A Great Mother 1 Samuel 1:9-12, NIV Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple. In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. I would like to share the grace of God under the title, “A Great Mother,” based on 1 Samuel 1:9-12. Could you please repeat after me? “A Great Mother. A Great Mother.” God has given us many gifts, the greatest of which is our mother. We exist today because of our mother. Great mothers have been behind the scenes of the great people who have made a difference in world history. Monica was the prayerful mother behind Saint Augustine, who is called the Saint of the Medieval Age. Suzanna was the prayerful mother behind John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who started a great revival movement all over the world. Nancy Lincoln was behind Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, who established the emancipation of slaves. Indeed, a prayerful mother raises great children. A mother’s prayers will change the destiny of her children. God greatly used Samuel, a figure in the Old Testament. Hannah, his prayerful mother, was behind Samuel. Today, I would like us to think about the kind of faith Hannah had. First, Hannah had the kind of faith that goes up to the house of the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:7 says, “This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD….” Hannah went up to the house of the Lord every year. Like Hannah, we must make every effort to worship God in order to receive great blessings from Him. God blesses those who make every effort to worship and praise Him. Hannah, who had the kind of faith that goes up to the house of the Lord, praised the Lord and prayed to Him whenever she worshipped Him. I urge you to praise and pray to Him whenever you come to the Lord. The Lord will hear our prayers and answer them. What should we do for God so He will acknowledge us and bless us throughout our lives? We must come to Him and worship Him as much as we can. When we praise the Lord with all our heart and mind and will, He will open the gates of heaven and fill our lives with His grace, blessings, and miracles. When we approach the Lord through praise and prayer, repenting of our sins, He will accept our worship, open wide the gates of heaven, and fill our lives with His overflowing grace and blessings. It is a Christian’s duty to worship the Lord. When we do our best to worship the Lord, He will bless us. True worshippers will be successful in the Lord. True worshippers will experience the miracles of the Lord. True worshippers will meet the living Lord. When we worship the Lord, God will open the highway to Zion before us. True worshippers will have lives of success, blessing, and victory. I pray that you will live a life centered on worshipping God. John Ashcroft was the governor of Missouri, a United States Senator from Missouri, and the Attorney General in the George W. Bush administration. His father was an Assembly of God pastor who is a close friend of Pastor Yonggi Cho. When Yoido Full Gospel Church was located in Seodaemun, Pastor Ashcroft and his son visited Korea. John Ashcroft had such strong faith that he went to his office as Attorney General an hour early to worship and pray to God before starting his work. Then faithful Christians in the Ministry of Justice began to join him in the worship services. A reporter found this out and criticized him, saying, “Did the Attorney General change his office into a church?” Ashcroft replied, “What is wrong with my coming an hour early and worshipping God before I start my work? How can I be up to this huge job without the help of the Lord?” The reporter apologized to him later. When the September 11 attacks broke out, destroying the World Trade Center in New York, President Bush and the cabinet members gathered at Camp David. Attorney General Ashcroft played the hymn, Amazing Grace, on the piano, with Condoleezza Rice, the United States Secretary of State, singing the hymn. The Cabinet members worshipped the Lord together in tears. President George W. Bush was a man of faith, and so were the US Secretary of State Rice, and Attorney General Ashcroft. God kept the United States from/during such a dreadful crisis. God blesses us when we worship Him. The open gates of blessing will be upon us when we worship Him. I pray that you will do your best to worship the Lord throughout your lives. Second, Hannah had the kind of faith that makes every effort to pray. 1 Samuel 1:10 says, “In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.” Hannah was a woman of prayer. Her tearful prayers caused a wonderful miracle of God to happen. There were two woman exponents during the period of the Roman Empire. One was Agrippina, Nero’s mother, and the other was Monica, St. Augustine’s mother. Ancient sources credited Agrippina with poisoning Claudius, thus enabling Nero to take the throne quickly as emperor. Later, however, she was killed by Nero. She is known as a very cruel and wicked woman. On the other hand, Monica, St. Augustine’s mother, prayed every day after her son left home at the age of 17. He lived debauchedly, and came back home at 36, studied theology, and became a minister. He was the most influential theologian and minister in the Medieval Age. Hannah, too, through her wholehearted prayer, gave birth to Samuel, a great servant of the Lord. What was Hannah’s prayer like? Her prayer was a prayer of weeping. 