Rising Above: The Power of Prayer and Persistence

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of Persistent Prayer

Hannah's story in 1 Samuel 1 is a powerful testament to the importance of persistent prayer. Despite facing ridicule and deep personal pain, Hannah continued to pray fervently and trust in God. Her persistence was not in vain; God heard her cries and blessed her abundantly, far beyond her initial request. This teaches us that persistent prayer can lead to extraordinary blessings. When we bring our burdens to God and persist in prayer, we open ourselves up to His divine intervention and favor. Hannah's experience encourages us to remain steadfast in our prayers, trusting that God hears us and will respond in His perfect timing. [12:52]

1 Samuel 1:10-11 (ESV): "She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, 'O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.'"

Reflection: Think of a situation in your life where you have felt discouraged. How can you commit to persistent prayer in this area, trusting that God will hear and respond in His perfect timing?

Day 2: Rising Above Adversity

Hannah faced significant adversity from Peninnah, who ridiculed her for being barren, and even from her husband Elkanah, who did not fully understand her pain. Despite these challenges, Hannah chose to rise above the negativity and focus on her relationship with God. This teaches us that rising above our circumstances requires a focus on God and not on the negativity around us. By keeping our eyes on God, we can find the strength to overcome adversity and experience His peace and joy, even in difficult times. [24:33]

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV): "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Reflection: Identify a source of negativity or adversity in your life. How can you shift your focus from this negativity to your relationship with God, trusting Him to give you the strength to rise above it?

Day 3: The Right Response to Toxicity

Hannah's response to Peninnah's taunts is a powerful lesson in handling toxic people. Instead of engaging in negativity or retaliating, Hannah took her pain to God in prayer. This shows the importance of having the right response to toxic people. By not engaging in negativity, we can focus on what truly matters and allow God to handle our battles. This approach not only protects our peace but also demonstrates our trust in God's ability to vindicate and bless us. [28:34]

Romans 12:19-21 (ESV): "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Reflection: Think of a toxic person or situation you are currently dealing with. How can you choose to respond in a way that honors God and protects your peace, rather than engaging in negativity?

Day 4: Overcoming and Not Settling

Hannah did not settle for her barren state despite her husband's attempts to comfort her. She believed in God's power to change her situation and persisted in prayer until she received her blessing. This teaches us that overcoming requires faith and the refusal to settle for less than God's best for us. We must trust in God's promises and be willing to step out in faith, believing that He can and will change our circumstances for the better. [33:36]

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV): "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you have been tempted to settle. How can you exercise faith and trust in God's promises to overcome and seek His best for you?

Day 5: Living in Purpose

Hannah's ultimate victory was not just in receiving a son but in fulfilling her promise to God by dedicating Samuel to His service. This teaches us that living in purpose means keeping our promises to God and following through with our commitments. When we live purposefully and honor our commitments to God, we position ourselves to receive greater blessings and to be used by Him in powerful ways. Hannah's story encourages us to live with intentionality and to seek God's purpose in all that we do. [40:27]

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV): "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Reflection: Reflect on a promise or commitment you have made to God. How can you take practical steps to fulfill this commitment and live more purposefully in your daily life?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we explored the power of prayer and persistence through the story of Hannah from 1 Samuel 1. Hannah's journey teaches us how to rise, overcome, and reign in every area of our lives despite facing difficult and toxic people. We learned that prayer is a powerful tool that connects us to God, who hears and responds to our needs. Hannah's story is a testament to the importance of not settling for less but instead trusting in God's promises and timing. She faced ridicule and pain but chose to take her burdens to God, who blessed her abundantly beyond her initial request. This narrative encourages us to rise above our circumstances, respond correctly to adversity, and live purposefully every day. By doing so, we can experience God's favor and blessings in ways we never imagined.

