Bill Johnson - How to Pray Like Hannah and Birth the Promises of God
It truly is an amazing event. This rite of passage is something I had never seen before until last year, and the impact was just out of this world. We really want to encourage you; in fact, you don’t even need to pray about it—just do it. I heard someone say they saw a piece of paper in the parking lot and the Lord told them to pick it up. That’s awesome, but why did He have to tell you? Some things you just do because they are the right thing to do, and that’s all I’m trying to convey today. So, honestly, if you can’t afford it, let them know. Excuse me—wow, something was down there that shouldn’t have been there, but you’ll be happy to know I am delivered. Whatever it was is gone, and I’m feeling much better.
But honestly, this event is really significant. I want to encourage you: bring your sons and if your sons have friends that you think would benefit from it—like a kid without a father or maybe a dad that wouldn’t come—help out and do something to bring them along because this is pretty significant. I want all moms to stand. If you’re a mom or if you’re pregnant—come on now! So stay standing. Those of you sitting around them, lay hands on them. I want you to pray for them. Pray for the blessing of the Lord. Pray that this would be a year of fulfilled dreams and that they would stop praying about things that are long gone. Just start praying «breakthrough, breakthrough, breakthrough» over every part of their lives.
To all our online family, we pray and declare the same for you: that this would be a year of unusual breakthrough and favor for each of you. We pray this in Jesus' wonderful name. Thank you, Lord! Amen. And just tell them, «We bless you in the name of the Lord.»
Second graders were asked questions about moms, how God made them, and why He made them, and what ingredients mothers are made of. One kid said, «God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world, with one dab of mean.» I’m just reporting the news; I’m not making it up. Someone also asked, «Why did God give you your mother?» One kid said, «Because we’re related.» Another said, «God knew she likes me a lot more than other people’s moms like me.» That would be true.
What kind of little girl was your mom? One kid said, «They say she used to be nice.» Another kid said, «My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.» So what did mom need to know about dad before she married him? One kid said, «His last name.» Another said, «Had to know his background. Like, is he a crook? Does he get drunk?» Another said, «Does he make at least $800 a year?» Some pretty high standards there! I love this one: Did he say no to drugs and yes to chores?
Why did your mom marry your dad? One kid said, «My mom makes the best spaghetti in the world, and my mom eats a lot.» Oh, my grandma says mom didn’t have her thinking cap on. Who’s the boss at your house? One kid said, «Mom doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to be because dad’s such a goofball.» Another kid said, «Mom’s the boss; you can tell by room inspections—she sees stuff under the bed.»
What’s the difference between moms and dads? Moms work at work and work at home; dads just work at work. Another kid said, «Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.» I love this one: Moms have magic—they make you feel better without medicine. What does your mom do in her spare time? One kid says, «Mothers don’t do spare time.» Another one said, «To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.»
«What would it take to make your mom perfect?» One kid said, «On the inside, she’s already perfect. On the outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.» I’m just reporting the news, I’m not making it up. Here’s the last question: If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? One kid says, «Mom has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean—I’d get rid of that.» Another one said, «I’d make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it, not me.» The last one said, «I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.»
Oh, I have more. I actually—never mind. I do have more but that’s enough. Take your Bibles and open to 1 Samuel chapter 1. This is my mom, one of my sisters, and my brother here this morning. Our mom— I should say—went home to be with Jesus on February 17th, so this is our first one without her. She changed addresses. Now, she would hint around; she was good at leaving hints, some being very obvious. I learned over time that on my birthday she expected roses because she birthed me. It took a while, but I finally figured it out—she thinks she deserves roses because she birthed me, and she would remind me of that. She went home to be with Jesus at the age of 96 and was such a joy. She actually wrote her memoirs, and we’re publishing them. They’ll be out towards the end of the year—I think—at the Open Heavens Conference. I think we’ll have them available by then.
But it’s called «The Art of Life.» She was such an amazing woman in every way. She was a pure artist; she added beauty to everything she touched, and it was just very fun to be raised in that environment. So, I’m very thankful for my mom. She refused to come at my invitation today, so actually, I’d probably pass out if she did show up. So never mind—that was a joke. Let’s leave it there.
