God First.

-Meditation-

1 Samuel 1:19-20

--TheSecretPlace--

Hello all! I am happy to say that the LORD is good ALL THE TIME. No matter where I am, or what I am doing, or what I am going through He is always good.

Yes. SO 1 Samuel 1:19-20

¹⁹ Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. ²⁰ So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."

This is really such an amazing scripture.

One thing here that really sticks out to me is how they arose EARLY in the morning, and the worshipped the LORD. I believe that this is very significant because before they did anything they worshipped the LORD. Before their travel, before they did anything else that day the worshipped the LORD, they put Him first. We as Christians are called to put the LORD first in our lives, and when we become Christians that is kinda the commitment we are making-GOD First-Me last.

We don't have to wake up early to put God first, and we don't have to stay up late to put God first. It is truly your heart before God, if He is first in your heart, then He is first! You don't have to go to any prayer meetings, or do a ton of service projects to prove to Him that He is first in your heart, and in your life, you just have to put Him first.

I believe that if we love God, we are going to spend time with Him, and show Him that we love Him just as we would with others we love. To have a relationship with someone, you have to spend time with them, and it is the same way with Jesus, to know Him, we have to spend time with Him in His word, and in the place of prayer.

So we have to get to that secret place where we meet with God, when it is just you, and Him, and we have to choose to set aside time for Him, whether that time be in the morning, or in the evening, or at a random time of the day, we just have to spend time with Him.

When we put Him first, and we spend time with Him, and we seek Him FIRST, then everything else we need will fall into place! The proof of this is found in Matthew 6:33, which says: Seek first His kingdom, and everything else will be added unto you.

It is very true that we do not have to worry about anything, or anyone, we just have to put the LORD first, at all cost, and everything else will fall right into place.

One more thing about them going every year to Shiloh to worship, and sacrifice to the LORD, it is very easy to go on a trip, and worship God, and then come back home, and be completely dry, and just go back to life as usual, but the LORD is looking for, and wanting His people to live lives of worship. He is waiting for His people to worship Him every single day! Every single moment. He calls us to pray continually, and to acknowledge Him in all our ways, and I believe that more and more people are grabbing hold of this truth every day. This is truly the greatest calling. To love God, and to be loved by God-every moment of the day.

After they worshipped the LORD they went home, and the LORD remembered Hannah, and she gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel, saying 'Because I asked the LORD for Him.'

The LORD remembered Hannah. He remembered her cry, her vow, and her prayers, and the LORD dealt kindly to her and gave her what she was asking for. The LORD shows kindness to all of His children, and though He may not, and does not give us what we ask Him for every time, He always answers our prayers. He is the giver of all that is good, and even though sometimes we get disappointed, our God does not disappoint, He is the One who comforts us, and helps us through even the roughest seasons of life. We can always remember that no matter how the LORD answers our prayers, He remembers our prayers and answers them, and He treats His children with kindness, what a good good God.

There are also times where we have not because we ask not, if a child wants a candy bar for his birthday, and nobody knows he wants a candy bar, he may not get a candy bar, just because he didn't ask for it, he may get a candy bar anyways, but you get my point. We need not to shy away from the LORD in prayer, because if we ask Him for something we want we are being selfish, the Word says that if your earthly fathers give good gifts how much more will your Father give good gifts to those who ask Him. I believe that applies spiritually, and even material-wise, and just as long as our hearts are right I have seen many many times prayers being answered for things like mac books, and cars. The LORD loves to give good gifts to His children.

Finally I want to pull in a promise of the LORD for all of His children, Matthew 7:7-8 says "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.'' I believe these verses stand for spiritual breakthrough, and even material breakthrough.

The LORD is on our side, and delights in blessing us, I am in no way saying that we need to get on our faces and cry out to the LORD to give us mac books, and cars!!! I am just saying ask for those things you want. I am saying that we need to DESPERATELY get on our faces before the LORD on behalf of things like His second coming, for revival, for abortion to end, the things on His heart that He wants to see accomplished. I believe He wants to send revival to the church, so lets pray, and cry out for revival, I believe He wants to wake up His bride across all of the nations of the earth, so lets pray for the awakening of His bride. We need to give ourselves to the place of prayer. If you take nothing else away from this post, get this.

God's people crying out to Him, is what moves the very heart of God. When we cry out continually for more of Him, our God, and our Father, I believe the LORD will pour Himself out on us, and have mercy on us. When we declare our love to the LORD, I believe He looks down upon us, and just waits to pour out His love over us.

The LORD will answer when we call to Him.

Jeremiah 33:3 says

Call to me, and I will show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Cling to the promise of the LORD, and just as you cling to it, He remembers it, He does not forget!!!!

Praise the LORD!!!!

---Intercession---

God I pray for every person who calls on your Name LORD, and I pray that their love would abound more, and more in love, and in depth of insight. I pray that you would awaken those who call on Your Name with the spirit of wisdom, and revelation, so that they may know you better. Enlighten the eyes of their hearts. Lord, I pray that you would pour out Your Spirit on them in the secret place as they seek Your face and listen to Your voice. I pray LORD for a deeper understanding of what it means, and what it looks like for each individual to give themselves to prayer. I pray that You would give them a revelation of Jesus Christ. Let them see Jesus in all of His beauty, and His splendor. Jesus I pray that you would fill them with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom, and understanding. I pray for more of you, and less of us.

In Jesus Name. Amen.

Be blessed in the Lord Jesus!!

Kasey