1 Samuel 1:18b Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.
“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change” – Jim Rohn
The promises and prophecies of God are ‘change agents’. Receiving a Word of promise and prophecy does not change us. It might excite us but will not change us unless the promise/prophecy sinks from the mind into the heart. The mind/soul is the seat of our emotions, intellect and logical understanding. When we receive a promise/prophecy about a breakthrough, our mind and emotions are stimulated. However, if it remains in the mind, the logical side of the brain will soon be activated. Intellect will start reasoning that it is impossible for the prophecy to be fulfilled given the current circumstances. Soon the prophecy/promise will be spewed out by the mouth as disbelief and doubt. Hence, it is important for the promise to sink into the heart and germinate. The difference between mind and heart is, mind believes by sight but the heart believes the unseen promise/prophecy/power of God. Hence faith is birthed in the heart and not in the mind.
Hannah was at the temple praying in anguish. She was childless for maybe a couple of decades. She must have got married at around 15 years (Jewish girls were married as teenagers back in those days). In that case, she would have been about 35 years old when she was praying at the temple. The High Priest Eli gave her a prophetic-promise. If we read through the chapter we will find that Hannah did not even explain her problem to Eli. Hannah was praying in her heart (vs 13a) and she was emptying her soul. She said, ’I was pouring out my soul to the Lord’ (vs 15b). She received only one comforting promise. Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” (1 Samuel 1:17). It was a general prophecy, not even a specific one, yet, it sank into her heart as her soul was emptied at the feet of the Lord.
God’s word/promise/prophecy must penetrate into the heart.
God’s Word is the Change Agent:
1. Sink: Meditation, repetition and rumination sinks the Word from the mind to the heart. Promise/Prophecy is like a seed. If it lays loosely in the mind, it will be snatched away by the devil. Some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up (Matthew 13:4). The promise/prophecy must sink into the heart.
2. Sow: Let the promises of God be sowed in good soil. Hannah had emptied her soul, intellect and logical thinking that there were minimal chances for her barren womb to conceive hence, her heart was ready for the promise to germinate. Stop the intellectual logical arguments in the mind and sow the seed/promise/prophecy in your heart.
3. Succulent: The sadness in Hannah’s face disappeared as the sorrow in her heart dissipated. Many prophecies/promises remain unfulfilled as they have not taken root in the heart to yield a succulent harvest.
God’s Word of promises and prophecies are change agents of the heart.
Romans 10:9 Believe in your heart.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to believe the promises like a little child with all of my heart. Amen
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