What I want to talk to you about today is Hannah, who is such an unusual and profound example of a mother. But I’ve got mixed emotions because I have three things that I want to talk to you about. One is this incredible pursuit of motherhood that she had, and it is expressed most notably through passionate prayer. Her passionate prayer created something and opened a door for her to enter into something that she couldn’t have accessed otherwise. Let me rephrase that: Fervent prayer gives birth to things that wouldn’t exist otherwise. Some things will only manifest through the kind of extreme prayer that we’re going to read about in just a moment—it’s the fervent, passionate prayer before the Lord.
I’m thankful for the privilege of the one-sentence prayers. Years ago, I was encouraged by my aunt, actually Helen, to study the book of Nehemiah just because of the one-sentence prayers in there. Nehemiah was not noted for his one-sentence prayers; just one statement he would make and things would change. I’m thankful that one-sentence prayers are effective. I’m thankful that we can pray very simple things, join together, and miracles take place. I’m thankful that there’s not sweat and labor involved in seeing cancer disappear; it’s not by our effort, it’s not by our sweat. The miracles of God happen entirely by His grace.
However, there are some things that, I don’t know how to describe yet, but they are held back until this fervent prayer. I don’t think that fervent prayer is to persuade God; I think fervent prayer changes us. There are times that I can’t be trusted with the magnitude of the prayer that I’ve prayed to have answered. I can’t be trusted with the answer by praying it casually; I’ve got to lose some of myself in the pursuit. Does that make sense? There’s something that takes back the pruning of the heart, the pruning of our lives, and the singleness of focus.
I’m reminded of the passage Jesus stated in the sermon on the mount where He said, «If your eye is single, your body will be full of light.» If your eye is single, everything about you will be under the influence of the light of God. If your eye is single—the word «single» here is actually two words: the number one and the word «voyage.» If your eye is set on one voyage, if your eye is set on one reason that you’re alive, you’re only about one thing. When you are reduced to one reason for being alive, then everything about you comes under the influence of God.
Hannah had that in this moment. She had one thing she locked into and gave herself to contend for and pray for this miracle breakthrough. Let’s read about that right now—let’s go to chapter one and start with verse eight. We’re going to read about ten or twelve verses, I suppose, and then let me talk to you for a bit.
So verse eight: Then Elkanah, her husband, said to her, «Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat, and why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?» I like that verse because her husband recognized her pain and prioritized serving her. He made her the focus and priority. He couldn’t make up for what was missing, but he did everything he could to serve her. The only point is that he rallied to her condition; he didn’t demand that she adjust to his. Amen, Bill! Very good point.
Verse nine: Then Hannah arose after they finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. She was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, «Oh 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.»
No razor upon his head is the Nazarite vow; it’s a setting aside of an individual’s life completely unto the Lord, and it was marked by no razor coming upon their head. But I want to read verse eleven again. She made a vow to the Lord. She was hungry for the Lord to give her a child. Then she came to a place where she made a vow.
Okay, listen to me: she wanted a son. God wanted a prophet. When her prayer, her anguish of soul, her cry, and her covenant, her vow mirrored the passion of the Lord, she got a breakthrough. Wow! It’s a hard thing to learn to pray simply for what God wants. I’d prefer spending my time persuading Him to like what I want. But this illustrates what it means to seek first the Kingdom, and all these things will be added. You make His desire your desire. Then suddenly, He attends to your needs as well.
So verse eleven again: She made a vow. She said, «Oh 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.» And it happened as she continued praying before the Lord that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. Eli said to her, «How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you.»
But Hannah answered and said, «No, my lord; I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.» And Eli answered and said, «Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.»
Last verse: And she said, «Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.» So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. She’s not pregnant yet, but she lost the sadness. The Bible says, «A good word makes the heart glad.» Amen.
If you’re in pain, don’t just look for the breakthrough; look for the good word. Come on, Bill! If you’re in anguish of soul and you have that sense of incompleteness because something hasn’t happened that you’ve been contending for, don’t just look for the breakthrough because joy is available when the good word comes. Some people wait till after the miracle—that’s fine. But as you grow more and more, He will look for us to rejoice at the release of the word.
This kind of praying is an unusual kind of praying. As I’ve already stated, I’m so thankful that this kind of praying isn’t the only kind that exists. But there’s something about losing that sense of self-respect, dignity, composure, and looking good to everybody else. This kind of praying is where you throw all your prayer formulas out the window, and you just pour everything out on the table before the Lord in anguish, contending for a breakthrough.
