Writings from the Global Office

Empowering Lives with Purpose

RESOLUTIONS

At the beginning of a new year, resolutions are made and excitement flies high with new goals and new beginnings.

Here is the key to a successful resolution: bathe your resolutions in prayer fortified by the Word of God.

When we make our resolutions without prayer, we tell God that we are strong enough to do this without any help from Him. Are any of us so strong that we do not need to rely on God?

If your resolutions are faltering as we move further into 2022, please do not give up! But you may need to reevaluate.

For those who have prayed over your resolutions, you might be wondering if God heard you. I encourage you to reflect on if your commitment was a change to and for yourself, or did you ask God for His input? I encourage you to always include GOD in ANY RESOLUTION you make. If you have already started a resolution, evaluate how it is going. Did you include God, or did you just set your mind to it? Start over if you need to, but begin with God this time. It is never too late, and if you look to Him through the struggles of change, you will more fully recognize that He is right by your side, lending you a Word, a person, or a way to get through to accomplishing your resolve.

In Isaiah 55, God promises us that His Word will always complete its task. Just like the rain and snow accomplish their purpose, God’s Word accomplishes His desires and achieves the purpose for which He sends it.

That means there is POWER in praying God’s Word over our resolutions, especially when we feel the battle of change. It is difficult to break a bad habit or form a new routine. We cannot see in the quiet time of our prayer, but the words we raise to heaven are WEAPONS OF WARFARE. Because of your prayers, angels fight with demons to bring about God’s will.

God’s Word is “alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart,” as explained in Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

The Word of God is a part of every Christian’s armor. We must carry the sword of the spirit, as instructed in Ephesians 6:17.

God’s Word pierces everything it touches; it is never ineffective. That is why it is so important not to make RESOLUTIONS alone, without going to God. We need to pray and read our Bibles daily. There are so many ways we can access God’s Word and allow it to penetrate our hearts and minds. God gives us everything we need to tap into His POWER and stand in our RESOLUTIONS with strength. When you do, God promises wonderful things will happen.

When we do not include God in our plan, my friends, it is like watching a war zone in a movie. We are shot at by the enemy from all directions, and sometimes we are even unaware of where the shots are coming from. When we pray and include God in our desired changes, He comes alongside us in the war zone, appropriating His power on our behalf.

Do not doubt that the struggle is difficult, but please do not give up quickly if you feel the challenge upon you. Remember your goals and declare the Word of God in your prayers. By doing so, you will have a powerful weapon that no enemy or addiction can penetrate. I encourage you to press forward in making or keeping your RESOLUTIONS, even beginning them again if necessary. Our great Leader and Lover of your soul will guide you all the way.

Daily I give my lifestyle and choices to God in prayer. The struggle is real, and it is daily. It is sometimes easier than other times, but we can be certain that with God’s help, we can always overcome our challenges. Praise God for that.

My hope and prayer for you is that God would bring to your mind the resolution He asks in your life. Address it and act on it, but remember to always resolve with God alongside you.

Kimberly Hobbs

Founder & Executive Director

kimberly@womenworldleaders.com

Ephesians 3:20

Biblical Profiles

HANNAH

My God can!

If I were to attribute a theme to Hannah’s life, it would be My God can!

Hannah’s story is told in 1 Samuel 1-2, which is fitting because Hannah is Samuel’s mother, so his story begins with hers.

But Hannah wasn’t always a mother. When we meet her, she is married to Elkanah, who loves and adores her. But their marriage isn’t perfect. In fact, Elkanah took another wife somewhere along the line, likely because Hannah could not get pregnant. Although having more than one wife has never been prescribed by God, and this was a family who followed the Lord, Elkanah bowed to the societal pressures of finding a way to grow his family in response to financial or even status-related issues. And Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, had no problem getting pregnant, a fact she reveled in, giving her reason to look down on and disrespect Hannah.

As a faithful family, they traveled together to Shiloh each year – a distance of about 14 miles – to worship the Lord. The trip should have been fulfilling and invigorating for Hannah, who loved the Lord, but because Peninnah treated her with jealous disdain, Hannah was miserable. Instead of biting back, Hannah (whose name means “woman of grace”) took her anguish and tears to God in full faith, knowing, My God can!

While in the house of the Lord, Hannah poured out her heart, offering herself and her future motherhood to God. She prayed, asking that she would become pregnant with a son and vowing that if she did, she would offer him to be set apart and consecrated to God for His use and purpose. The Nazirite vow, which Hannah made to the Lord on behalf of her not-yet-conceived son, was known to be made by individuals for a specific period of time. But Hannah, by praying to God that “no razor will ever be used on his head” (1 Sam 1:11 NIV), vowed that her son’s whole life would be given to the Lord.

After discussing her prayer with her, Eli (the priest) offered Hannah his blessing saying, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant what you have asked of him.” (1 Sam 18 NIV)

Scripture records that after her prayer and Eli’s blessing, Hannah was no longer downcast. I imagine, as she continued to worship the Lord and then headed home, her heart was singing, My God can!

Not long after, Samuel was born to Hannah and Elkanah. Hannah remembered her vow and knew the time with her son would be short. She spent the three years before he was weaned giving Samuel a home filled with love for the Lord and preparing him to give his whole life to God. And I’m guessing she was also preparing herself – to hand Samuel, the child she had longed and prayed for, over to Eli, the priest. Eli did not have a stellar reputation as a father, but Hannah understood that she would be entrusting her son not to Eli but to God Himself – HER God. The God who can.

It isn’t easy to imagine such a scenario! Maybe you’ve waited a long time for a child. Perhaps you, like Hannah, cried out to God for His mercy. Who could imagine being given such a precious gift only to turn around and give it back to God?

And yet, if you are a parent, you may understand that that is exactly what God calls us to do. Hannah is our example of selfless motherhood. Hannah knew the Lord’s heart regarding her child, and she obeyed. Hannah gave years of her life praying and longing for a child, then spent Samuel’s first three years teaching and loving him. And then she let him go - allowing him to live the life that God intended for him all along.

For most parents, the letting-go process is more gradual – most of us aren’t asked to give our child to a priest at the tender age of three. Yet we ARE asked to let go! Parents pour themselves out for their children and then begin to loosen the reins. Giving them back to God and trusting Him to care for, love, protect, guide, and nurture them. And we can. Because Our God can!

The day Hannah gave Samuel over to Eli, she praised God in prayer! “My heart rejoices…there is no one holy like the Lord.” Hannah extolled the Lord as her solid rock who is wise, sovereign, and just. (1 Sam 2:1-10 NIV) In essence, shouting for all to hear: My God can!

Like Hannah, we can trust God. He loves our children even more than we do. He knows the plans He has for them – plans to give them a hope and a future! He understands their yearnings, desires, and callings. Hannah didn’t ever abandon Samuel. She saw him every year and brought him a new robe every time she saw him. Hannah loved Samuel, but she loved God even more. And she trusted Him – and we can, too, because Our God can!

Julie Jenkins

Teaching and Curriculum Leader

julie@womenworldleaders.com