Hannah Prayed

By Dr Gideon Brice Koudjo

From time immemorial, a lot of emphasis has been placed on the importance of prayer, types of prayer, the power of prayer, etc. But this book seeks to address the frustration of unanswered prayers by unraveling the question: HOW DO I PRAY EFFECTIVELY?

Jesus Christ did not only demonstrate by exemplary living how to pray but also taught His disciples how to pray, reaffirming the fact that to effectively execute prayer it must be taught.

In this same light, "HANNAH PRAYED" is an exquisite expository that teaches on praying effectively by examining the legendary story of Hannah. The Stories in the Bible were recorded for our learning and the old testament is the new testament concealed, meaning that by examining the story of Hannah we can glean certain principles that govern our priestly ministry of prayer as new testament believers. 

Indeed, Hannah prayed and she received an answer! We have prayed too often without results and it's time to change the narrative! 

 

Are you struggling and need help on how to pray? 
Are you stagnated and thirsty for more? 
Are you fed up with praying without any tangible proof of God's power? 

 

All of the answers you need about effective prayer have been summed up into this classic book. The members of the Body of Christ can also receive answers to our prayers once again.

 

The wait is over, It's time to birth your Samuel!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr Gideon Brice Koudjo
• Release date: Nov 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9789988303914

Book preview

Introduction

There are several keys, principles and laws given by God that govern the operations of the believer in God’s kingdom, some of which are fasting, giving, prayer, faith, love etc. Our ability to operate and benefit maximally from these various dimensions made available to us is based largely on our knowledge and understanding of the above-mentioned concepts. The realm of the spirit responds fundamentally to the understanding backing our actions and not necessarily the mere action. Praying does not produce results; it is praying with understanding based on God’s Word that produces results.

It is quite unfortunate that we often engage the laws and principles of God’s kingdom without understanding, yet still expect to have results. For instance, you can decide to lay hands on the sick… but do you have adequate understanding from the Word of God about what that action means and should produce? We have Christians who are fasting, praying, worshipping etc. with little or no knowledge about what they are doing. I believe this is the basis for many of the frustrations that believers face in their Christian walk. I daresay that, to a certain degree, we have toed the line of the Pharisees who missed it because of their traditions. Jesus said this about the Pharisees:

Making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition, which you have handed down: and many such things you do.

-Mark 7:13

Many Christians were born into uncountable church practices, and have never asked themselves what these practices really mean. Many of the things we do in church today, have become mere traditions and practices that have been passed down to us through the ages. We have lost the full effect and power of these practices because the acts were passed down without the knowledge and revelation behind them. We simply do them because we want to fulfil all righteousness, and also because, these are the norms we came to meet. What is the relevance of clapping while praying? Why should I shut my eyes while praying? Is the lifting up of my hands during worship just an emotional response to the act? The Word of God and spiritual acts lose their effect when they become mere traditions. Traditions make us chase shadows while we neglect the realities. Many of the things we do in church and our daily walk as believers have become mere emotional experiences because they are devoid of revelation. The missing link between what we have practised over the years and having substantial results from these practices is proper understanding.

As part of our priestly responsibilities, prayer remains a vital part of every believer’s walk with God. The Levitical priesthood required training to rightly undertake their priestly duties which included offering incense (a type of prayer). They needed to not only do their duties but also do them according to the pattern the Lord had commanded and desired it. In the same light, the believer under the New Testament is a priest in the order of Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus is our High Priest and we are priests.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.

-1 Peter 2:9

Therefore, we also need to be taught and understand the act of prayer in order to undertake this priestly responsibility effectively and to attain results. It is said that the best way to learn how to pray is to pray. However, in so doing, many have become frustrated by the fruitlessness of their prayer. Though true, it is not the entire truth. The way to learn to pray and be effective at it is to be taught as well. As priests we must be taught how to pray; we must be taught how to effectively discharge this vital priestly duty. John the Baptist taught his disciples many things, including how to pray. The Master, Jesus Christ Himself, also taught His disciples on this vital subject.

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY, as John also taught his disciples.

-Luke 11:1

Often, Jesus went with His disciples to pray but He further went to a solitary place. The disciples had been praying and had seen Jesus also engaging in this spiritual exercise, times without number. However, at this time, the disciples requested something specifically from the Lord. Note that, they asked to be taught how to pray. They were not asking for a revival in their prayer life because they had already been praying. Their request was not an issue of prayerlessness, but effectiveness. They wanted their master Jesus to teach them how to do it right. I suppose the fruit of Jesus’ prayers was so evident it could not be denied. The struggle of many Christians is not a matter of prayerlessness but effective prayer as intended by God, especially in my part of the world where religious activity is high.

God does not answer just any kind of prayer; He answers prayers that are offered rightly. Prayer is not a mere construction of words or a flamboyant display of feelings. It is not another of the many energetic rituals done to give us a feeling of spirituality. When believers give themselves to prayer and still have no answers to their requests it can cause frustration. The lack of results and proof have left many Christians frustrated. This has led to many Christians neglecting the place of prayer because it seems to not yield the results they so desire and expect. If Christians received answers to every prayer they have ever made, I’m sure they would not need much convincing or even sermons on prayer to encourage them to pray. They would do so themselves, knowing that prayer works. When prayer works, people naturally show commitment to it. Prayer meetings would not be one of the least attended church gatherings. James 4:3 gives us a clear picture of why we sometimes do not receive answers to our prayers.

You ask and do not receive, BECAUSE YOU ASK AMISS, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

-James 4:3

According to the Scripture above, our prayers are unanswered because we miss out on how to ask rightly. In other words, we would receive answers if we prayed the right way. Prayer that is not offered rightly never gets the attention of God as we would expect it to. This was the same issue that differentiated Abel from Cain. Abel’s sacrifice was rightly offered and was accepted. On the other hand, Cain’s sacrifice was wrongly offered and was rejected. What differentiated Abel’s offering from Cain’s offering was not the quality of the sacrifice; both brought the best of their labour. Abel sacrificed the firstlings of his flock and Cain as well brought the best fruit of the ground.

What made the difference was that Abel offered God’s recommended type of sacrifice - animal sacrifice. In the Garden of Eden after the fall of man, God had established a prototype for the atonement of sin when He slew an animal and clothed them both with the skin of the animal (Gen 3:21). This was a foreshadowing of Jesus’s future sacrifice for mankind. The animal sacrifice was the right offering and I believe Adam and Eve taught their children, Abel and Cain this practice. The fact that Cain was a tiller of the ground still did not permit him to offer crops as a sacrifice. He still had to do it God’s way —animal sacrifice—in order to receive God’s attention and acceptance. In the same vein, prayer must be done God’s way if we are to receive His attention.

By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous…

-Hebrews 11:4

How did Abel offer his sacrifice by faith? Why did he need faith to do this? Because He needed to believe that animal sacrifice was still the only recommended way to obtain atonement from God even though his brother was going to do otherwise. Despite the fact that it may not have made total sense to offer specifically an animal, Abel still did it by faith. I believe Cain had