1 Samuel 1:10 says, “In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.” The Lord will hear and answer our prayers when we pray wholeheartedly, with crying and weeping. Your prayers in tears will change the destiny of your children. Why are your children causing problems, rising against you, and being rebellious? That happens because you do not pray enough. Before blaming your children, you must repent of your sins of not praying for them. The late Rev. Hyun-Kyoon Shin was a famous evangelist in Korea. He was a very close friend of Pastor Yonggi Cho. His mother was a faithful Christian who prayed much. Hyun-Kyoon went to church with his mother when he was little. After elementary school, however, he stopped going to church. He went into the world instead. Since age 17, he was drunk most of the time, moving from one bar to another. People thought he was hopeless. One day when he was coming home drunk, he met his father. His father dragged him home and hit him. He tried to defy his father, but he was beaten up and covered with bruises, even though his mother tried to stop the father. After beating him, his father went out, and Hyun-Kyoon fell asleep. His mother brought a wet towel and cleansed Hyun-Kyoon’s wounds. He heard her prayer while he was half asleep. His mother was kneeling down praying to God and crying bitterly. She said, “Oh, God of love, I have prayed that Hyun-Kyoon would be a great servant for You. He has been going in the opposite direction, contrary to my prayers. Uphold the heart of my son, Lord.” Now, fully awakened by his mother’s prayer in tears, Hyun-Kyoon kept his eyes closed and listened to her prayer. His mother continued praying, “God, it is not too late. Make Hyun-Kyoon understand his calling, and make him Your servant. Make him a great evangelist like Rev. Sung-Bong Lee, so that he can preach the Gospel all over the nation.” As she kept on praying, unable to keep the tears from rolling down her cheeks, Hyun-Kyoon also cried. Two years later, he went to a revival meeting with his mother to hear the message of Rev. Jong-Soon Lim. There he received the fire of the Holy Spirit and later became a great servant of God. Just as his mother had prayed, he became a famous evangelist. A mother’s prayers change the destiny of her children. Never forget that your prayers in tears will change the destiny of your children. You are never too late before the Lord. Even though your children may be on the wrong track now, even though they may be in trouble, your prayers to the Lord are never too late. Come to the Lord with your fervent prayers. Hannah prayed in tears, and moreover, she made a vow. 1 Samuel 1:11 says, “And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’ ” She made a vow that she would give a son to the Lord for His glory. Hannah was barren for a long time, but made a vow that she would give a son to the Lord if she had one. It was a prayer of dedication. She also prayed patiently. 1 Samuel 1:12 says, “As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.” Hannah prayed for a very long time. She prayed so long that her voice could no longer be heard. Only her lips were trembling while she was praying. St. Augustine’s mother, Monica, prayed for her son every day for twenty years after he left home. She prayed in tears. She prayed and waited for her son to repent and to come back home. Twenty years later, her son, who had been involved in heresy and who had been living in debauchery, came back home with his son born out of wedlock. Augustine was baptized on Easter Sunday, making a vow to become a servant of the Lord. He went to seminary and became a great servant of the Lord. His mother’s prayers for twenty years were wonderfully answered. Do not let the strings of your prayers go. I pray that every one of you will become fathers and mothers of prayer. In fact, fathers are sometimes too busy to have a long prayer time. That is why mothers have a duty to pray. Since mothers are born with a mission to pray, they have to pray constantly. Last Sunday evening, we had a “Festival for New Life and Happiness.” Deaconess Joo-Ha Kim gave a testimony to the congregation. She is one of the top anchors at MBC, a major national broadcasting network. She said, “99.9% of what I am today is due to my mother’s prayers. I am what I am now?thanks to my mother’s prayers.” A mother’s prayers change the destiny of her children. I pray that you will approach the Lord with prayer and tears. I urge you to become mothers of prayer. When you become mothers of prayer, God will pour His grace, blessings, and miracles upon your homes. Never neglect to pray. Pray persistently until you receive the answers to your prayers. No one can stand against those who pray. Hannah, Samuel’s mother, was a mother of prayer. Not only that, Hannah was a woman of positive faith. Third, I want to speak about Hannah’s positive faith. 1 Samuel 1:17-18 says, “Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.’ She said, ‘May your servant find favor in your eyes.’ Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.” Eli, the priest, being impressed by Hannah’s long and persistent prayer, said to her, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” Hannah said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way with gratitude and joy and never worried about anything. She took the word of Eli as the Word of God with faith and gratitude. Blessed is the one who believes in and takes the Word of God without doubt. When we accept the Word without doubt, God’s blessing and miracles will be given to us. God will pour the grace written in the Word upon us. The Israelites came out of Egypt after 430 years of slavery in Egypt and headed for Canaan. Why couldn’t they enter the land of Canaan? Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who set their feet on Canaan, among those who were 20 years or older who had come out of Egypt. It was not them, but their descendents who entered Canaan. Why did this happen? That was because the Israelites complained, doubting the promise of God instead of believing it. I pray that you will march forward with positive faith. When she heard Eli’s word, “Go in peace,” Hannah believed that God had answered her prayer. The Scripture says that she went her way and ate something. Please, repeat after me, “Her face was no longer downcast.” She was not worried anymore. She was confident. She believed that she had already received the Lord’s answer to her prayers. She believed that God would give her a child. Although nothing had changed, the Word had changed her heart. When you listen to the Word of God, you must be changed through the Word. I want you to gain new strength. I want you to be healed, free, and forgiven. Set your goals in the Lord, and keep praying for them. Then your prayers will change your husband, your wife, your parents, and your children. Your prayers will change your workplace and the whole community. No one can stand against those who pray. When we stay with the Lord and march forward with positive faith, miracles will be performed for us. Never be suspicious. Your prayers will bring God’s answers to you, blessings, and miracles. As long as we ask for something according to His will and for the glory of the Lord, He will answer our prayers. I pray that you will march forward with prayer and without any doubt. Hannah’s faith was dedicated. Fourth, I want to speak about Hannah’s dedicated faith. 