A Tale of Two Prayers I Dr. Scott Stripling

I opened by giving you permission to enjoy Christmas. The earliest believers saw December as a time of dedication and light—Jesus Himself was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication—and we’re invited to celebrate the God who tabernacles among us. From there, I shared a college story about revival beginning in my dorm room and the shocking way God brought my former roommate, Ronnie, back into my life decades later. The point? God gets the final word. He is faithful in the long arc of our stories.

We then turned to a tale of two prayers: Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2 and Mary’s Magnificat in Luke 1. Mary had clearly been meditating on Hannah; her language echoes Hannah’s—gratitude, holiness, reversals, miraculous conception, and faithful servanthood. Hannah dared to pray specifically and then consecrated her first fruits, returning Samuel to the Lord. Mary receives the same God—holy, near, disruptive to our pecking orders—who lifts the humble, fills the hungry, and sends the proud away empty. The kingdom Jesus brings is a resetting of the board: the strong are humbled, the vulnerable are lifted, and a new game begins.

I connected the nativity to Revelation 12: the child is born, the dragon is cast down, and the accuser’s time becomes short. Advent is not sentimental; it’s an invasion. The birth of Jesus triggers the countdown to Calvary where the skull is crushed, and authority is handed to God’s people to tread on serpents. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and a love that refuses to bow to self-preservation.

We heard Simeon’s tremoring joy as he held the Consolation of Israel—an old man and a tiny child, the rising and falling of many. And we sat with that image of Eve and Mary: shame and promise, failure and hope, the serpent and the seed. God has tabernacled in skin, carried from Bethlehem to Golgotha, so that our stories can be re-written.

Finally, I told two simple obedience stories—digging at Shiloh in a time of war and a late-night U-turn on Christmas Eve to rescue stranded friends. The principle is the same: whatever we do, we do from faith, not fear. He guards the feet of His faithful servants. And He still gets the final word—over our fears, our barrenness, our pride, and our futures.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Pray Scripture until it shapes you When we steep in Scripture, it furnishes our inner language for God. Mary didn’t force originality; she let Hannah’s words tutor her soul until they echoed out of her. Letting God’s words become our words is not plagiarism—it’s formation. Pray what you read until it prays you. [13:34]
• 2. Consecrate first fruits, trust the harvest Hannah offers Samuel before she has any guarantees, and God multiplies her beyond that gift. First fruits giving is faith in action: gratitude for what God has done and trust for what He has not yet done. It de-centers control and opens space for God’s increase. Consecration precedes multiplication. [12:09]
• 3. God’s kingdom overturns our ladders The Magnificat and Hannah’s song announce a moral reordering: the proud are scattered, the humble lifted, the hungry filled. This isn’t vengeance; it’s justice—God dismantling false securities so we can receive true blessing. Locate yourself among the hungry and humble, and you will find God already there. [16:11]
• 4. Advent disarms the Accuser’s voice Revelation 12 reframes Christmas as cosmic warfare: the Child is born, the dragon falls, and the clock starts ticking toward the cross. Because Christ has come, accusation loses its legal teeth, and testimony regains its power. We stand in victory by blood, witness, and cruciform love. [29:55]
• 5. Choose faith-led courage over fear Obedience is not bravado; it’s measured movement under God’s lead when headlines and instincts scream otherwise. Acting from faith doesn’t ignore risk—it yields risk to the One who guards the feet of His servants. Courage is simply trust with feet on it. Follow the peace, not the panic. [22:16]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:16] - Lifelong learning and Christmas joy
• [01:24] - Debunking myths about December 25
• [02:28] - Hanukkah, Dedication, and dates
• [03:12] - A dorm-room revival and Ronnie
• [06:28] - Calling and archaeology at Shiloh
• [09:04] - A tale of two prayers
• [11:13] - Hannah’s vow and firstfruits
• [13:34] - Mary echoing Hannah’s song
• [16:11] - Kingdom reversals and new beginnings
• [24:56] - Advent and the fall of Satan
• [31:15] - Our intercessor and our authority
• [35:49] - Simeon holds the Consolation
• [41:20] - The Word tabernacled among us
• [43:30] - Interrupted road trip, answered prayer

Bible reading
- 1 Samuel 2
- Luke 1
- Revelation 12

Observation questions (3–4)

1. What words, images or themes recur in Hannah’s song (1 Samuel 2) and Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1) — for example, rejoicing, holiness, reversals of status — and where do those echoes appear? [13:34]
2. What does Hannah’s vow and first-fruits act (giving Samuel to the Lord) look like in 1 Samuel 2, and how is that action described as an expression of faith and gratitude? [12:09]
3. How does Revelation 12 describe the effect of the child’s birth on the dragon and the accuser? What are the main actions and consequences in that vision? [25:13]
4. In Luke 2, what does Simeon mean when he speaks of “the consolation of Israel,” being dismissed “in peace,” and the child being “destined to cause the falling and rising of many”? What contrasts are present in that short scene? [37:06]

Interpretation questions (3–4)

1. How does allowing earlier Scripture to shape later prayer language (the idea that Mary “prays Hannah’s prayer”) change the way a person expects God to act in their life? [13:34]
2. What does a first-fruits consecration teach about trust in God’s future provision versus relying on visible guarantees? In what way does consecration re-center control? [12:09]
3. If Revelation 12 links the Messiah’s birth to the demotion of the accuser, what implications does that have for how believers understand spiritual authority and the timing of the kingdom’s advance? [29:55]
4. What does the phrase “He will guard the feet of his faithful servants” suggest about the relationship between faithful obedience and God’s protection when believers choose action over fear? [22:16]

Application questions (4–7)

1. Pray Scripture until it shapes you. Choose one biblical prayer or song (an Old Testament or New Testament passage) to memorize and pray this week so it can become the language of your heart. Which passage will you choose and what daily practice will you use to keep at it? [13:34]
2. Consecrate first fruits, trust the harvest. Name one concrete thing (time, money, a relationship, a ministry opportunity) you can consecrate to God now without guarantees. What specific step will you take this week to make that first‑fruits gesture? [12:09]
3. God’s kingdom overturns our ladders. Where are you holding to status, control, or security instead of humility and dependence? What is one practical change you will make to posture yourself among the “hungry and humble” so you’re ready to receive what God gives? [16:11]
4. Advent disarms the accuser’s voice. When accusations or shame begin to crowd your thoughts, what short, true testimony (about Jesus’ work, your forgiveness, or a specific deliverance) will you name aloud to counter the lies? Practice saying it now and share it with the group. [29:55]
5. Choose faith‑led courage over fear. Identify one area where fear has been the default—travel, a relationship, a step of service, or a decision. What small, immediate step can you take this week to act from faith rather than avoid from fear, and who will keep you accountable? [22:16]
6. Be present for the stranded. Who in your life is currently on the margins (lonely, stranded, overlooked) that you could intentionally go out of your way to help or sit with this week? What will you do and when will you do it? [44:17]

Notes for the group leader
- Begin by reading the three passages listed in “Bible reading” aloud (or assign them in advance).
- Use the observation questions to ground the discussion in the texts, the interpretation questions to probe meaning, and the application questions to encourage concrete next steps.
- Keep the tone pastoral and invitational: aim for honesty about hopes and fears and for specific, measurable commitments.