To me, this is akin to Jacob wrestling with an angel, and he leaves that encounter limping. He never walks the same again because he has to lose some of himself in contending for this kind of breakthrough. It’s not about paying a price in the sense that we’re buying something, but the farther you go with God, the less you can take with you. There’s something in this anguish of soul that is so uncommon, but as a result, it also has uncommon answers to prayer and uncommon breakthroughs—things that are unusually miraculous.
Hannah had a son. She brought the son to the Lord after he was weaned. So by the time you get to the end of this chapter, it says, «I have lent him to the Lord.» Verse 28: «As long as he lives, he shall be lent to the Lord.» And so they worshiped at that point.
Think about this for a minute: Abraham couldn’t have a child. Abraham and Sarah had one. The Lord told Abraham, «Take your son, sacrifice him.» He drew the sword back. The Lord said, «Don’t stop. Now I know you’ll do anything, you’ll give anything.» Hannah had the same thing. She made a covenant with the Lord, and in the same way, she brought her weaned child and gave him to the Lord, never to be at home again.
What is it like to ache for something so deeply that you pray in a way that is outside of yourself, beside yourself, different than you would normally function? Way outside of your gift, your personality, your self-perception—all that stuff goes out the window as you pray at a level of passion that is extremely rare in this life. She prays and she gets an answer, and then with joy, she gives the answer back, never to recover again.
This is a very similar story to Abraham. Interestingly for Hannah, she ended up having more sons and daughters. The Lord rewarded her covenant with Him to give Him the prophet He wanted, and then He allowed her to thrive and build the family she wanted. It’s just an unusual storyline. This kind of praying brings levels of breakthrough that I don’t think come any other way.
I think it’s biblically likened to giving birth. Yeah, I know it sounds strange, but labor pains—prayer is likened to labor pains. In Galatians 4, the Apostle Paul talks about being in labor again, birthing something in the Galatian church that was filled with compromise until Christ is formed in them. He’s laboring in prayer, giving birth through anguish prayer.
But here’s the deal: labor pains don’t create the baby. The baby creates the labor pains. Maybe you’re in anguish because you’re carrying something that needs to be birthed. It just might be that the pain you’re in, that unfulfilled dream, is you laboring in prayer, but your prayers do not create the baby. It may be that you are imparted with a gift and grace from God—a God-given dream—and it is bringing about the anguish in prayer. Yes, it is causing the labor.
One of the things that I have been more mindful of in the last few years—I’ve had some very meaningful conversations—about one of the things that, as a leader, as a family man, and as a pastor, I have unintentionally communicated something that I don’t believe to be true. In our desire to honor families, marriages, and children, and reproduction, we have painted a picture that is not entirely accurate.
Let me put it this way: we have unintentionally stated, if I can use a metaphor, that being single is the hallway that leads to the room called marriage. If that’s true, then being single means you’re never satisfied; you’re always arriving somewhere. And that’s not true. Being single is another room of the house; it’s of equal value to the room of being married.
We’ve created a picture that you have to be married to arrive—to finally reach your potential. It’s just not true! If that were true, then Jesus never reached His potential. So, I’ve been working the last few years to change my language in this regard. While I want to always honor marriage and honor family, I also want to fight hard to honor people who are single because being single is not pre-marriage. Being single is a room of the house just like marriage is, and I want to honor both.
And I want to say, if you’re married, awesome! Stay married—have a good one. If you’re single and want to be married, awesome! Pray for it; cry out for it. But enjoy your life as a single because you don’t need this to become something. Marriage doesn’t make you something; you are who you’re supposed to be even in your present condition as a single, and don’t think it’s a stepping stone that will now bring satisfaction to your life.
Now I’ve had to rethink and rework my language here for a while; I’m still learning that one. One of the things that happened for Samuel—what the Lord said about Samuel in chapter 3, I think it’s verse 19—He said, «God let none of his words fall to the ground.»
So just picture with me; there’s a metaphor. The word «sin» means to miss the mark. So what sin is, is you’ve got an archer and you’ve got a target. Sin is an arrow that falls short. God let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground; every one of his words hit the target. It’s an extraordinary statement the Lord makes over one of His own, and He was longing for somebody that could step in and help set direction for the nation of Israel.
Hannah was longing for a son, and she mirrored the heart of the Lord and gave Him an extremely sacrificial gift. God, in return, gave her a family—children, sons, and daughters. There’s something about laboring in prayer that gives birth to things.
