Magnificent Mother

Mothers are the heart of the home.

Listen to Adrian Rogers. To love worth finding, featuring real truth that never changes, found in the messages of Adrian Rogers. Perhaps the most powerful and influential class of people in the world today are magnificent mothers. 1 Samuel 1 tells the story of Hannah, a barren woman who wanted more than anything else to have a son. After much prayer, God gave Hannah a son named Samuel, who was considered one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. Hannah's story offers five powerful principles for godly motherhood. If you have your Bible, turn now to 1 Samuel chapter 1 as we begin Adrian Rogers' message, Magnificent Mother.

Find 1 Samuel chapter 1. And when you've found it, look up here and I want to make a statement to you. And I believe this statement to be true. And here is the statement. Mothers are perhaps the most powerful and influential force on the face of the earth.

It is true that the head of the home is the father, but it is equally true that the heart of the home is the mother. Let me introduce you to a wonderful woman. Her name is Hannah. Hannah.

Her name means gracious. And she was a gracious lady. Now, Hannah didn't have it easy. She lived at a time when things were very, very difficult. As a matter of fact, polygamy was tolerated in Hannah's day and her husband had more than one wife and Hannah was barren. She didn't have any children.

The other wife mocked her and scorned her and put her down because she was barren. Her heart cried out to God that she might have a baby and she wanted a preacher boy. She wanted a baby that she could raise for God and give back to God.

And I believe that she is a picture for all of us today of a maximum mother. Now, I want to give you some principles from God's Word and if you're a mama today or a grandmama or want to be a mama one of these days, I want to give you five principles. I pray, God, that these principles will be written upon your heart because they come out of the life of Hannah, but they also come out of the Word of God. You say, well, pastor, I am not a mother nor will I ever be a mother because I am a man.

Right? The principles will apply to you. They will apply to man, a woman, and they will apply not only to being a maximum mom but being a maximum anything, a maximum anything if you're going to be something for God. But particularly today, we want to think about these principles as they apply to motherhood and as they give us some guidelines for raising in this generation godly kids, godly kids. Are you ready for these principles?

Principle number one is the principle of priority, the principle of priority. Hannah had her priorities right. The desire of her heart was that she would have a child. Look, if you will, in chapter 1, verse 10. It speaks of her as she's praying, and it says, and she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore, and she vowed a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou will indeed look upon the affliction of thine handmaid and remember me and not forget thine handmaid but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man child. O God, I want a baby.

O God, this is the desire of my heart. She had a God-given instinct to have a child because she knew what the Bible teaches over and over again that children are a blessing and an unmistakable gift from God. Put in your margin Psalm 127 and verse 3. Lo, children are the heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward. A blessing, not a burden. Now let me say clearly that my heart goes out to those of you who would love to have children and cannot for whatever reason.

God knows your heart and God knows that you would love to have children if you could. But to those of you who can and refuse because you want more of this world's goods, you want more freedom, oh, I want to tell you, you are missing an incredible blessing. But you say, Pastor, I might have to quit my job. We might have to sell one of our automobiles. We might not be able to take the vacation that we want to take. If we had children, those children would make us poor.

Listen carefully. Children don't make rich people poor. They make poor people rich.

They make poor people rich. That is a blessing. What made Hannah such a great woman is that she had a priority. She did not think it was less than the best to be a mother. But this was the prayer of her heart. And so the principle is of a magnificent priority. That's the first principle. Second principle, the principle of magnificent prayer. Because when you get your priorities lined up, then your prayers line up behind those priorities.

She was in bitterness in verse 10, and she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord. The first principle, priority. The second principle, prayer. When do you begin to raise your children? When do you begin to pray for your children? Not after they're born, before they're born.

Not after they're conceived, before they are conceived. Children ought to come in an answer to prayer. Here is Hannah. She is praying with all of her heart. Look in verse 10. And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord. She's saying, oh, God, I must have a child.

She prayed and said, God, God, I want a baby that I can give back to you. There is the principle of prayer. Oh, friend, would you not agree that we need more children in this world that are born in answer to prayer and then given back to God in prayer before they're born?

Would you not agree that that is true? Oh, the tragedy of unwanted children. The tragedy. Now, here's the third principle. She had a magnificent purpose. You see, your prayer and your priorities determine your purpose.

