Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

Pray without ceasing
1 Samuel 1:19-28
Vs 27 -“I asked the Lord for this child and He gave me what I asked for”  
Hannah prayed for a child and promised God that she would dedicate her son to God. When her prayer was answered, she kept her promise and dedicated young Samuel in the temple. Hannah’s story is a wonderful example of how we should pray.
                The Bible tells us that we should pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:7). No one knows our problems better than God. Just like Hannah, when things aren’t going our way, we should not be discouraged, but instead pray even more earnestly. It is so easy for us to complain about our problems to those around us, but we would save time and worry if we looked up for refuge instead of looking around.
                Our prayers do not have to be loud or showy. In fact, we are told to pray in secret and the Father, who knows our hearts, will provide us with what we want. Hannah was mistaken for a drunkard by Eli because of her silent prayers. Regardless of what those around us think, our sincere prayers are heard and answered by God alone. 
When our prayers are answered, we should be grateful and remember to keep our promise. Hannah remembered the Lord’s promise when it was fulfilled and named the baby Samuel, from Hebrew for ‘I asked the Lord for him’. Hannah remembered the days she prayed for the son she had received, realizing that all came from God. Are we able to look at our blessings and remember that they are from the Creator? 
Finally, sometimes our prayer goes unanswered. This could be because God’s timing is different from ours, or because God knows that what we are praying for is not good for us, and instead has something better in store for us. Quite often we are unable to realize the bigger blessing that God is providing because we are not able to submit to His plan. Let us pray for God’s will. 
PRAYER
Lord, sometimes we are so busy writing our own future, that we fail to see if it is aligned with what you want for us. Help us to turn to you for refuge, and to submit ourselves to your plan. Help us to pray without ceasing and to remember that all blessings come from you. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Have you prayed about your problems as much as you’ve talked about it? 
Namita Joshua, St. James Mar Thoma Church, New York
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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