Bursting with God News! – 1 Samuel 2:1-10

1. Hannah prayed: I'm bursting with God-news! I'm walking on air. I'm laughing at my rivals. I'm dancing my salvation. 
2. Nothing and no one is holy like God, no rock mountain like our God. 
3. Don't dare talk pretentiously - not a word of boasting, ever! For God knows what's going on. He takes the measure of everything that happens. 
4. The weapons of the strong are smashed to pieces, while the weak are infused with fresh strength. 
5. The well-fed are out begging in the streets for crusts, while the hungry are getting second helpings. The barren woman has a houseful of children, while the mother of many is bereft. 
6. God brings death and God brings life, brings down to the grave and raises up. 
7. God brings poverty and God brings wealth; he lowers, he also lifts up. 
8. He puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, Restoring dignity and respect to their lives - a place in the sun! For the very structures of earth are God's; he has laid out his operations on a firm foundation. 
9. He protectively cares for his faithful friends, step by step, but leaves the wicked to stumble in the dark. No one makes it in this life by sheer muscle! 
10. God's enemies will be blasted out of the sky, crashed in a heap and burned. God will set things right all over the earth, he'll give strength to his king, he'll set his anointed on top of the world!

– 1 Samuel 2:1-10

Bursting with God News!

Has God answered your prayers?  Has He shown you what a great, and mighty, and gracious God He is?  Has your mourning turned into dancing and have you traded the ashes of your past for a beautiful, multi-colored  robe of hope and redemption?  Are you now praying instead of partying?  Shouting out instead of shooting up?  Serving instead of stealing?

Have you thanked HIm for it?  

Oh, I know you are thankful, we all are, but have you REALLY thanked Him like Hannah thanked Him?  I love this prayer from Hannah because it isn't just a get down-on-your-knees and bow your head in reverence kind of prayer prayed silently in the confines of a prayer closet.  NO!  It's a jump up and down, dance around, wiggle your ears and stick out your tongue at the devil kind of prayer.  It's a happy-happy-joy-joy, my Daddy's bigger than your daddy, sticks-and-stones, in your face, whoo-hoo, skip, hop, and jump down the street and shout at the top of your lungs with total abandon and I don't care who hears cause I want EVERYONE to hear it kind of prayer.  It's the kind of prayer that would get you kicked out of most church services today.

BUT . . . it's exactly the kind of prayer our Father, our God, THE Big Guy upstairs (who loves us so much), wants to hear.  The pure heart's cry from a child who understands and finally "gets" who He is and what He's all about.  It's a prayer that starts the angels in heaven partying like fools!  I can picture it now as it all starts with a single clap, and then another, and another, and then a few more and it builds until all the angels are clapping and shouting and high-fiving as God (all Three of Him), stand proudly, soaking in the adulation in heaven and on earth.

I think God deserves that kind of ovation don't you?  So how about it?  You up for it?  Yeah, I know, it isn't dignified and people are gonna think you've gone insane . . . SO WHAT!  Try it!  See what happens!  And if you are still a little shy to do it in public, at least get alone in your house . . . turn off the TV, power down your "iPhone" or "EVO" or "HTC whatever make and model,"  and just let go and let God know how truly wonderful He is and how eternally grateful you are.  It might just turn your prayer life, into a PRAYER LIFE!  And THAT can only be a GOOD thing!

Prayer

Woo-Hoo!  YOU are God!  The GREAT God!  The God who Saved ME!  MY Father!  I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have an AWESOME day everyone!

– Richard