Steps towards successful prayer

An answer to your and my prayer is no coincidence. Some scriptures in 1. Samuel 1 give today also us a good example of which steps should be taken to be successful in prayer. Before we study these steps, it is good to read these scriptures: 1 Samuel 1

Step 1:
Verse 20b Because I have asked him of the LORD.
Hanna went with her request straight to God. Her confidence and faith was solely put in God. She did not look for counsel or help from men, but turned in her great desperation and need to Jesus. If we want to be successful in our prayers we have to turn to God and bring our request in faith to Him. (1.Johannes 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of HIM, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.)

Step 2:
Verse 9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk.
Hanna rose up and went to the tabernacle. She did not allow her hurt and disappointment to overwhelm her, but she took action. She did not accept her situation; so she went to the tabernacle in Shilo. If we want to be successful in our prayers, we too must get up and come into the presence of God.

Step 3:
Verse 15 und 16 ... but have poured out my soul before the LORD. ...for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
Hanna did not hide her emotions before God, but poured out her heart before God. It doesn't matter, what people think about us and the way we pray, but our prayer must come from our heart and must touch God. If we want to be successful in our prayers, we must seek God with all our heart and honestly pour out our heart before Him.

Step 4:
Verse 13a Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard.
In this last step we want to focus on our relationship to God. It is of high importance that we have a good relationship with God. Hannah prayed in her heart to God, she knew that God would understand her situation. It is not really important to be always understood by people and we should not seek the acceptance or sympathy of people. To be successful in our prayers, we too need to have an intimate relationship with God and our hearts need to be united with Him.

We must realize that God is always seeking the best for His people. If we want to move forward in our prayers, God will help us. We just have to try it out.

In case you don't know God yet and you don't have this relationship with Him, then you have at first to do some other steps and get all right with God. You have to understand that there is a difference between the prayers of the righteous and the unrighteous. Obey the Gospel! Repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remissions of your sins and receive the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38) In any case we should turn to Jesus Christ and seek our help from Him. Sometimes He sends a need or allow a problem to happen, so we acknowledge that we need Him and He wants to reveal Himself as our Friend, Father, Helper and Savior. (Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good.)

The Happy End: Hannah receives from God what she has prayed for and she becomes pregnant. Samuel was not an ordinary boy, but God had great plans for him. He became a great judge in Israel and a prophet of God and thus became a blessing for the entire nation. After Samuel's birth, Hannah also had more children. Her gratefulness and praise to God can be read in 1 Samuel 2 and is a wonderful worship and exaltation of God. These are also some of the most beautiful scriptures in the Bible that lift up God's greatness and goodness and give great hope and promises to God's people. ct