Hannah: The Return of God's Glory

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

January 30, 2012


 *(“TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt – Beth Chesed, Tacoma*

– *Federal Way WA 98093-2116*

*Web: **www.2rbetter.org** – Email: **jmbetter at gmail.com*

*November 28, 2006)*


 *“HANNAH: THE RETURN OF GOD’S GLORY” – Bakht Singh*


 *INTRODUCTION: Our last Mailing was from Bakht Singh’s “The Return of
God’s Glory”, Chapter 2, Introduction. After Israel lost God’s Glory in the
days of the Judges and finally under Eli, our author sees 4 basic
principles that resonate with the heart of God, and with His approval,
initiates the Return of His Glory! Bakht Singh found these 4 principles
associated with 4 people in the 6 books from the first book of Samuel
through to the end of second Chronicles. This mailing introduces the first
of these 4. Jim Watt*


 The first is Hannah; the second is Samuel, the third is David, and the
fourth is Solomon. In the six books we find that these four characters play
a very big part in bringing back the departed glory. As we go along we
shall see how these four names speak of four divine principles. In
fulfilling these principles we shall find God’s departed glory coming into
our hearts, into our assemblies, and into our work.

Let us see how these four principles can help us individually and
collectively, as God’s servants, that God’s glory may return. First of all
turn to 1 Samuel 1:2. The name Hannah means, grace. Even though this woman
had a very good name, she was in great sorrow; she was being constantly
provoked by Peninnah. In verses 4-7 we find Hannah in sorrow, in pain, and
being constantly hurt. Peninnah kept sarcastically saying to her, in order
to hurt her: “You are barren – it is God’s curse upon you!”

We are told, that as Hannah was being so sorely provoked she went and
fasted and prayed, yet it seemed that God did not hear her prayer. So she
continued weeping, and went on praying with faith.

Now Hannah was a godly woman – a far better woman that the other. Then why
did God remain silent to her prayer? It was surely for a purpose.

In the beginning Hannah was praying only for her own need: “Lord I am
barren, meet *my *need, take away *my *barrenness. Lord, look upon *me* and
*my* affliction and *my *barrenness and *my *condition and *my *sorrow, and
save *me* from the reproach of *my *neighbors.” All her tears were for HER
NEED. She did not know that God could also have some NEED! Then her prayer
changed; “Lord, now I forsake my own selfish need and promise that if you
give me a man-child, he will be lent back to You.”

Somehow, when she discovered God’s need, God answered her prayer and gave
her a son.

Many of us pray like Hannah did: “Lord we are barren; take away our
barrenness. Lord, we are empty, please fill us. Lord, we see no fruit for
our labors; Send a revival!”

Many prayers are being offered throughout the world for revival, some
praying for a whole night, others for a whole week, others still, praying
with fasting, but still no answer. Why? Our prayers are selfish; we go by
our own conception of how God must work. God must work in this, or that way
we think. “Lord, you must work in this plan and meet our need in this way,”
we pray.

We ask: “Lord take away our barrenness; give us more fruit; let us see Your
power in our midst, more and more!” But God does not answer our prayers!
Why? Because we have not yet discovered God’s need. Yes, we have a need
indeed, but what about God? Unless we find God’s need, we cannot expect God
to work!


 We take a lot for granted. We say, India is poor, and we must keep asking
for money for India. Are you sure about that? That is not God’s way of
working! We must not take for granted that because people are in poverty,
they must be given money. Sometimes tragedies and floods are His judgments.
We have no right to interfere in God’s work. Even though we should spend
the whole of the world’s wealth, we can never remove poverty and sickness
from the earth!

We as God’s servants must find out what God’s need is today. What is God’s
need in India, -- north India, or south India? What is God’s need in
Africa, in Europe, or in America? We must find this out by prayer. Don’t go
by the assumption that because God worked in a certain place so many years
ago, that He must do the same there again today! This is only our own idea!
That is why our prayers are left unanswered.

I believe we learn in Hannah how to pray. Even though Hannah prayed with
fasting, and tears, and with faith; even though she was a sincere, godly
woman; nevertheless, God did not hear her prayer. He waited till she
understood His need! You, too, may be thinking: “Why is God so silent? He
knows the value of man’s life. Why does He allow this or that to happen and
go on for years?”

God has His own way of working. He wanted a man, for He cannot work without
a man. He wanted a man who was given to Him willingly, and for that He
waited.

A similar case we see in Elijah, in 1 Kings 19:1-4. He was very sure that
because God had sent fire, as recorded in 1 Kings 13:38, surely now He must
again send fire. Is not Jezebel a wicked queen? And does she not deserve to
be punished? So the prophet was very positive that God would punish this
woman, for she deserved it; she had threatened to take the life of God’s
servant. But nothing happened! Elijah began to despair when he saw that God
was taking no action. He said in effect: “Now Lord, I resign my office as a
prophet, and give You an hour’s notice. From today I refuse to be Your
prophet. What is the use of serving You? This wicked woman wants to kill me
and YOU ARE ASLEEP!”

But God was so gracious. He was not sleeping, but He was not going to
punish Jezebel in the wisdom of Elijah! He had already planned that He
would use Jehu to punish her, and not Elijah.