And so notice what her purpose was. Look in verse 11. And she vowed a vow and said, oh, Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look upon the affliction of thine handmaid and remember me and not forget thine handmaid but will give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

What does that mean, no razor come upon his head? Well, you have to understand the Old Testament. That meant that she was going to give him to be a Nazarite. Now, the Nazarites were a special group of persons who had been given over to God in a very special way.

You might put in your margin numbers chapter 6 and verse 5. It speaks of how these Nazarites were to be raised. And the Bible says, all the days of the vow of his separation, there shall no razor come upon his head until the days be fulfilled in which he separated himself unto the Lord. He shall be holy and let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

Now, what was she saying in effect? I want a holy child. I want a child separated unto the Lord.

What is the principle? If the child is a gift of God, if the child has come from God, then that child must be given back to God. Did God hear her prayer? She said, Lord, if you will give him to me, I will give him back to you. That prayer must have been in the will of God. That prayer must have been put in the heart of Hannah because God heard that prayer and God answered that prayer.

Now, you think about it. What do you want out of your child? What do you want for your child?

What are you praying for? Health, success, popularity, fame, is that what you want for your child? Your child has those things. But is that your priority for your child? Did you know that there are many people who feel it would be a tragedy if God were to make a missionary out of their child? A tragedy. They feel like it would be a waste if God were to call that child into the ministry.

I can remember people talking to my parents, trying to encourage my parents to encourage me not to go into the ministry because they said it would be a waste. It would be a waste. I mean, why, he could be something. He could do something.

Don't let him just squander his life. How many of you are praying, God, make my son important? Make my daughter famous?

Oh, we have such twisted priorities. Do you know what my desire is for my children? My desire, my prayer for my children, and Joyce joins me in this, is found in 3 John, verse 4, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth.

That's it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth. You see, the reason that so many times our prayers are not answered for our children is we're just not praying the right prayers for them.

And James says, You ask and receive not because you ask amiss that you might consume it upon your lust. Hannah had a purpose. Her purpose was, God, I want a child that will serve you.

Now, you can't make your child serve God. Joyce and I have goals for ourselves. We have desires for our children. What is the difference between a goal and a desire? Never set a goal for somebody else. You'll make a big mistake if you set a goal for somebody else. The only person you can ever set a goal for is you.

You have desires for others. Our desire is for godly children. Our goal is to be godly parents.

You see that? I cannot say that my children will be godly. I pray that my children will be godly. I say that I and pray that I will be a godly dad. Have desires for your children.

Have goals for yourself. Say, by God's grace, I will be a magnificent mom like Hannah was, a woman of grace. And so here is what she prayed. Lord, I want him to serve you. I want him to serve you.

Let me say a word to you mamas. Give of thy sons to bear the message glorious. Give of thy wealth to speed them on their way.

Pour out your souls for them in prayer victorious. And all that thou spendest, Jesus will repay. First principle, priority. God, give me a child. Second principle, prayer. He was prayed for before he was born, after he was born. Third principle, purpose. I want him to serve you, God. I want him to be separated unto you.

Fourth principle, persistence. Begin now reading in verse 12. And it came to pass as she what? Continued praying before the Lord that Eli marked her mouth. Now, Hannah, she spake in her heart.

Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought that she'd been drunken. And Eli said unto her... Now, Eli was the priest. Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee.

And Hannah answered and said, No, my Lord. I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace. And the God of Israel, grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight.

So the woman went her way and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. And they rose up in the morning early and worshipped before the Lord and returned and came to their house to Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bear a son and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord. Now, not only did she pray for him before he was born, but she continued to pray for him after he was born in dark days. What is the principle?

Here's the principle. No matter how dark, how desolate, how difficult, pray and keep on praying. I've seen that precious girl that I'm married to called Joyce pray you children through so many things. I have seen her pray with unwavering determination and wait on God and ask God. Over and over again, we're told to wait on God. That's persistence. You've got to keep on praying. Now, let me say this.

Because of her perseverance, her sorrow was turned to gladness. Now, if you've been praying for a child, you say, Pastor, I want a baby. I can't have a baby. We've been to the fertility doctors. We've done all we can do.

I want a baby. And this sermon is doing nothing but breaking my heart and making me feel guilty. Well, I don't want to do that. Because it may be indeed that God has another plan for you. And if God does, you just persist in prayer till you know God's will for your life. But pray.

