Transcription
We are sharing on making a vow to God in order to attract a timely divine intervention. Making a vow to God in order to attract a timely divine intervention. 1 Samuel chapter 1, verse 10 to 20. Within the next 12 months, you will have evidence of answered [Music] prayer.
There are different dimensions of prayer, and one of those very powerful types of prayer is what is called prevailing prayers. And to prevail means to prevail with someone or prevail with God means to successfully persuade God, to successfully move someone to do something. To prevail, which means to make a very strong demand for, to influence somebody to do something. Prevailing prayers are very compelling, have a very compelling appeal to God. So you need to discover the types of prevailing prayers so that have such impact with God, so you can activate them.
There are prayers that move God to do things he would not have done. Things that God is not planning to do. Through prevailing prayers, you can move God to do those things. And I hope every mother is listening. I pray I hope every woman here is listening because when women pray, God listens. There are prayers that move God to do things that he would not have done. In Isaiah chapter 38, verses 1-7, Isaiah 38:1-7, you see an example where prayer moved God to do what God was not initially planning to do. For the Lord had told his prophet Isaiah to tell King Hezekiah that his illness was unto death, and so he should put his house in order and get ready for the wars to happen. But King Hezekiah prayed a prevailing prayer right there, and there was a breakthrough, and the Lord Almighty reversed that which was going to happen, and he sent a new message, and this time it was good news. In the same realm where you had disturbing news, good news is coming this time, and the Lord said he had answered his prayer, and he made a commitment to extend his life for another 15 years.
Also, through prevailing prayers, you can move God to do earlier certain things that God had not intended to do at the time he was now moved to do it. So certain things that were not supposed to happen this year, this month, at this time, through prevailing prayer, you can influence the hands of the Lord to make them happen now. And one of those keys of prevailing prayer is prayer backed up with a vow.
A vow is a serious promise that is made to God, offering to do something specific. And uh, in this particular context in which we are sharing today, when you make a vow for divine intervention, you are making a serious promise to God, offering to do something in return for God's intervention, in return for a miracle, in return for a pressing need that you need from the Lord right at this time. A vow is a serious commitment to give a specific thing or offering to God if, if he grants your request or answers your prayer. And I say to that woman this day, your prayer is set to be answered.
A prayer is a vow is a serious promise, is an oath in some instances. In some instances, it could be a contract between you and God. In some instances, it could be a covenant, a voluntary covenant initiated by you with God. And a vow could be made about different things. Sometimes it could involve a gift. Sometimes it could be it involves doing something to honor God. Sometimes it could involve doing something in his service. Sometimes it could also be a pledge and promise to abstain from doing a certain thing. People usually make vows when they urgently want a particular thing to be solved or a particular thing to happen. So we see a lot of people making vows in times of trouble. People make vows when they have desperate needs. Some make vows in times of crisis when there is no other way out. We have seen people make vows over time.
Now, there are different types of vows, and I like you to please take note of these. There is a difference between swearing and making a vow. In Matthew chapter 5, verses 33-37, Matthew 5:33-37, The Voice version, it says, "You know that God expects us to abide by the oaths we swear and the promises we make. But I tell you this: Do not ever swear an oath. What is an oath? You cannot say, 'I swear by heaven,' for heaven is not yours to swear by; it is God's throne. And you cannot say, 'I swear by this good earth,' for the earth is not yours to swear by; it is God's footstool. And you cannot also say, 'I swear by the Holy City Jerusalem,' for it is not yours to swear by; it is the city of God, the capital of the King of Kings. You cannot even say that you swear by your own head, for God has dominion over your hands, your lips, your head. It is he who determines if your hair be straight or coily, white or black. It is he who rules over even this small scrap of creation. You need not swear an oath. Any impulse to do so is of evil. Simply let your 'yes' be 'yes' and let your 'no' be 'no.'" Matthew 5:33-37.
So what is the Lord saying here? Is he implying now that we should not make vows? No. In this instance here, he's referring to swearing. And in such instances, you are not asking God for an intervention. You are not asking God for an intervention. We are not asking God to do anything for you for which you are now making a promise or a vow to do something in return. In the instances referring to here, it's most times it this has to this happens when people are trying to, um, really assert the fact that something has happened this way or something is true or otherwise. And he's saying, don't swear. Just let your ears be ears and your no be no. So that is different from the kind of vows we are talking about. We are talking about vows for divine intervention. Making a vow to attract a divine intervention. That is what we are looking at today. And we have very, very, uh, appropriate examples from the holy scriptures.