That was God’s way. Now my point is, that we have no right to dictate to
God; He has ways that are higher than our ways, and we can safely wait for
Him.

What about God’s purpose in the matter of Hannah? God was waiting very
patiently, and He was pleased to choose Hannah to be His partner. He
permitted that barrenness in the life of Hannah to make her a true partner
of God. What an honor to be given to Hannah! She had been praying: “Lord,
take away my reproach.” God was saying, “Hannah, what about My need? My
name is also being reproached.”

That is why we also fail; because we are more concerned about our mission,
our name, our reputation, and our depression even, than we are for God’s
Name. Many of our prayers are for ourselves only! “Lord, do a new work in
our midst, in our group,” we pray. God does not work in that way. We must
learn how to pray in order to find God’s need or what He is after. If we
want God’s glory to come down, we must first of all learn how to pray thus;
for we find that before every true revival, there has been first of all a
great burden for prayer.

Go to Ireland, Wales, Assam or to any other part of the world where there
has been revival, and you will find that it was a prayer revival, first of
all. They began to cry everywhere for revival, praying day and night; not
only for themselves, but also for the whole world. They were praying that
God would have His way, for the first principle is to pray according to
God’s will; seeking to find His mind and His need.

Please do not assume that you are the only person responsible to take the
Gospel to the whole world! Are you sure that God has given this job to you?
Read Matt. 28:19-20, and you will see that this commandment is given to all
believers. God has not given the monopoly to any one nation or people. We
may be wealthy and educated; but we cannot say that because we have more
money, or more education that it is our special privilege to evangelize the
whole world. Unless we make every believer a strong witness for the Lord
and preach the whole church’s responsibility to evangelize, the job is
impossible. IT WON’T HAPPEN!

Why did God not allow the Jews to evangelize the world? They were a more
gifted people; they had their apostles; and yet you see that God passed by
the Jews, and He came to Antioch. (Acts 13:2) You would think that the
Great Commission would have been given to the apostles at Jerusalem. They
are the first people who should be sent out to other parts of Europe to
evangelize. But not so. God in His own sovereign way chose Antioch as His
center. The center shifts from Jerusalem to Antioch. What about today’s
command? Can we very truthfully say that we spend hours in prayer till we
know God’s mind? Or are we taking it for granted that this must be God’s
plan? *Hannah teaches us the principle of prayer. *She learned how to pray,
in order to know God’s will.


 *CONCLUSION: *Like Hannah, I once believed I knew God’s pattern for my
life, and what He would have me do. But suddenly a man I highly regarded
approached me and asked if I would consider taking his place as pastor of a
certain church.

This church had fallen on evil days. Sin had entered in. Unscriptural
divorces and remarriages had taken place. Other sexual sins occurred. Debts
had taken hold in the city, all to the reproach of God’s Name.

I considered this challenge, but knew that if I accepted it, and my name
became associated with it, many doors would immediately close to my
ministry. I had held meetings in some 70 churches in a 5-state area prior
to this time over a 2 years period.

So I told God – “God, if I take this church, it will tarnish my name by
association, and shut most doors to my ministry.”

“Yes,” the Lord responded, “But consider this. MY NAME is already
associated with this church, and has been tarnished in the sight of many.
You give YOUR name to lift My Name, and I promise you – that in the long
run, your name will not suffer.”

“For Your sake and Your Name’s sake,” I replied, “but for no other first
priority reason, I submit.”

When I attended ministerial meetings soon after, I would hear whisperings,”
There’s that new pastor of that church with all those problems and
aberrations.” Of course I felt badly. But I remembered God’s long range
promise.

Then two months following my accession as pastor of this church, a pastor
friend of mine asked if I would like to have Nicholas Bhengu of Africa
speak at our church. Because I had been praying for him daily for 10 years,
I immediately said, “Yes! Any day that is open!” One last Wednesday night
was open on August 20th before he returned to Africa.

I picked him up at lunch time and plagued him with questions until service
time that night. What an arsenal of wisdom, experience, faith and grace!

That night I led in a time of praise and worship. I would glance at him
beside me on the platform, and wonder how could God use him? He seemed so
passive and dead – almost like Aaron’s rod before it budded.

When he got up he announced he would speak on “Bones!” “Bones,” I thought –
“What could be more deadly?”

But before he preached he said – “Whenever I come to a new city, I ask God
what this city means to Him? I have been in this city for a month, but
until tonight He has not spoken to me. But tonight on this platform He
said, “I am going to visit this city in the not too distant future, and I
am going to use this Church to spearhead My Visitation!

I lived on that word and stood on it for 7 years; and then God visited our
city for two successive years in such a Visitation and Glory that we called
it City I and City II after Vatican I and Vatican II. 50,000 people
attended Round Robin meetings in our Metroplex in one week, with 100’s or
perhaps 1000’s saved, healed, delivered, restored and rejuvenated!

Everything God promised me took place 7 years later, because like Hannah, I
regarded His Name and His interests first.

And Nicholas Bhengu that night in August preached on Ephesians 5 – We are
BONE of HIS BONE” – a message I will never forget as long as I live.

And like Hannah – our church joined Marie and myself in fasting and prayer
during those 7 years. We paid the price and met the conditions to see the
Glory of the Lord return!


 Jim Watt



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