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Key Takeaways

1. The Power of Prayer and Persistence: Hannah's story emphasizes the importance of persistent prayer. Despite her pain and ridicule, she continued to pray and trust in God. Her persistence paid off as God not only answered her prayer but blessed her abundantly. This teaches us that persistent prayer can lead to extraordinary blessings. [12:52]
2. Rising Above Adversity: Hannah faced significant adversity from Peninnah and even her husband Elkanah's dismissiveness. Yet, she chose to rise above the negativity and focus on her relationship with God. This teaches us that rising above our circumstances requires a focus on God and not on the negativity around us. [24:33]
3. The Right Response to Toxicity: Hannah never responded to Peninnah's taunts. Instead, she took her pain to God. This shows the importance of having the right response to toxic people. By not engaging in negativity, we can focus on what truly matters and allow God to handle our battles. [28:34]
4. Overcoming and Not Settling: Hannah did not settle for her barren state despite her husband's attempts to comfort her. She believed in God's power to change her situation. This teaches us that overcoming requires faith and the refusal to settle for less than God's best for us. [33:36]
5. Living in Purpose: Hannah's ultimate victory was not just in receiving a son but in fulfilling her promise to God by dedicating Samuel to His service. This teaches us that living in purpose means keeping our promises to God and following through with our commitments, which leads to greater blessings. [40:27]
### [40:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:11] - Praying with Confidence
[09:47] - The Power of Jesus' Sacrifice
[10:21] - Lean In Moment
[11:20] - Women of the Bible
[12:16] - It's Time to War
[12:52] - Hannah's Story
[13:48] - Elkanah's Two Wives
[15:14] - Hannah's Pain
[17:37] - Encountering Different People
[19:01] - Miserable and Toxic People
[20:01] - Uninspired and Insecure People
[21:54] - Peace Snatchers and Joy Killers
[23:16] - The Lion's Roar
[24:33] - Rising Above Pain
[27:49] - The Right Response
[29:45] - Taking the Rightful Place
[31:00] - Overcoming Adversity
[33:36] - Not Settling
[35:33] - Reigning in Purpose
[40:27] - Keeping Promises to God
[42:32] - Ready to Roar
[44:01] - Prayer for Strength
[45:31] - Giving and Generosity
[48:39] - Upcoming In-Person Service
[49:33] - Closing Remarks

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What were the main challenges Hannah faced in her life according to 1 Samuel 1? How did she respond to these challenges? [12:16]
How did Hannah's husband, Elkanah, and Peninnah contribute to her distress? [14:10]
What was Hannah's reaction to Peninnah's taunts and Elkanah's dismissiveness? [28:34]
According to Philippians 4:6-7, what should our attitude be when presenting our requests to God?

Interpretation Questions

How does Hannah's persistent prayer in 1 Samuel 1 demonstrate her faith in God's promises? [12:52]
In what ways did Hannah rise above her adversity, and what can we learn from her response to toxic people? [24:33]
How does the peace described in Philippians 4:6-7 compare to the peace Hannah sought through her prayers?
James 1:2-4 talks about the testing of faith producing perseverance. How did Hannah's trials and her response to them help her grow spiritually?

