Anna, to weep at the Lord’s feet abundantly. After feeding on worship, we are now able to gather together in prayer. Worship lifts you up to pray.
Conclusion
We choose not to look at the difficulties of this life. We choose to depend on prayer. We choose, even if we are bitter, to go up to the house of the Lord to seek an experience with prayer.
Preaching Outline on I Samuel 1:9-10 – “Then Hannah arose after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, and Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by a pillar in the temple of the LORD. And she prayed to the LORD in bitterness of soul, and wept abundantly.”
More Preaching Outlines
- Hannah’s affliction – I Samuel 1:13
- I am that woman… – I Samuel 1:26
- Isaiah 38:17 – You have embraced my soul