Keep on persisting. Some of the most godly people in the Bible were not able to have children. But God gave to this woman, because of her persistence, a little baby boy. Do you know what she named him? Samuel. Do you know what Samuel means? It means asked of the Lord.

He is my little answer to prayer. She knew the power of priority. She knew the power of prayer. She knew the power of purpose. She knew the power of persistence. Now, here's the fifth of these principles that made this woman a magnificent mother.

Are you ready for it? It is the principle of persuasion. Persuasion. Now, you pray with all of your heart. You get your priority right. You get your prayer right. You get your purpose right.

You get your persistence right. And then you begin to do what you alone can do to persuade that child for the Lord Jesus Christ. Look, if you will, in 1 Samuel 1, beginning in verse 21, and the Bible says, And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. But Hannah went not up, for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned. You see what she's doing here?

She's saying, now look, there's some things that people think are very important, but I've got something more important. And then I will bring him that he may appear before the Lord and there abide forever. And then look, if you will, in verse 23, And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good tarry until thou have weaned him. Only the Lord establish his word, so the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her with three bullocks and one eiffel flower and a bottle of wine and brought him unto the house of the Lord.

Wasn't she a wise woman to have such priority, to make sacrifices to bring him to the house of the Lord and the child was young, and they slew a bullock and brought the child to Eli. And she said, O my Lord, as thy soul liveth my Lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition, which I have asked of him. Therefore have I lent him to the Lord. As long as he liveth, he shall be lent to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord there.

Who worshiped the Lord there? That baby has now become a child. She has built into this child.

She said to her husband, All right, go if you're going. But I'm staying with this baby. I'm staying with this baby. This is my baby. I am taking care of this child. Now I'm bringing my child to the house of God, and I'm teaching my child Jesus loves me.

This I know, for the Bible tells me so. And I'm not going to let anybody else do it, and I'm not going to let anything else keep me from doing it. This is my baby. I'm going to persuade this child. And then she treasured every moment that she had because these were tender years, and these were formative years. A father has influence on a child, but the deepest impression is made by a mother.

And she was so persuasive, this woman, that she changed, listen, Hannah changed the course of history. Do you know something that eats my lunch, makes me very hot? You ask a woman, what do you do? Well, I'm a son... You ask another one, well, I'm just a housewife and a mother. Just a housewife and mother.

Did I hear you? Just a housewife, a homemaker, and a mother. Don't you dare let these feminists take that out of your heart. There is nothing greater than to raise a baby for Jesus Christ.

Oh, they've done a job on us today. Never underestimate the power of a mother. Never underestimate the power of a mother. And as we celebrate Mother's Day this weekend, we want to share our gratitude for moms who teach their children to love God and follow Him. You know, at Love Worth Finding, we love hearing how the ministry and the messages of Pastor Rogers have inspired you in your faith journey. If you can, go online to lwf.org slash mylwfstory. You can submit your testimony there or read others who've shared their stories. We often select these stories to be shared throughout our Love Worth Finding community, and we will always protect your privacy if that's what you desire.

We can't wait to hear from you. Again, go to lwf.org slash mylwfstory. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message, you can call us at 1-877-LOVEGOD. Mention the title, Magnificent Mother.

You can also order online at lwf.org slash radio or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. Well, are you raising your children for the glory of God? Remember, those who will take that priority, make that prayer, own that purpose, commit to that persistence and persuasion by the grace of God will raise godly children. Happy Mother's Day to you and your family, and be sure to join us next time for more from Adrienne Rogers right here on Love Worth Finding. Recently, a listener sent this text through our Love Worth Finding app. Thank you for letting me be a part of something amazing. We are so grateful for listeners who come alongside us and pray for us and give to this ministry as we help share the timeless teachings of pastor and author Adrienne Rogers. That's why when you donate to the ministry right now, we want to thank you by sending a copy of Tapestry, Promises and Prophecy. Rooted in the timeless teachings of Pastor Rogers, this book will help you learn practical ways to increase your head knowledge and your heart knowledge through the book of Revelation. Request this journal when you call with a gift at 1-877-LOVEGOD, 1-877-568-3463, or give online at lwf.org slash radio. And thanks for your generous support of Love Worth Finding.