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you faced a difficult situation. How did you respond, and what role did prayer play in your response? [12:52]
Hannah chose not to engage with Peninnah's negativity. How can you apply this approach when dealing with toxic people in your life? [28:34]
Elkanah tried to comfort Hannah by saying his love should be enough. Have you ever settled for less than God's best because it seemed easier? How can you change that mindset? [33:36]
Hannah kept her promise to God by dedicating Samuel to His service. What promises or commitments have you made to God, and how can you follow through with them? [40:27]
Hannah's story shows the importance of living in purpose. What steps can you take to ensure you are living purposefully every day, even when facing adversity? [35:33]
Think of a specific person who has been a source of negativity in your life. What practical steps can you take to rise above their influence and maintain your focus on God? [24:33]
Hannah's ultimate victory was not just in receiving a son but in fulfilling her promise to God. How can you align your goals and desires with God's purpose for your life? [40:27]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "So when we pray, we are to pray with confidence. We are to pray with joy. We are to pray knowing that God will and can hear all of our needs. And so that is our goal today. For God to hear us. For God to be with us. And to hear our requests. And to know that God is with us. And so that is my goal for you today. Is that you will pray and that God will hear you. And that God will open up a window or door or whatever it is that you stand in need of. That God will heal you. That you will put your trust in Him." [01:11] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "It just does something to me to know what Jesus Christ did for us And so there is no other Savior I know But there was nothing but the blood of Jesus And if you feel the same way If that song ministered to you Or just thinking about the sacrifice that God made for you Ministered to your heart I want you to go ahead and say There's nothing like the blood of Jesus Because that is how I feel each and every day when I wake up It's like, thank you Lord for the blood Thank you for covering us Thank you for keeping us Thank you for spreading it on us Thank you for redeeming us." [09:47] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "You got to rise up You got to see yourself Past the pain You got to move From whatever position That you are in To a higher position And you got to have A growth mindset Knowing that this is Not the last place That God wants me To be in Listen Giraffes don't Bend their necks Trying to see What the turtles Are doing on the ground They just keep Their heads up high And they just keep Walking with the pride That God has Giving them So you got to Keep your head up." [24:53] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Overcoming means That I am Willing to use Every brick That was thrown At me And build a bridge To my victory Overcoming means That you will Prevail You will Overpower You will Succeed You will be able To deal with Difficult people And you will Transcend Instead of Hanna succumbing To the pettiness And the hate Of Pena and I She decided To overcome Overcoming means I know it Taking a high road Can sometimes be Overrated But it is never Overrated When it comes to God And the blessings Of God." [31:16] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Reigning means To live In purpose Every day Of your life We got to live in purpose When we don't feel like We got to live in purpose When people Are toxic We got to live in purpose When people are miserable We got to live in purpose Every day Even Even when we don't feel like it Even when it feels heavy Even when it feels like a task You got to live In purpose Some days will you fall short Absolutely But guess what you do You wake up the next day And say Lord I may have fallen short On yesterday But today is the day That I will rise up And I will live in my God given purpose." [35:33] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "So we got to understand That there is power in persistence There is power in prayer And there is power in believing The promises of God So it is time to rise It is time to rise It is time to overcome And it is time to reign In every area of your life Are y'all ready? I need to know London is ready I see some Tisha is ready Are y'all ready for this word today? Y'all know I get real hyped I get all enthusiastic When it comes to preaching the word of God Because the word of God just does something to me." [12:52] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "On your journey to greatness On your journey to becoming What God has ordained for you to be You will have to Encounter a lot of different people On this journey And so let me just break it down to you What kind of people you're probably going to encounter You're going to encounter Miserable people As you take your journey to purpose You're going to encounter miserable people Let's take Penani for example She was Maybe she was sad Because she was the second wife And he didn't love her as much as Hannah We don't know the reason But whatever the reason She was on a quest To make Hannah's life miserable." [17:37] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Rising requires That you get comfortable With the favor of God On your life I need somebody To say that Say I am comfortable With the favor of God On my life He gave it to me He blessed me with it I didn't ask for it He's walking with me And listen If you get yourself right If you get yourself In a position If you ask God To bless you He will put favor On your life He has no respect Of person So you got to be comfortable Somebody say that I'm comfortable With the favor of God On my life." [26:35] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Overcoming means that you believe What God has You believe That God can come through You believe That God has a purpose For you You believe That God has a plan For you And if Hanna Could have Here's the thing What I love about it She overcame Because she prayed To God She asked God And God Granted her request Here's the good thing Oh you know I love God Because when he come through He comes through Not Hanna just Asked for a son She said Lord If you give me a son I promise you I'll give him back to you He will be dedicated to you He will serve you All of his life." [32:14] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Reigning requires you to do your part That's the thing that we have to listen It requires you to keep your promise To the promise keeper It allows you It requires you to follow through With your plan Hannah could have kept her son That God gave her And she could have raised him up in her house But she said I made a promise to God That if he gave it to me I would give him back No one knew what she and God had discussed She could have kept him But she kept her promise to God So all of God's promises requires you to do something You want peace? He says keep your mind on me You want joys? He says rejoice Again I say rejoice." [40:00] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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