The first, first time the word vow is used in the Bible is in Genesis 28, verses 20-22. Genesis 28:20-22. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, "If God will..." Take note of the pattern. When people are making a vow to attract divine intervention, take note of the pattern. He vowed a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat, raiment to put on, so that I can come again to my father's house in peace, then..." That's the second part of a vow that you are making. Making when you make a vow to attract divine intervention, it begins with what you are expecting God to do, what you desire that the Lord will do. And then the second part of the vow is what you intend to do in return, in return for God's answer to your prayer, God's answer to your request. Very simple, very simple. He said, "Then shall the Lord be my God, and this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee." So, in this story, Jacob was in trouble. He had lost his home, his life was in danger, his brother had threatened to kill him. So he made this vow at a desperate time, and God answered him. This vow activated divine covering and protection. What he asked God to do, the Lord did it for him.
So you see, this is a pattern that people generally don't make vows to God unless they are in trouble or they are in desperate need for something to happen. And sometimes, like I explained last week Sunday, your, your vow may not necessarily have to do with something to benefit you in particular. You can make a vow that is going to favor a loved one. "Lord, if you can do this for my son, if you can do this for my daughter, if you can do this for this person, this is what I would do in return." This is also what I would do in return. So people can actually make a vow with God concerning you, and sometimes without you knowing.
1 Samuel 1:10-11. Anna's vow. New Living Translation. It says, "So Anna was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord." So the kind of vow we are talking about is generated within the context of prayer. And she prayed to the Lord, and she made this vow, "Oh, Lord of Heaven's armies, now it is very important that you write down any vow you make. Please, any time you make a vow, write it down. Write it down. Write it down, please, because it's very sensitive, very, very sensitive. So make sure you write it down immediately." And I've made it very clear that in this dimension, when we are making a vow to attract divine intervention, it's always in two parts. The first part, you'll see here, said, "Oh, Lord of Heaven's armies, if, if..." So part two of your vow is based on a condition. It's based on a condition, and that condition has to do with God doing a particular thing. So if God does it, then this is what you are promising to do in return. "If you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son." So you can see that is very specific. Then that's part two. "Then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut." Praise ye the Lord.
So in this type, when you are making a vow to attract an urgent divine intervention, it usually involves two parts. In the first part of the vow, you mention what you desire that God will do. You mention what you desire that God will do. In the second part of your vow, you mention what you intend to do in return, if, if God answers your prayer, if God answers your prayer. Now, if you, if you look at this very well, so you, you begin to understand that for this kind of vows, there's, there's no problem. There's no problem at all. And, you know, if you have thought through carefully what exactly you are promising to do in return, then there shouldn't, you shouldn't be under any pressure or fear, because you are only expected to do whatever you have promised if God has first of all done what you have asked for. So, so it is a conditional promise. It's a conditional promise where you are not expected to perform your part until God has done what you have asked for.
Now, listen to this, please. This kind of vow is sometimes a better, a better type because if you are desperate for something to happen, if you go ahead and do something, there is no guarantee that God has committed himself to that vow. There's no guarantee. You can't just, you can't just, uh, tell God that, "Lord, I am going to do this thing, and, you know, in return, I want you to do this." How do you know whether God wants to answer that kind of prayer? Because, for instance, you are maybe aspiring for something that others are also interested in. So what happens when two, three people are making that same kind of vow at the same time, asking God to do the exactly the same thing, and it can only go for one person at that time? So there's no guarantee that even if you go ahead, because you can go ahead and do what you are intending to do, but it's not guaranteed that God will honor that vow because he never told you to initiate that covenant with him. But if in this pattern of vows, you are asking the Lord to please do a particular thing, and in return, if he does it, this is what you will do. So if God does it, then that is a sign that indeed the covenant you have, uh, of the vow you have, uh, initiated with him has been accepted by him. I hope this is clear with someone listening. So it's a conditional promise where you are not expected to perform your part until God has done what you have asked for.
Like I told you, there are different types of vows, and not every vow goes in this same, in this same pattern. This is just one kind of vow, but it's our focus at this hour. Why is making a vow to God so serious? Why is it so serious? A vow is a serious promise made to God. It's a serious promise made to God. A vow is legally binding in the spirit realm. It's legally binding in the spirit realm. So the enemy can use it against you in the spirit realm. If God does what you had desperately asked him to do, and then afterwards, you are now playing games or you are now delaying in redeeming your vow, the enemy can strike, and it has happened many times. A vow is a self-imposed obligation. It's a self-imposed obligation. It's a self-imposed obligation. That is why you must write down whatever you are committing yourself to do. Vows are made by personal choice, using free will. Nobody is forced to make a vow. Nobody is forced to make a vow. But when a person chooses to do so, God views his vow as a serious promise that must be respected and kept.