Write the Check: Hannah's Bold Faith

Have you ever been bold enough to promise God something you didn't have yet? That's exactly what Hannah did and it changed everything. Her story teaches us a fundamental truth: if you can make what's important to God important to you, God will make what's important to you important to Him.

The Power of Faith-Filled Declarations

Years ago, I learned something that transformed my faith walk. A brother from Africa told me, "If you want to build your faith, start writing stuff down." So I did something that seemed crazy, I wrote checks I couldn't cash yet.

I started with a thousand-dollar check. I didn't have the money to deposit it, but I had the faith to write it. Then it went to nine thousand dollars. I put it on my wall and said, "One day you're gonna cash this." The point? I didn't have the money to deposit it, but I at least had the faith to write it.

Sometimes, believer, you have to start preparing yourself for when you can write that check. You might not be able to write it right now, but practice doesn't hurt. Get those big money pants and practice giving it to yourself. That's called active faith.

Hannah's Impossible Prayer

Let's look at First Samuel chapter one. Hannah had a problem, she was barren while her rival wife had children. But here's what's powerful: what you lack is what you should sow. Wherever you have a deficit is the area you need to sow in.

Hannah wanted children, so to trigger children, she told God, "I'll give you mine." Now that's bold! That's writing a check you can't cash. God would have to make a way out of this.

She made a vow saying, "O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on my affliction and remember me, and give your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life." She wrote a check, she said "son." Be specific when you pray. Then she said, "I will give him to the Lord."

Worship and Sacrifice Go Hand in Hand

Here's something critical: worship and sacrifice work together. When you sacrifice, it's your worship. When you worship, it's your sacrifice.

Hebrews 13 tells us to "at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of our lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name."

Not just when things are good. Not just when you feel like it. AT ALL TIMES.

You know what? At one o'clock today, thousands of people will stand up and worship football. They'll worship their favorite team, their favorite player. But you can't worship God when He's given you everything?

That's why He calls it a sacrifice, because you're not always going to feel like it. You don't always feel like doing stuff for your spouse, but you do it. Even when your team loses, you still celebrate something. But you have to choose, because something happens when you start to praise. The atmosphere shifts. Something on the inside of you starts to change.

Dealing with Critics and Provocateurs

Here's a truth that will set you free: Hannah's rival provoked her bitterly to irritate and embarrass her. The question is, why are you shocked when people irritate, bother, and provoke you?

There are people assigned to get you out of your position if you allow it. But notice this, Hannah never responded to her rival. That's a lesson by itself. If you don't have anything good to say, just say nothing.

And here's the kicker, where did this provocation happen? In the house of the Lord! So many people talk about "church hurt." Let me be clear: people hurt you, not God's church. Wherever there's people, there are problems.

Stop wasting your words on people who don't like you anyway. You waste your energy trying to prove to them that you're not who they think you are, and they're still going to believe it.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said this: "If you acknowledge your critic, you give them credibility." By acknowledging it, you show them it bothered you.

The Faith Formula

Let me give you some faith muscles right now:

Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."

Hebrews 11:6 - "Without faith it's impossible to please God, for whoever comes near to God must first believe that He exists and believe that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

You already have faith, the question is, are you using it?

2 Corinthians 4:13 - "We have the same spirit of faith... I believe, therefore I speak."

What are you saying? Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). You will eat your words. Your tongue is like the pen of a ready writer—you write your story with your mouth.

The 'Whatever' God Offers You

Mark 11:22-24 is powerful. Jesus says, "Have faith in God... whoever says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I'm telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer..."

Did you catch that? WHATEVER.

What's your whatever? Some may say a BMW. Others, a house or car. What is YOUR whatever? If you don't put a limit on God, God won't put a limit on you. You have to determine what your whatever is.

You will receive on the level you believe and on the level you receive.

When You Don't Know What to Pray

Hannah was so distressed that when she prayed, only her lips moved, no sound came out. Eli the priest thought she was drunk! But she was weeping in the spirit.

Romans 8:26 says, "The moment we get tired, God's Spirit comes right alongside of us. If we don't know what to pray, it doesn't matter, He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs and our aching groans."

There will be times when you don't know what to say or what to pray. Just seek Him. The blind man simply said, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." That was his prayer, and he got it.

You don't have to be masterful or artful. Just cry out wherever you're at, whatever level you're on. Trust God.

The Testimony of Answered Prayer

After Hannah prayed, something supernatural happened. The priest came into agreement with her prayer. When two touch and agree, it's established.

Then watch this: "Hannah said, 'Let your maidservant find grace and favor in your sight.' So the woman went away and ate, and her face was no longer sad."

She hadn't received the answer yet, but she already had peace! That's faith.

And guess what? In due time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to Samuel. But here's the beautiful part, she didn't just receive and forget. She came back with a thank you offering. She kept her vow and dedicated Samuel to the Lord.

How many prayers has God answered for you that you never came back to say thank you? That promotion, that job, that house, that relationship, that child, the things you prayed for. Have you come back and said, "Lord, thank you"?

By the way, after Hannah gave Samuel to the Lord, she went on to have five more children. She got exactly what she sowed.

My Crazy Faith Story

Let me close with this. This property our church sits on is 10.06 acres. Back in 2012, the price started at $2.1 million. They came down to $875,000, then their final offer was $600,000.

I said, "Listen, we don't have $600,000. What we do have is $400,000."

I wrote up an offer for $400,000 cash. Think about that—they'd come from $875,000 to $600,000, and I countered with $400,000. You'd have to be half-crazy to do that, right?

But the King's heart is in God's hands.

They accepted.

Last year, our church bought two properties, both below asking price. We bought a property across the street they wanted $250,000. I said, "Give them $200,000." The realtor said, "Jomo, that's kind of insulting." I said, "All I'm doing is asking. They can counter-offer, right?"

They didn't counter. They accepted.

Proverbs 28:1 says, "The righteous are bold as lions." All they can tell you is no, but you can't be afraid to ask. You have not because you ask not.

Your Turn to Write a Check

I don't know who I'm talking to today, but you've been too timid. There are some more things God has for you.

Hannah had no child, and she told God, "I'll give you what I don't even have." That's bold faith.

If you want something different, you got to do something different.

What's your whatever? What check do you need to write that you can't cash yet? What bold prayer do you need to pray?

Remember: God is not moved by need. God is moved by faith.

It's time to:

• Make what's important to God important to you
• Write that check you can't cash
• Activate your faith through your words
• Stand firm against critics and provocateurs
• Worship and sacrifice go hand in hand
• Come back and say thank you for answered prayers

God will never put you in a moment where He hasn't already built you for it. You've been waiting for this moment. God already put it on the inside of you—now you're just waiting for your moment to manifest.

Be bold. Be specific. Have faith. Write that check.

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