1 Samuel 1:13-15
¹³ She was praying silently; her lips were moving, but she made no sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk, ¹⁴ and said to her, “Stop making a drunken show of yourself! Stop your drinking and sober up!”
¹⁵ “No, I'm not drunk, sir,” she answered. “I haven't been drinking! I am desperate, and I have been praying, pouring out my troubles to the Lord.✍️
It's amazing what people can think of you when they see you praying or doing something religious even when you are minding your own business.
The scripture above is taken from the book of 1Samuel 1:13-15 , it so happen that there was a Man called Elkana who had two wives, one called Peninnah with over ten children and the other called Hannah without a child.
The scripture says, everytime the family of Elkanawent to worship the Lord at Shiloh, Peninnah would torment and humiliate Hannah, because the Lord had kept her childless.
But what's amazing is that, Hannah didn't fight her back, she didn't abuse her or try to humiliate her, instead she took her battle to the Lord.
Verse 9 tells us that, one day, she was greatly insulted and she lost her temper, cried bitterly and went to the house of God to pray.
But as she was praying, the priest called Eli was watching her, he saw her lips moving but couldn't hear any sound.....and he said to himself, "this woman must be a drunkard."
So he went to her and said, "Stop making a drunken show of yourself! Stop your drinking and sober up!”
Like Hannah, everytime you decide to pray, worship God or do what is right, people will misunderstand you because they do not know what you are going through, instead they will give you names😢.
But you have to know that it didn't start with you. That's the devil trying to interfere with you so that you loose focus.
Nowonder Jesus said, in Matthew 5:11
"Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers."
In 1 Samuel 1:19-20
........the Lord remembered Hannah and answered her prayer. ²⁰ So it was that she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, meaning, “I asked the Lord for him.”
Like Hannah our prayers carries power, it can shake heaven and cause God's blessing to rain over our lives. But people will always talk about you, trying to discourage you. You will be given names like; mad, drunkard, confused, ignorant etc. But stay focused and soon they will learn from you....
When Hannah went to the Priest Eli to pray again 1 Samuel 1: ²⁶Hannah said to him, “Excuse me, sir. Do you remember me? I am the woman you saw standing here, praying to the Lord. I asked him for this child, and he gave me what I asked for.
When God has blessed you, don't forget to remind those who made fun of you, remind them and give them a share so that they will learn to pray too.
When you learn to take your battles to the Lord through prayers like Hannah, I believe and declare that you will receive what you desire and God will work things out for you. In Jesus name, Amen🙏
Admonition
Philippians 4:6-7
⁶ Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.
⁷ And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
Prayer
Father, I thank you for everything you are doing today, for you always answer us whenever we pray to you..Let your blessings continue raining over us, as you answer our prayers according to the abundance you carry, in Jesus name. Amen🙏
Further readings: Ephesians 6:18
Heavenly Atmosphere, Expressing the life in the word