You know, you can’t—some people aren’t hungry because they don’t know what’s possible. Some people aren’t hungry because they don’t know their present need. That’s right. Jesus said to the Pharisees, who were the neediest people on the planet in that particular hour, «Only the sick need a physician.» He wasn’t saying they weren’t sick; He was saying they were unaware of their sickness.
The prostitute was aware; the alcoholic was aware. But the religious leaders were not aware, and as a result, the physician who was available was out of reach for them. There’s something about being conscious—not in a depressing way, but in a way that promotes dependency in my heart.
We’ve got this strange paradox that we live with as Christians. One is to grow up and become mature, but the other is to remain childlike. Remaining childlike is a place of dependency. It’s a place of, «If God doesn’t show up, I’m bound to fail.» There’s something about approaching things as a child that makes us so dependent on whether or not God is going to do something. This kind of praying is that kind of praying. It’s a praying out of childlikeness; it’s a praying out of absolute desperation.
It’s a prayer that says, «There is no plan B.» Often times, in fact, here’s what I’m telling folks these days: if you want—in fact, I told the graduates this week—this is how you stay hungry: be aware of your need and be aware of what’s possible.
If you keep those two things intact wherever you need. I think it’s why Jesus taught in the Lord’s prayer: pray like this—"Lead me not into temptation.» It’s living conscious—not that I have a desire to sin, but I have a capacity to sin. And somehow, staying face-to-face with my vulnerabilities helps me create a line of dependency on God where I intentionally seek Him for strength in given situations because I’m aware of my need, but then I’m also aware of what’s possible.
God is the one who does the impossible! Everybody remembers Abraham—Abraham and Sarah couldn’t have children, and the Lord answered their prayer when he was 100 and she was 90. That’s amazing! If you can imagine being a birth mother at the age of 90 or a dad at the age of 100—there’s resurrection life right there!
But to me, the most bizarre part of that story that you almost never hear about—Sarah died like 40 years later—Abraham gets married again to a woman named Keturah and at the age of 140 has six more sons! So you think Isaac was a miracle—just saying! Just saying, just saying!
Have you ever thought about a miracle? Hannah had a son she could not have. Following that miracle, it became normal for her to have children. Is it possible that the miracle you’re crying out for will actually introduce you to a way of life that you’re unprepared for? The miraculous—what was a miracle at one point becomes normal life in the next phase.
Jesus introduced His ministry in Luke 4. He’s quoting Isaiah 61 and he talks about the fact that in and through His ministry, prisoners would be freed and captives would be free. Prisoners are bound because of what they did; captives are bound because of what was done to them. Wow! God wants everyone free!
So here’s the lesson on prayer that I spoke sometime in the last year—I don’t remember when, but it’s out of Mark 11, where Jesus curses a fig tree. They go on a trip; they come back the next day, and Peter says, «Hey, that tree you cursed is dead.» And Jesus says, «Have faith in God!»
Some translations put it this way: «Have the faith of God,» which I think is more correct. «Have God’s faith!» And when you do, you can say to this mountain, «Be removed.» It will be removed if you have no doubt in your heart; it will be removed!
So just walk through this logically with me: If God uses a natural example, it has to be true in the natural before it has spiritual implications. It has to be true in the natural before it is spiritually true. For example, you would never see in the Bible, «The joy of the Lord is like that feeling right after you robbed a bank.» Dumb illustration, of course, it is! But follow me; the reason is so stupid is because it doesn’t relate. It’s not true in the natural, so it wouldn’t be true in the spiritual.
So when God uses a natural example, it’s because it’s real. He cursed a fig tree. If He wanted, He could move Mount Shasta. Now, don’t go throwing Mount Shasta into the sea; most of us like it being there—just leave it alone! But let’s just say, for example, that were to be done—just to try to illustrate this passage—let’s just say, for example, somebody took Mount Shasta and cast it into the sea, into the Pacific Ocean. It would cause tidal waves, tsunamis all over the Pacific, where entire cities and islands would be wiped out. The entire planet would know of that event—probably the entire planet within 24 hours.
In other words, He’s introducing us to a kind of praying that affects the globe. It’s not just a kind of praying, «Now I lay me down to sleep.» Those are fine: «Lord, bless this food; thank you for it.» Those are fine, but He’s actually introducing us into a way of praying that is so significant that the planet or great populations of people are impacted by its answer. Amen!