1 Samuel 1:27-28 says, “I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.” Many people make a vow when they are desperately in need of God’s help. However, many forget their vow after God answers their prayers. Instead, they plunge themselves into the world, misusing God’s blessing. To experience greater grace from God, we must come to Him with thanksgiving, praise, and dedication. We are used to receiving something. When a preacher says, “Receive God’s blessing,” people will respond with a loud roaring, “Amen!” On the other hand, if a preacher says, “Give what you have to the Lord,” people become suddenly quiet, saying to themselves, “No, man.” None of us here would do that. I am talking about people somewhere else. As mature Christians, let us give what we have to the Lord for His glory. Let us give our time, our wealth, our hearts, and even our lives for the glory of the Lord. Hallelujah! God will gladly receive our dedication of faith. Hannah gave birth to her son because of her prayers. What if she could not have any more children? She gave her child to the Lord, because she had made a vow to God. He must have praised her faith when she gave Samuel to the Lord. She gave birth to a son after a long time of barrenness and after a long time of prayer. After she made a sacrifice, God was gracious to her and gave her three more sons and two daughters. 1 Samuel 2:21 says, “And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.” She gave Samuel to God, and God gave her five more children. How wonderful this is! Let us practice the love we have received in thankfulness for the grace of God. What is the weakest point of contemporary Christians? We are quick to speak, but our words are not accompanied by actions of love. There is a joke that says, “When a Christian sinks under the water, only his mouth will float on the surface.” Our actions and words should be consistent. We must live like true Christians. When we live the life of a true Christian, God will add His grace upon grace in our lives. Wherever you are, and whatever you do, spread the fragrance of a true Christian throughout your life. Let us dedicate our lives to the Lord with faithfulness and service, giving thanks to Him for His grace. Hymn No. 356 has the following confession: All that I am and have?Thy gifts so free. In joy, in grief, thro’ life, Dear Lord, for Thee! And when Thy face I see, My ransomed soul shall be Through all eternity, Something for Thee. All that I am and have?Thy gifts so free. In joy, in grief, thro’ life, Dear Lord, for Thee! And when Thy face I see, My ransomed soul shall be Through all eternity, Something for Thee. Hallelujah! All that I am and have?Thy gifts so free. In joy, in grief, thro’ life, Dear Lord, for Thee! And when Thy face I see, My ransomed soul shall be Through all eternity, Something for Thee. There was a widow who was raising four children, three sons and one daughter. She loved her children very much. A guest came to their house and was deeply impressed by her love for the children. Therefore, he said to her, “You love your children very much. Who is your favorite?” (In fact, we should not even ask such a question because it could cause trouble.) She said, “I love my oldest son the most. He is the first fruit of our love.” Immediately, however, she corrected herself, “No, no. It is my youngest son. He was born posthumously. He never knew his father. I am so sorry for him and cannot even reprimand him. I always hold him in my arms.” Then she corrected her words again, “No. My second child is a daughter. She is my only daughter. She is so sweet that I forget about all my worries when I am around her. I do not know how I could live if I did not have her. She is so dear to me.” Then she said, “No. I love my third child the most. He has infantile paralysis. I feel so sorry and sad whenever I see him. I wish I had the infirmity instead of him.” She loved the oldest because he was the first child; she loved the youngest because he was the youngest; she loved the second child because she was the only daughter; and she loved the third child because he was lame. Summarizing what she said, she loved them all equally?she loved each one the most. Hallelujah! This is the love of a mother. God has given this kind of love to mothers as a gift. God blessed mothers with this maternal love. Even when their children grieve them and are rebellious, they still love their children. Do not be rebellious or mean to your mothers. Our homes and the community are getting weaker, because mothers have become weaker. I pray that you will become great mothers in the Lord. I pray that you will become great parents in the Lord. The first word that babies say is Mom. The first name children call when they come home after school is Mom. When we are hurt or sick we call Mom first. A married woman calls her Mom first when she comes to visit her parents’ home. When we are aged and lonely, when we are in trouble, the name we call is Mom. No other name is more precious than Mom. Our moms are the cradle of our lives. A mother in her eighties will say to her son in his sixties, “Be careful on the road.” The son will reply to her, “Mother, I am in my sixties.” She will say, “You are always a little child to me.” This is the love of a mother. Mothers are the only ones who can save the society when moral standards collapse and when society is in chaos. Mothers have to lead their children to the Lord. Great mothers change a home into a place of God’s blessing. They change the whole community into a community of God’s blessing. I pray that you will be great mothers of prayer. I pray that you will be great parents of prayer, and then your homes will change through you. Your children will be blessed through you. In addition, God will bless the whole community through you. Let us pray. Our Father of infinite love, grace, and mercy, we thank You for giving us great mothers who pray. We thank You for giving us fathers. Help us to be grateful for our parents throughout our lives, and help us to give thanks to You for our parents. Pour Your grace upon us so that we will give glory to you, honor our parents, and share Your love with our neighbors. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.