So when He says, «Abide in me. My words abide in you. You ask whatever you will, and it will be done,» He’s not saying, «Here’s the key to having your way.» He says, «Here’s the key to finding your purpose. You were assigned to pray the reality of my world into this one until this one mirrors the reality of Heaven.» It’s the purpose of prayer! God is glorified by these answers!
So He welcomes us into this kind of praying where a difference is made literally in the history of the church, in the history of the world, and every person in this room has been given a blank check from God. You fill it out!
But the very next verse after this dialogue, He says, «When you stand to pray, if you have ought against anyone, forgive.» And He goes through the importance of forgiveness. Here’s the deal: world-shaking answers to prayer. In the same breath, He says, «When you stand to pray, what kind of prayer? Earth-shaking prayers!» When you stand to pray, forgive.
If prayer could be illustrated as a spear, we would have to say forgiveness is the tip of the spear! Wow! So wherever that prayer of faith is thrust into the environment, if it’s led by forgiveness, it will follow with breakthrough. We don’t have the right to withhold forgiveness; we’ve been forgiven!
Yeah, but you don’t know what they did to me! You’re right; I get it. There are a lot of reasons to not forgive, but none of them are good, and none of them are God. That’s right! Jesus makes this bizarre statement in John 20. First of all, He makes this statement, «As the Father sent me, I send you.» And then He says, «Whoever you forgive, I forgive.»
Is it possible that the church leading the redemptive charge of announcing the forgiveness not only of God but of ourselves—of forgiving the neighbor that did this, forgiving the person that did that—leading the charge with the pronouncement of God’s forgiveness is actually what ushers in the great move of God, where countless thousands and millions are brought into the kingdom? Effective prayer led by the spear point of forgiveness!
I’d like to suggest to you that Hannah illustrated something here that is so profound. She says in chapter 2, she smiles at her enemies; it’s in verse 2. She smiles at her enemies. Answered prayer does that to you. It breeds such confidence in your identity—such confidence in purpose!
So my prayer for us—over the last year, maybe two years, Pastor Dan has been leading us at the beginning of the year—a week of prayer and fasting and seeking the Lord. We’ve been bringing in the last couple of years that way. In our school of ministry, spontaneous prayer meetings, students gathering together on their own just to pray throughout the night and coming early to the school just to pray.
We’ve just noticed it all across the board; there seems to be this call of the Lord upon the people of God to pray and to pray more earnestly. And I feel like there’s this mantle for this kind of praying, this kind of earnest, fervent prayer that gives birth to things. And I feel like the mantle for prayer is evidence that there is something to be born. The anguish of soul is actually the indication that there’s a child about to be released, about to be born.
So I pray that for us as a church family. I pray that God would increase our clarity of heart, our clarity of mind—that the anguish of heart for the personal things, the marriage, the desire for children, the need for healing, the reconciliation—all the stuff that we bring to the table.
Father, I pray for that anguish of heart; I pray that You’d give us an absolute release in confidence to pray with great boldness and great faith to see the miracles of God invade our world at a level we’ve never seen before. Impart the grace for effective prayer, I pray that in Jesus' name!
Let me ask a question. Whenever we gather, it’s always our joy to have people that just join us from all walks of life. And I know that there are people here this morning; I’m sure there are people here this morning that do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. You don’t know what it is to be forgiven by God; you don’t know what it is to actually turn your heart towards the Lord to actually be a disciple, a follower of Jesus. But you would say, «Bill, I don’t want to leave this building until I know I have found peace with God. I know what it is to be forgiven and actually become a disciple, a follower of this One who died in my place.»
If there’s anybody in the room in that position, I want you just to acknowledge it. I want to surrender my life to Jesus and do so by just putting your hand up in the air, because I want to make an agreement with you right where you are. Just put your hand up so that I can see you; I want to make that agreement with you. Is there one right over here? Yes. Anyone else?
I want to encourage our online family. We have so many people that join us. If you’ve joined us and you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, just put it in the chat box; let them know. One of the pastors will come, and they will minister to you and pray for you.
I’d like to have everybody stand, and I’d like to have the ministry team come quickly down to the front. If the rest of you could hold your place for just a moment, it really would help us out. Come and rescue me, please. Thank you!